Many people need work in order to keep themselves on track. Often times, working is the very thing that can bring people out of dark times.

John will not help her, she feels hopeless and out of options at this point. She seems mentally ill.

John is very realistic, he does not indulge in superstition. He believes in only things that he can understand.

He looks back on his childhood pondering the way he could overcome racism by participating in competition. But sadly, this does not last and the opportunities to overcome became more and more limited as he became older.

The speaker reports that his childhood "mates" lose their youth from the constant hatred and inequality that surrounds them as black individuals in America. Their subjection to the "pale world" is a source of negativity which drains them of their youthfulness.

It's no surprise that being surrounded by constant hate and racism would do such a thing. The inability to escape the negativity alone would be highly stressful and disarming.

Images of the rain, rivers, and oceans. The speaker seems to be surrounded by moving water. They seem almost offended by the constant pitter patter and flow of the rain.

What classifies something in education as inert? Inert means that it is not moving.

Its peculiar to me that in this sense, learning can accumulate ignorance. Usually education is the exact thing that fixes ignorance.

This is probably the most interesting line in the poem in my opinion. It holds a lot of truth. In theory kings and poets do play a huge role in the way history plays out because of the massive influence they have on individuals.

The speaker associates being human with being good. we ache to be "sublime" buy really what we need is to be human.

What a powerful statement this is. To think that even life is something that you can't love until you are relieved of it is truly mind boggling. When I read this I just think back to that saying, "you don't know what you got until its gone".

Is the speaker having an epiphany upon discovering the beauty and magic of nature? They seem to be overtaken by the sheer vastness of the natural world.

Is knowledge separate from truth? I believe so, because knowledge can be untrue. But this can be further complicated by asking, what about knowledge that is perceived as true? Therefore those who rely on what they "kn[o]w" and those who rely on what is "true", both are necessarily right or "true".

Design could be replaced with God. It seems like the speaker is pondering the role that God plays in the fate of nature.

After stating the importance of love and the power it has over people, she throws off the reader with her comments about selling her love for "peace". The speaker seems sarcastic as they flaunt their freedom from love

An unfortunate truth but not worth worrying about.

Up until this point in the poem there has only been images of death and despair, but spring comes and brings renewing life to the "cold" environment in the first 3 stanzas.

I'm wondering if Williams had some deeper meaning in this poem about indulgence or if he actually just ate some plums and felt bad?

The first and second section of "Howl" read like a question (which is asked in the first lines), and is then answered throughout the entire second section. Moloch is apparently responsible for the destruction of society which the speaker describes. Moloch is a Hebrew God who is known for sacrificing children.

Ginsberg is comparing Moloch, a God who sacrifices the lives of children, to the industrialization and technological advancement that he sees as a killer of the imagination. Ginsberg uses Moloch as his example because he is a cruel God who rules through fear. To Howl, industrialization is menacing in a similar way, in which it comes with a high cost to society. The cost is the death of the imagination.

A "sphinx of cement and aluminum". This is clearly hinting at the idea that industrialization has become a curse or burden to society.

The passage paints a violent image of society having their heads "bashed open" and their imaginations being pulled out via technological advancement.

The author describes a writing process which many of us can relate to I am sure. The speaker salutes the late night writers who stay up all night tending to their over-flowing amount of creativity and inspiration, only to awaken and realize its all complete garbage.

Right off the bat, the speaker gives us this image of a generation subjected to chaos and madness. This generation is vulnerable and weak apparently. He uses the words "destroyed" and "staving" which reminds me of Eliot's "Wasteland". In both texts, society is described as something that is falling apart and out of control. Both authors focus on this destruction of society and consciousness which plagues American society.

The author shows his disappointment in the downfall of his race in Harlem where prostitution seems to have become a popular last resort for impoverished African American women.

Perhaps the speaker is saying they are slightly weary of what the future holds for them, but it is all full of "wonders" making it seem more appealing.

This poem has a very musical feel. There is a clear rhyme and rhythm.

This individual is not being treated the way that they feel they should be. But they are keeping their head up and looking to the future. They know that one day they will be able to sit at the table and "laugh" in the face of the one who told them to eat in the kitchen.

Locke continues with his idea of moving past stereotypes and racism. He sees these habits as old ideas that have been passed on by dead relatives. And it is time to move on now, he claims.

Refers to the perpetuation of stereotypes and racism which created a fake image of African American culture during this transitional period.

Hughes relates the Black experience to music many times throughout the essay. He sees music as something that flows through black culture and defines them.

The speaker says that he tries to incorporate the "meanings" and "Rhythms of jazz" into his poetry. I decided to look up some of the "jazz poems" and I could see what he meant by this right away. The poems can be read like a song and there is noticeable rhythm. For example, in Hughes' poem "The Weary Blues": "He did a lazy sway. . . . He did a lazy sway. . . . To the tune o’ those Weary Blues. With his ebony hands on each ivory key He made that poor piano moan with melody. O Blues!"

Reference to World War I?

Is the speaker claiming it would animalistic to continue operating the world through capitalism? No. The speaker is suggesting that we human beings know better, and we are not limited by an inability to restrain ourselves, such as in the case of the dog which continuously eats the toads which make it sick. The dog does not know any better and does not have the ability to even comprehend why it should not eat the toads. But we do, the masses have the ability to see what is right and wrong, and in fact it could be said that it is our job to do just that. Therefore the speaker claims we should do away with capitalism because we know better than to let a corrupt system control our lives.

