28 Matching Annotations
  1. Oct 2015
    1. “My feet are at Moorgate, and my heart Under my feet. After the event He wept. He promised ‘a new start.’ I made no comment. What should I resent?”

      Often times people are quick to speak up about the betrayal that they’ve endured from those who have wronged them, but sometimes silence, or the lack of voice sends a greater message. In the stanza just before this one, the girl has been sexually assaulted and she now finds herself stuck as she mentions her heart is under her feet. Moorgate is one of the gates in London that leads to Moorfields- where one of the first hydrogen balloon flights took off in England (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Map_1682_Bethlem_in_Moorfields.jpg).

      At a place that represents the ability to ascend above the ground, the fact that her heart is under her feet represents a loss of power and innocence. Her assaulter tries to reconcile and to convince her of new beginnings, which parallels the new beginnings of Moorfields as the first site of hydrogen balloon flight, but instead of responding, she stays quiet. Her silence and her decision to keep her voice to herself even though she was assaulted emphasizes the significance of how much she was influenced by the event. No matter where she is, even in such a prominent location of change and new beginnings, the change that transforms her from an innocent young girl to a victim cries far greater without her even needing to raise her voice.

    1. “My feet are at Moorgate, and my heart Under my feet. After the event He wept. He promised a ‘new start.’ I made no comment. What should I resent?”

      Often times people are quick to speak up about the betrayal that they’ve endured from those who have wronged them, but sometimes silence, or the lack of voice sends a greater message. In the stanza just before this one, the girl has been sexually assaulted and she now finds herself stuck as she mentions her heart is under her feet. Moorgate is one of the gates in London that leads to Moorfields- where one of the first hydrogen balloon flights took off in England (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Map_1682_Bethlem_in_Moorfields.jpg).

      At a place that represents the ability to ascend above the ground, the fact that her heart is under her feet represents a loss of power and innocence. Her assaulter tries to reconcile and to convince her of new beginnings, which parallels the new beginnings of Moorfields as the first site of hydrogen balloon flight, but instead of responding, she stays quiet. Her silence and her decision to keep her voice to herself even though she was assaulted emphasizes the significance of how much she was influenced by the event. No matter where she is, even in such a prominent location of change and new beginnings, the change that transforms her from an innocent young girl to a victim cries far greater without her even needing to raise her voice.

    2. Which I am forbidden to see.

      The narrator described the card as blank, and they are also aware of where it is located, so why is it forbidden for them to see if it seems as though they've already seen it

    3. (Come in under the shadow of this red rock),

      is this the narrator speaking, and if so, are they speaking to their cousin? or is this the cousin speaking

    4. Memory and desire, stirring

      is this describing the way someone reminisces for something that they can no longer experience?

    1. Cunning is and does cunning is and does the most beautiful notes

      Something that is cunning is not regularly described as beautiful, but in this case, perhaps the narrator is describing those who get tricked by those who are cunning. Ignorant and naive, those who fall for tricks of cunningness may be convinced that everything is true and beautiful, when in fact, their perception is being twisted.

    2. Melancholy do lip sing.

      As the line above states "I love honor and obey I do love honor and obey I do." This line seems to parallel the one before it as people who lip sing are not completely genuine in what they are doing, and the word melancholy adds to the idea that maybe this isn't something that the narrator feels confident about.

    3. I love honor and obey I do love honor and obey I do.

      The way this is repeated almost sounds like he is trying to convince himself that his love for honor and obedience is genuine. It also sounds almost as if he is forced to think this way, possibly because of how he is raised.

  2. Sep 2015
    1. expressing with broken brain the truth about us— her great ungainly hips and flopping breasts

      While she is revealing the truth when others may be dishonest, the focus shifts to her physical features and she is negatively feminized. No attention is paid to what she is saying, but instead, on her appearance. Is this because they feel as though her truth is not as important? Or is it because they find her truth "inaccurate" due to her broken brain

    2. without emotion save numbed terror

      Why is it that they have no emotion, and have they resorted to "fluttering and flaunting" to deal with the lack of emotion, or because they are terrified and feel as though they can do nothing else?

    1. I doubted if I should ever come back

      doubted because he figured he'd never cross this path again, or because he'd never feel the need to?

    2. Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

      Why does he personify roads- is this his way of imposing his own thoughts onto nature in attempt to understand it better?

    3. And be one traveler, long I stood

      If he was with someone else, would he have made a decision quicker?

    4. The woods are lovely, dark and deep

      Does he describe it as such to convince himself of this, or does he genuinely think this way?

    5. To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake

      A farmhouse right in between the woods/lake is really specific- does this imply that there are usually farmhouses in these locations?

    6. Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though

      If he is significant to bring up in the poem, why don't we hear about the owner of the woods again?

    7. Good fences make good neighbors.

      Is this to show separation and a sense of formality between the two? (As they did with the different type of trees?)

    1. A million black men started with renewed zeal to vote themselves into the kingdom

      the ability to vote completely shifts perspective. it is no longer necessary for him to "creep through" as he felt the need to when he was younger, but instead a new purpose was planted.

    2. had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through;

      He, after being isolated from an exchange that he used to find "merry," has seemingly let go of all efforts to pursue better treatment. "creep through" is such a visual way to describe, and it signifies that he no longer feels welcomed, and instead, would need to go unnoticed if he ever wanted to experience the exchange

    1. Of all the American artists who gave to American art whatever life it breathed in the seventies, St. Gaudens was perhaps the most sympathetic, but certainly the most inarticulate

      How is art considered sympathetic while at the same time inarticulate as well? To me, something that is sympathetic shows that a connection is made between the receiver and giver, while inarticulate represents a lack of something definite- things are up in the air and unclear. How are these two seemingly contradicting things able to come together and work?

    2. he found himself lying

      the use of the word "lying" is surprising to me because lying down is something that i find people do when they are humbled by something, or so shocked that they cannot possibly stand up for it. It's interesting to see that even though he has spent a decade pursuing over sequences of xyz, his reaction is neither dulled nor filtered.

    3. I agree on your commentary, and adding on to that, I wonder if he purposely ignored that exhibit for that very reason. In a couple sentences below this, it is revealed that his focus was on new motors, but nothing is said about why is chose to avoid the other exhibit.

  3. Aug 2015
    1. bones’ need to sharpen and the muscles’ to stretch

      confused over why bones need to be sharpened

    2. white sins forgiven

      In a religious sense, white is often seen as pure and "without sin" so "white sins" is an intriguing contradiction

    3. earth is calling in her little ones, “Come home, Come home!”

      interesting personification of the relationship between a mother and children. Who is/what does "little ones" represent?