This reminds a lot of Ruth and Martin Eden and how Ruth was born into "a good life" and Martin "[got] it anyway anyhow". It also reminds me of the final moments in Martin Eden specifically how the line "them things don't seem to matter much to me now" can be related to Martin losing his will for life and ultimately taking his own life. it really gives you perspective on work and how pursuing work and be very draining to the point of death. Losing a job can make one feel that they have lost everything but what's reinforced throughout the novels that we have read is the fact that work is necessary whether it be blue-collar or white-collar work .

That sense of having the hunger to work to achieve those dreams, and imagining what it might be like to achieve those dreams. the line "you want it, you take it, you pay the price", reminds me of Martin Eden and his willingness to take what he could and do what he needed to do to become a successful writer, paying the price. This is also somewhat reminds me of Gilb and how his characters are very work-centric in the sense that they have to work to make a living, and although they don't pay a drastic price like Martin Eden does, they still have to pay the price of doing the labor of Blue-Collar work.

I can relate to this in terms of coming home, washing up, and going out. I think this stanza also depicts the two outcomes of work/ consistent work. You either "give up living" or you "go racin' in the street" Adding onto this, might be a stretch but in On the Waterfront it seems like most of the characters who knew who killed Joey Doyle essentially "gave up living" and started die "little by little" internally knowing that if they snitched it wouldn't end up good for them. Terry has this conflict all throughout the movie and with the fact that he's involved with the mob. Terry saying that he could've been a contender could be his form of "go racin' in the street" as we know he would've been a successful boxer.

This last stanza reminds me a lot of Blood on the forge in the sense that the brothers loved each other but each one was essentially crushed in the story. Melody couldn't play the guitar anymore, Chinatown lost his vision, and Big Matt essentially lost a mental battle that eventually led to his death. They all tried to "pick up the pieces" but ultimately failed in one way or another. Overall they were chasing "something in the night", they leave at night via this train in search of better pay in essence chasing that working life up north.

I think these lines remind me a lot of Sleep Dealer in the sense that Memo is out actively searching for that dream and ends up being fueled by his father's death and he does not waste his time waiting to get the nodes he needs to gain access to cyber work to make money for his family. The line "you wake up in the night with a fear so real" could be related to that sense of fear memo feels initially when he is immersed in this new type of work that drains him... literally.

I agree with Bunny and how we get the depiction of routine with the repetition of the "working life". However, these lines also remind me of Blood on the Forge, specifically the line "And you just better believe, boy, somebody's gonna get hurt tonight". It reminds me of the Mills in Blood on the Forge and how if the workers weren't careful they could end up hurt or dead. the "death in their eyes" could also be representative of work day and night without getting proper rest.

Very hypocritical, how can you treat someone like shit and be hurt after they actually leave their situation, in which [Mrs. Wood] inflicted so much pain.

Def: any disease marked by inflammation and pain in the joints, muscles, or fibrous tissue, especially rheumatoid arthritis.

A huge difference when compared to her old mistress Mrs. Betsey

What's the significance of the hyphens? is it to emphasize the name, is she too afraid or does she refuse to say their name?

Growing an emotional connection to individuals who could not potentially/possibly care less about Mary. It's very sad when putting it in perspective.

Viewed her as potential friend? Despite the fact that she worked for her

When one is young, they are often blinded by the true horrors of life and what is to come, in this case being a slave/slavery.

A lot of trauma was most likely instilled in him especially since he was sold at such a young age.

displaying a really big message, digs deep.

Almost as if there is a cup being raised for Toussaint in form of a toast to give thanks for what he has done for many others. In all indicating that no matter what, he left a legacy and an image behind.

Wordsworth seems to point or elude to Toussaint's everlasting impact on the liberation and revolution in Haiti, and possibly his success as a general, despite the fact that he has passed away, hence the "never to rise again".

Probably a big change or something to be in awe about when the movement was rising

seen in some poems

very interesting yet cool fact

I have heard about this but never dove into learning about it, this is great information.

Images of something being forged or made, in this case the tyger. "In what furnace was thy brain" makes me wonder if different parts of this creation were forged in different areas.

Deeps or skies could possibly be eluding to some type of internal conflict hence the "burnt the fire of thine eyes" and the "wings dare he aspire". It gives me a visualization of a metaphorical "tyger" needing to emerge or the need to cause some internal drive.

