Kind of reminds me of epigraphs in Middlemarch

like Casaubon

"They are true to themselves"

lots of mentionings of history and time

The Color Purple vibes

"place or insert between one thing and another: he interposed himself between her and the top of the stairs."

"obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree: they were served by obsequious waiters."

I mean I guess??

Significance?? considering when this was written and his anti-slavery reputation

"distress or embarrass at having failed"

"It is easy to live by the world's opinion when you are living within the crowd. And it is easy to live by your own opinion when you are living in solitude. But what is truly great, is to be within the crowd and live by your own opinion"

"While other people give their money away as some form of repentance or to appear 'good,' I live for me"

"atone for (guilt or sin): their sins must be expiated by sacrifice."

He hates donating money to help people?

how we give in to authority because of a logo/badge/name/etc.

"I am to decide what is right and wrong to/for me"

True true

"One should not be restricted/obstructed by an entity, but should question whether the thing really is what it claims to be"

Believe in your own genius, because if you do not, then you will hear the ideas you dismissed from someone else

battles/war for territories

Thoreau is not a fan of the common people who support and feed into the big shots -- he claims that they are why the big shots are so powerful

"If I unjustly take a plank that a drowning man is using to stay afloat, then I have to give it back even though I will drown" (because it was taken unjustly) --> emphasis on morals and ethics over self (?)

"the right of revolution"

He's denouncing slavery, right?? "I cannot recognize that organization that practices slavery as my own government" --> goes back to the feeling of disgrace??

The person associated with American government should be disgraced

It is not the American government that had accomplished all this stuff, it is the character of the American people that has done this and that could do more (if the government would back off)

"not practical, suitable, or advisable."

"convenient and practical although possibly improper or immoral."

Initial thought -- Trump's comment on "shithole countries"

Justifying her actions yet again

This made me sad. That piece of paper was probably so important to him

Like the embarrassment she had felt for the plumber

Did it remind her of her childhood? Maybe with her dad?

For some reason this made me think of Sasha's father, "who had disappeared" when she was young. She could be thinking that Alex (and past/future dates) will eventually move on/leave and forget her. This is a stretch but maybe this is why she steals things, to hold on to things/people who are no longer a part of her life (whether they are strangers on the street or friends).

Both were relieved. Perhaps Sasha felt good about returning it, or maybe she was just glad to not be in trouble

Happy or carefree

Bathroom-purse lady

So something negative definitely happened with her and her father/her past

She began to realize that feeling "pain" (embarrassment for the old man under her tub) and thinking that stealing something from him would make it better was, for lack of a better word, stupid

Words used to describe how she sees the screwdriver: "beautiful," "gleaming," "sparkling"

Another description of her stealing as a hunger

Humiliation or degradation

After stealing the wallet, Sasha is full of life and is feeling excited and flirtatious, she even remembers her dates name

Before stealing the wallet, the evening is boring and dull and she is getting tired of her "lame date," who is apparently just like those she has had in the past

Another food-like description of the wallet

From the first paragraph to the second there is some sort of transition. The last line of the first paragraph includes a comment from Coz that kind of interrupts Sasha's thoughts. Then in the second paragraph she is with Coz in therapy. I think that what we are reading is her in therapy telling Coz about the night with the wallet, as well as her reflecting on what happened.

This made me think of someone describing food, specifically someone who maybe hasn't eaten in a while. Sasha sees the wallet "fat" with money and suddenly she needs it

To Sasha, not stealing = boring and stealing = exciting

"It" has been done before

Every sentence in this paragraph begins with "so" except the last sentence, what does this do?

This is what the first paragraph is describing

Bannadonna

The creature

Bannadonna dies and now the bell-tower is dead too

So the creature didn't "attack" Bannadonna, he was just in the way

"Thought" - so not sure

Why?

This made me think of Frankenstein (written by Mary Shelley and published in 1823). The official title was "Frankenstein, or the Modern-Day Prometheus"

"give or grant something to someone in gracious or condescending manner"

"optimistic in bad situations"

"inordinate pride in oneself; excessive vanity"

Albert Magus - Albertus Magnus: German Dominican friar and Catholic bishop; referred to as the greatest German philosopher and theologian of the Middle Ages

Cornelius Agrippa: German polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, theologian, occult writer

Chimera - (Greek mythology) fire breathing female monster with lion's head, goat's body, serpent's tail"

"wrong, incorrect"

Why he wanted to create Haman/the creature/Talus -- to be a slave to man

"relating to elephants; large, clumsy"

This paragraph and the one that follows: Bannadonna's idea behind Haman

"literary term for cumbersome: large or heavy, difficult to carry or use; slow or complicated"

"state or assert to be the case"

"early type of portable gun"

