which small queen is about to be brought down.
This goes back to my theory- "Snow Day" is about the rise of anarchy. Billy Collins' successfully uses wholesome ideas (children playing, natural beauty etc.) as an underlying metaphor for government shutdown.
whispering by the fence. And now I am listening hard in the grandiose silence of the snow
Quiet images that are endearing and evoke a sense of darkness and mystery.
as glad as anyone to hear the news that the Kiddie Corner School is closed, the Ding-Dong School, closed.
I find it odd that the speaker, who I assume is an adult, considers this to be good. This brings me back to the word used in an earlier line- "anarchic." This poem seems to take something innocent, like a snow day, and turn it into a metaphor that alludes to political philosophy.
the government buildings smothered, schools and libraries buried, the post office lost under the noiseless drift,
These are all things that help to shape society. Is snow being used as a metaphor for spontaneous destruction? Everything we know has the possibility of one day being lost.
anarchic cause of snow
The word, "anarchic", is an interesting and highly effective choice. This word holds powerful and somewhat negative connotations. The speaker sees the snow as an uncontrollable rebellion- they graciously succumb to its arrival.
and step out like someone walking in water,
Like walking in water, the speaker's tone and feeling is freeing.
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness
This line has me a bit perplexed. Where does a mouse fit in to all of this? It's hard to decipher. This reminds me of the famous line, "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..." Being that this poem takes place during the winter, maybe there is some sort of correlation between the two.
its white flag waving over everything
Those who are surrounded by the snow, have surrendered to the snow. I'd like to think that this is simply a poem about a snow filled day, but some of these lines hold a certain violence; an ominous heat.
Annotation Comrades: Final
Chandler Fitchett
My parents begged him to pluck their eyes out.
Does this mean that they want to forget what they have seen? Is this alluding to something more?
They were acrobats
The Aztecs were known for their lavish festivals which included music, plays, and acrobatics.
zócalo
Not sure what this meant so I looked it up. Zócalo, also known as Plaza de la Constitución, is Mexico City's main square. Zócalo also served as the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.