This is the first and only direct mention or address to Carl in this section. After this Carl is again referred to as the "you". However, after this point in the section though "you" is used much more frequently.

The anaphora is used to put emphasis and attention to the lost generation, but the breaks are interesting. There isn't a set pattern or structure that is reliable or consistent.

Movements against the education system in California would break out in the 60s after campuses tried to limit political activity. It's interesting to see that the sentiment against higher education, which would take action to preserve its own interests at the sake of students, was around for a while before the movement.

This poem is also a sonnet, and it reads much more traditional than it does compared to the rest of the collection. However, the last two lines don't directly rhyme with each each other, this could either be an intentional break from tradition or is somehow meant to be a visual slant rhyme with the "ain" endings.

I wonder where this place is with how vague it is. It seems to be far removed from civilization, much more pastoral, for the speaker to be so in tune with nature. I believe that this is one of the first poems in this collection to put such a heavy emphasis on nature without a specific location, other than being away from an urban place.

Similar to Hughes’s “I, too, sing America”, the speaker will only grow stronger from adversity. In fact, the speaker will face America alone and without fear, like a rebel. I am reminded of how American culture loves rebels, as much as we love law and order as well.

This touches on a major sentiment of the Harlem Renaissance, which in addition to creating a new identity with the US it was also vital to reconnect with cultural roots. History is important to creating a new identity. It provides a base to build something upon.

There is great significance to song and music which is reflective of the time period and renaissance. Music, as well as dance, was a common draw in attracting many people to the Harlem Renaissance.

This was an interesting word choice considering the history of minstrel shows and their derogatory depictions of black people.

It’s reminiscent of They Lion grow, but in this case it’s society and racism that will grow a strong and powerful speaker.

In spite of the speaker’s situation and adversity they will continue to grow strong and live well.

There’s a strange almost conventional and yet not conventional rhyming pattern through the poem that ultimately breaks down into repeating “Blues”. It’s as if the act of music, especially in this time period, fights against the traditional and is able to stand on its own against it.

This is another interesting argument that Locke makes because he emphasizes the point of working together, regardless of race and having contact despite racial lines.

However, Locke points out that class mobility will further strengthen black identity because it highlights issues of inequality. This is different to how Hughes depicts class mobility affecting identity and culture.

Again, Locke is discussing the shift from the old to the new, and the development of black identity in a post-reconstruction US.

In line with the modernist movement, overcoming the "mountain" is finding black identity in a society that is losing its national identity.

This also illustrates the shift from following norms to modernism and finding a new culture for the lost in society. Regardless of who is pleased black identity cannot be suppressed.

Black artists are stuck between two worlds, where they cannot be too black or too white. However, appeasing the audience is not staying true to the artist's self.

zombie, the dead and undead, inside and outside

In this section Elliot emphasizes the motif of the dead and undead. In the moment’s surrender, one that can never be retracted is the moment of death. However, somehow in the act of death one is able to finally exist. Until this point the living are not really living, but they are also not truly dead either. They are stuck in between the living and dead until that final moment of unification, because then their death and life are found in obituaries or the memories of those left behind.

Fragments, quotation, desire, voices

Elliot is able to inset many motifs into this small section here. It’s a fragmented part of a conversation from one person to another. However, what is also interesting about this section is that it’s a direct quotation from the conversation instead of a paraphrase or summary. It’s a part of a whole conversation, with missing context from the rest of this conversation. There is also intense desire where this person begs for another to stay with them in their time of need. At the same time there is frustration because this person is not having their needs met despite clearly asking for these actions. The lack of another voice adds to the one-sidedness and isolation in this relationship.

A lot of these sections don't directly connect and they seem like disjointed stories or voices. It doesn't feel united.

Strange how this is a poem within a poem, about a missing child. Especially right after the line about fear in a handful of dust.

Interesting how the language shifts into German and over something that isn't a large point to this section of the poem.

This poem stood out to me with its vivid imagery and colorful/specific choice of words. It really lends itself to a certain feeling.

I notice this poem is very fractured and jumps around a lot. It's hard to follow but this also makes it intriguing.

This is a poem about someone who ate someone else's plums. This poem is an apology for eating someone else's plums. How impulsive and selfish, the speaker is.

This seems against what the point of the essay was. It reminds me of Hillbilly Elegy where a point is being made but it's not consistent or fought for strongly.

I wonder why there is a need to debate these subjects, and particularly now. It reminds me of the current political debates now, where rules need to be followed or compromises need to be made.

Who are these people to decide rules for writing and literature? I think it's interesting when any group sets rules or categorizations for art. How are these rules decided and how are people appointed to make these rules?

I think that this poem is written in slant rhyme. Most words are obvious like drink and sink, but food and would are a bit of a stretch.

This line is eloquently written and speaks to the fact that without love many of us would perish due to loneliness. Love can come in many ways, from family members to significant others, but without it there really isn't much meaning left in life.

The rhyming scheme is unique in this poem. Each stanza has three lines that rhyme, and each stanza is different with its words, meaning that a word from the first stanza will not rhyme with any from the second, third, etc.

I feel like this is a statement or musing about how the chances of these things happening at all are seemingly random, but nature is compared to one big machine that has a design.

I like this line, it’s very scenic. It’s not very descriptive with abundant imagery but I can see it regardless.

Is this meant to be in reference to the elderly mentioned in the first stanza? There is a beauty to aging that some people admire but at the same time wouldn't wish for themselves as well.

This is an interesting break because it makes the reader wait on suspense. At first it doesn't seem like dreaming of young blood could be anything innocent.

Again I'm reminded of Shakespeare. These traits are listed alongside nature, which even fades and dies. It seems something that Falstaff would say to make a point about how pointless certain values are in society.

I like this line a lot, it reminds me of Shakespeare's well known sonnet but puts a sad twist on it. Roses aren't usually used as symbols of love for their short-lived life spans.

I love the form of this piece, how it's written in a found-footage/journal-esque format is very captivating and grounds the experience.

The wallpaper is a parallel to her life right now. She's trapped in a room and bored out of her mind. I find this line to be the most relatable where something so ugly or mundane becomes interesting.

Out of all the infantilizing remarks this one stood out the most. Obviously because of the "little girl" comment but also because how she's kept in an old nursery room by this man.

Here again is the ghost haunting progress. The alliteration makes it stand out but the dark spirit has an underlying meaning that ties in with the rest of the piece.

The piece is very poetic but this section in particular stands out to me. The choice of using flowery language ties it into the poem that opens this piece.

This line stands out to me although I'm not really sure why. I'm having difficulties making sense of it but at the same time I feel as though I do understand it, that they're is a casualness to truth.

Deep. Reminds me of the Simon & Garfunkel song The Sound of Silence. Specifically in relation to the lyric "--and the people bowed and prayed/to the neon God they made--" where there is an underlying fear of technology and power it has.

This line made me think about how people will take facts at the surface level and not actually know the fact. An example of this would be people who read the headlines of science articles but not the articles themselves.

Each stanza is a long “sentence”, ended by They Lion Grow with a period at the end. Lion is also capitalized which means that it is something probably of much importance to the meaning of the poem.

This section gives me a feeling of body horror because of the intense imagery of a pig’s body. There is an eerie similarity between human and pig anatomy that can make these types of descriptions and imagery uncomfortable. I don’t know what the purpose of it is though.