This paragraph describes some sort of "fight"

Basically saying that no one knows exactly what happened

Haman/the object

Bannadonna is dead

Same word use to describe the fallen tower in the second paragraph

"making an uproar or loud, confused noise"

No bell sounded at 1

"a formal procession of people"

Strange sounds heard from within the bell tower -- "half-suppressed screams and plainings"

They were saying soul to ask if any person was up there, but Bannadonna was saying that there was literally no soul there, a body maybe but no soul

"sound of footsteps"

Bannadonna is trying to get rid of them

"cheerful and light-hearted"

"grimly mocking or cynical"

"pretentious or showy display"

The junior magistrate is suspicious

Vulcan - god of fire, including fire of volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in anceint Roman religion and myth

"(in ancient Rome) a commoner"

"ambiguous; uncertain or questionable in nature"

It was like a child

The magistrates looking at "the object"

"loose cloak worn wirh a mask for the upper part of the face"

"raise objections, show reluctance"

"easily bent; easily influenced"

He began working on another project

"part of bell tower or steeple where the bells are housed"

"shamefully wicked" "heinous or flagrant"

(possibly) Esther, from the Bible, who was a woman chosen on account of her beauty

What exactly happened here?

One of three Jewish men thrown into a fiery furnace by the King of Babylon when they refused to bow down to the king's image

Bannadonna did not listen to them

The magistrates were concerned and warned him

How is "cannon booms" used here? Is he soaking up the loud applause and relishing in it or is it alarming him?

Invisible from the plain but visible from the tower -- the tower provided a different view of the world

"Musical instrument of the Renaissance"

"fill or be present in"

"stay longer than intended"

The tower was built. It took a while to contruct ("snaillike in pace") but "its pride" was big and bright. Also some personificiation, describing the tower as having pride/being proud

Used in the Hebrew Bible for the general region of Mesopotamia

Used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon

"lying stretched on the ground; physical or emotional weakness"

This is similar to how Bannadonna is described when the magistrates find him dead

"simple slow-growing plant" "a skin disease"

At first I thought that this was an actual tree, but it is the fallen bell-tower. This shows that this is actually from the end of the story, when the bell-tower is destroyed, but Melville organizes it so that this is where we first we read about it

Anak was a figure from the Hebrew Bible Titan - Greek mythology; titans were members of a generation of devine beings

"A corrupting influence that is difficult to eradicate" "fungal rot/disease"

Although his initial anger in the first paragraph was directed at the woman in line for her "stupid conversation," but at this moment he is mad at the teller but purposely directs this anger towards the woman. Why?

Interesting oxymoron, I wonder why the author decided to include this

I found it interesting that the author chose words like "impenetrable," "human dignity," and "insubordinate" when describing the work the students would have to do.

Especially since, in the following stanza, he describes the students themselves as "rude, arrogant, and noisy"

"mentally prepare to do"

Like "the boys" in the first stanza?

"Heroic" language -- a connection to line 6?

When I read this I thought that "plot" has a slightly negative connotation to it, it's kind of a negative form of "plan"

"enjoy oneself unrestrainedly" "diversion from work or serious matter"

He's leaving her again.

A thought? A question? "What happened to us?" Something like that maybe

Compared to her "out of date" appearance?

Feign: "pretend to be affected by"

Indifference: "lack of interest, concern"

I thought that this child must be a baby or at least very young since they are aimlessly playing in the dirt

"Not active or in use" "(of an engine) run slowly"

Is what they are seeking love? Happiness? Stability? Etc.

"I wish that love could last forever and that vows were not so easily broken, but this is what nature intended/how things are"

"declare firmly in response to doubt or accusation"

This made me think of a proposal. It doesn't really fit with the rest of the poem since the speaker is clearly talking about some sort of separation in the relationship, but they could want to get married even though they know it's doomed to fail (it's not really a rarity).

The speaker is saying to enjoy the relationship/time together while he/she is still around

The "this" could be their love/relationship

"Deliberately created"

"Ask earnestly or anxiously" "archaic: treat in a specific manner"

"Before"

"At the present time; now" "After a short time; soon"

Doesn't know/remember/think about those who left but does know and is aware that she is alone.

"Nor knows" -- doesn't know, or doesn't remember, the birds (lovers) that have left.

They're gone and not coming back

The speaker initially refers to the past lovers as just "lips" and "arms." Maybe to show that she really doesn't remember them or that they were just bodies to her.

Shell = "the hard protective outer case of a mollusk or crustacean" "the thin outer layer of an animal's egg" "one's shell; used with reference to a state of shyness or introversion"

When I read "held as a shell" a few times it made me think that maybe the women that men prefer are fragile and need protection (which could tie back to the unstable background). That line is then followed by "sheltering," which could also go with it, and, additionally, the word "overbended" made me think of someone being pushed to their breaking point; just some thoughts though, could be way off.