The speaker views capitalism as an illness that exists in America. Moreover, the image of the toad-eating dog is oddly reminiscent of a drug addict who seeks to quit their addiction but continues to use regardless. Just like the dog continuously devours the toads which make it sick, a heroin addict will work endlessly to obtain their next dose. The author brings up the misery and dreadfulness which comes along with this type of behavior but comments that the worse the problem gets, the more the powerful individuals in charge seem to enjoy it.

In this stanza Hughes is attempting to create an image of the reality for a black individual who seems to have been taken into slavery in Russia. It is hard to say what is meant by "now my work is done". It could mean that Chico has been freed from slavery or possibly that he has passed away due to the harsh circumstances Chico faces under Comrade Lenin. Either way, Chico seems content with this outcome.

Seems like a reference to the challenging experience of American Immigrants during the depression. The speaker takes on the role of this Chinese immigrant in this stanza. I think Hughes chose to use a first person point of view in this stanza in order to put the reader in the shoes of the immigrant for short moment.

Perhaps a statement about the lack of God in this post war era. My take on these lines is that the speaker feels trapped and suffocated by the disorder and turmoil which the war brought on.

The speaker commends those who are conscious and look within to find the answer they seek.

Possibly a statement about the true cost of war.

Perhaps Eliot is suggesting that God has chosen him to write moving poetry during this time of chaos and war. He specifically has been "plucked out" and given this purpose.

An image of death and decay counteracted by normal day to day occurrences like car horns. Perhaps this is statement reflecting how while war is waged on the other side of the world, life continues for those who are not directly involved in the war. Or maybe the speaker is saying that even in their normal day to day life, they cannot escape the effects of war.

This is a good example of Eliot's use of fragmentation in "The Waste Land". The story seems to jump around a lot and does not stick to any one point. This line that I have highlighted seems to come out of no where, and it almost seems like it could be a warning or an alarm. But then the speaker continues on a previous point without any explanation for the abrupt statement.

The title of this section provides a clear image of the "waste land" which Eliot is referring to. The devastation of WWI was widespread and death tolls were in the millions.

One of the things that makes this poem so unique is its fragmented structure. At certain points it almost seems random. But this is how T.S Eliot saw the world during the War through his eyes, fragmented, broken, falling apart. The wasteland that he is living in after WWI, he sees as a place of no knowledge or wisdom. In the lines that follow, Eliot ponders whether or not the world will ever be able to revert back to place of beauty and advancement, from the wasteland that it has become through the first World War.

This small fragment of the poem helps to create the dark, ominous mood which is present throughout the play. What the line means is that, no one is immune to death and eventually we all turn to dust as we naturally decay. But referencing the fear associated with death and dying is what makes the reader stop, go back, and read the line once again. This is one the first line in "The Wasteland" that catches you slightly off guard and makes you wonder about the complicated word choice Eliot uses. In reality though, the meaning of this line is really quite simple (in my opinion). However the abruptness and ominous undertone of this line gives it a deep and highly meaningful presence within the entire poem.

In the wake of World War I, poets and writers struggled to find meaningful subjects that would connect with their readers. Eliot saw this time as a "wasteland", or in other words a time of little order. In these lines its clear that Eliot felt surrounded by death. Everywhere he looked and every corner he turned there it would be. And so these lines reflect this presence in the world. The massive casualties suffered in the war descended the world into this "wasteland" where death is all around and effects everyone. To my understanding, the main idea of these lines is that, during this time, death would catch up with you no what what, and if it hadn't, it was going to. Either through a family member or friend, etc. everyone was affected by the loss of life during this time in the 1920's.

She seems to reference a lot of random individuals with no explanation of connection or relation to the literature.

The speaker seems to be referring to various acquaintances. Additionally, this section reads like a song. There is pattern in the lines which is broken up by the "Henry Henry Henry" sections, this gives the lines a jingly mood.

In other words, don't attempt fix something that isn't broken by adding unnecessary material or speculation. Any knowledgable person will be able to see right through this deception and pick up on the unoriginality of the verse. Therefore be original and don't regurgitate because you most likely aren't fooling anyone.

This must be a constant struggle for any artist/poet. To feel compelled to only create art which "reveals something" or has a deeper meaning would be a difficult insecurity to maintain. It holds one to very high standards.

In the parents attempts to help their son they have forgotten about themselves. They failed to realize that their son was already gone, and that there was nothing they could do. Thus causing pain and suffering for themselves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ytzsHF2hU4

According to this statement the parents were enabling their son. Their only excuse was that they loved their son. But they did not realize that by enabling him, they are protecting him from the consequences of his actions. Linked is a informational website about enabling

This reminded me of "The Mad King" in Game of Thrones. In the series he is the last of the Targaryen bloodline to sit in the Iron Throne, and he is known for his insanity, hence "Mad King".

Defined an effigy is a sculpture of model of a person. The use of the word effigy in Diaz's poem is very powerful after realizing what the author meant by this. Like lifeless sculptures the parents follow behind the brother as he falls deeper into his sickness.

I found this ending very honest and genuine. In a way it affirms all of my suspicions about the Lion and it sums up the entire poem for me, allowing me to make sense of these stanzas.

The word gray in this sentence sort of sets a dark tone for whats to come. It lets the reader know that there is an injustice occurring which is causing this dark and gloomy setting. It reminds me of a day like today in SF, dark, rainy and not exactly cheery.