This made me think of the phrase "the beginning of the end" which means "signs of failure." Also, "beginnings" could mean the background(s)/origins of a person/thing

Perhaps the speaker is referring to women who come from bad/unstable backgrounds?

"None shall trespass," "None possess," "inaccess"

I immediately thought that she could referring to her body, maybe even of virginity. Or the speaker could be saying that she is not easy to get to/attain

Compared to the "forever winding" road from the second stanza

"Show me" "Tell me" "Find me" The speaker seems like she could be mad at whoever she is talking to. Like when someone says "tell me one time I did this, this, or this" in an argument.

I have features on the outside (physical appearance) in addition to features on the inside (personality, feelings, etc.)

Clear/transparent

Maybe women who lack substance/personality? "What you see if what you get," nothing really more to them

Mainland = "a large continuous extent of land"

Much bigger and more complex than an island; speaker saying "there is more to me than meets the eye" and showing the difference between herself and the other type of woman mentioned

Sheltering = protection, providing food and accommodations

Females are typically characterized as being nurturing and caring

Quick definition - curved outline

Overbended = broken?

Islands = tropical, vacations, exotic, isolated, stranded, open, nature

Personification of snow/sky (nature) throughout the poem - nature has a mind of its own, has attributes that are similar to humans

Cheek = "something resembling the side of the human face in form or position, as either of two parts forming corresponding sides of various objects."

"Something resembling the side of the human face" stood out to me since the poet personifies both the snow and the sky.

Sheep's wool = fluffy, big, white/pale

Oatmeal is fairly pale but is also pretty thick. The author uses a mundane thing that everyone knows of to describe how the clouds looked

Saying that the sky is the snow's home. "Tracks or stains or keeps time" are things done in an actual home

Wanted to be needed; wanted to help her when she fell

"long, bounding strides"

Unsteady

parsley

Parrot is above the slaves?

sugar cane and a walking/beating cane

He hates sweets because they remind him of the death of his mother. But he has sweets ordered for the parrot -- the parrot perhaps reminds him of her

Thought: the parrot could represent the slaves - "imitating" the general and trying to say parsley

Like slaves who are brought "all the way" from their homeland

"Calm, dependable, showing little emotion"

Connotations of spring = flowers, green, life

Sounds of spring? Of happier times? Could be imitating the mother -- she died in the fall, was alive in the spring

POV of the general

POV of workers/slaves

She's trying to learn English in order to get closer with her kids but they are so disconnected that she can't even ask them for help, she has to teach herself through a book.

There are usually negative connotations with someone locking themselves in the bathroom. It is seen in popular culture a lot. The person who sits in the bathroom is usually the outcast, a loner, or friendless.

She doesn't understand her children and feels like an outcast in her own home. She doesn't even feel welcome/comfortable at the table with them

I feel like a change in tone happens here. The use of "but" and the short, abrupt sentence, to me, indicates a change in the tone and feel of the poem. She's reminiscing about her and her children and how she'd understand everything they'd say, then suddenly something changes (they start learning English) and things are different.

Also from the OED - " Something used to adorn, beautify, or embellish, or that naturally does this; a decoration, embellishment." "fig. A quality, characteristic, or circumstance conferring beauty, grace, honour, etc"

When I saw this definition I thought that the "ornament" in this line could be referring to the daughter. "Which age/was known for which/ornament" could also be talking about a time period known for beauty, which for the speaker could be the time spent with the daughter, even though the beauty was unknown to him at the time.

I hope that made some sense

From the OED - "Antiq. An instrument made of metal, bone, etc., having one end sharp-pointed for incising letters on a wax tablet, and the other flat and broad for smoothing the tablet and erasing what is written: = stylus n. 1. Also applied to similar instruments in later use"

He didn't turn to look at his daughter often because he was too "absorbed" (from a few lines up) with the junk/antiques

"Put down the time" = kill time

I liked how the author says that the boy doesn't "know" what time is and then uses the phrase "no time."

As a child time really doesn't matter much, kids don't really care about it. They get told when to do things by parents/relatives/teachers/etc. But this line says that before he knows it the concept of time will consume his life and be all he knows (not enough time, too much time, etc.)

"Undersong" - what lies beneath the hustle and bustle of the day? It can be heard at night because most people are sleeping?

Do they mean to go to sleep?

"Unceasing, continual"

So other people have heard of/encountered the "something" that the speaker meets

Is "she" the "something" from the first line?

"Literal translation: a cavity in which to pound or grind something."

Change in tone here. He remembers how life used to be when he was younger, but now things are different.

Is this how music is to him now? "Screeching" sounds that mess with his emotions?