The consistent theme of man vs nature and the straying away from the natural beauties of nature seems to effect the narrator in a melancholy way. Forlorn means to be pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely, that said the lack of want or need or value for nature makes the narrator feel this way. I think this why the narrator would want to have sight of Proteus, and Triton, to steer them away from the sad reality that they see.

forlorn: pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely.

Wordsworth seems have some sort of need/want from Milton, or maybe Milton was some sort of influence for Wordsworth. He talks about Milton with such praise

Going to safely assume that Milton is dead and Wordsworth is either longing his death or in need of some inspiration or words?

I think it is interesting how the narrator calls this person a bozo. Africa is the place where a lot of black bloodline if not a good portion of bloodlines originate to, assuming the "bozo" is a person of color, does that really make the person a bozo? Also playing off what Marcus O says about taking and keeping something captive, could the sand be representing something bigger?

This poem struck as sad to me in the sense that the narrator is speaking to a child who they refuse to let in the "door". I think the door represents the title of the poem, what it is like to be a black woman in America. The lines of cruelty and sin play into the "monster men inhabiting the Earth" of the second stanza as it is the white man who has made life terrible for black folks throughout history.

I might not word this correctly, but I also think this poem is one of those things one steers away from in terms of telling the child, due to the horrors already faced by the person who birthed the child.

I think these lines represent Nelson's frustration of having to be home, when she can be out there in the war helping the Harlem Hellfighters(Thank you Sam N for that wonderful information). It also seems to represent the lack of black women forces in war especially during WW1. From what I read, most women who did serve were nurses and were white, some black did serve but were vastly overpopulated by their white counterparts.

The second line is interesting to me in the sense that yes it is speaking about war, but could Nelson also be hinting at the past struggles of black folks in the States, who were also slain and left in the mud and rain? Just a thought.

This poem is about roots and or finding a place of belonging it seems. The sad people's soul can be representing the constant struggle black folks face/faced during the times of the Harlem Renaissance and throughout history. I think the choice of soul gives these last couple lines power in the sense that a soul could viewed as something that makes us who we are as people.

However, I was a bit confused with the last line and the "minstrel-smile". When i looked up the definition that popped up was that of some sort of comedy in which white people would do a blackface and make fun of blacks and play onto racial stereotypes. That said is Bennett taking a jab at the white man or is the minstrel smile representing something like Du Bois double consciousness?

Referring to the dreams of the Harlem renaissance, now possibly outdated due to the reason that this was written in the 50's?

Can't be satisfied due to the conditions the individual is in, causing them to go through a mixture of emotions eventually saying that they want to be dead due to this? Or is this a possible look into the life a black man/ the thought process of everyday life?

Representation of segregation and the color barrier between black and white folks. White folk eat at the table while Black folk are "supposed" to eat elsewhere, where they are not seen.

I like how Locke is very much aware that although there is hope for the future, there is going to be struggle that comes along with it. Locke cannot guarantee that the race relationships between black and white will be dandy and easy going, hence why Locke points out that the temper has the possibility of not being understood, leading to "antagonism".

This is a great point that Locke makes. Locke is more than aware of the race relationships throughout the history of America. One sided, always against blacks in favor of whites. Locke is also aware that if anything is to be done for the sake of the future, an understanding of cooperation between both groups must be met.

The line "hurdled generations of experience at a leap" is what sticks out to me here. The narrator seems to have a hopeful tone of voice, possibly indicating that this New POC will bring about change hence the shifting from countryside to city both physically and spiritually.

There is a big juxtaposition between the "common people" and those who are "high class". The common folk seems to be in tune with themselves both externally and internally, they are not afraid to be black as Hughes describes it. Whereas the "High Class" folks seem to put on this mask to shy away from any form of being black and thus replace it with the idea of the need to be white or act white to fit in with the white man.

This not only applies to everyday life from manners to appearance, but also as a young poet. The young poet is told these things to draw him away from the reality of being black, hence why the parents tell the young poet to be more like the white man. This can also be a reason as to why the young poet does not want to be a black poet, due to the " I want to be white" mentality instilled in the young poet's brain

I think this analogy of the mountain is a very good representation of what is to be black in America during the time this was written. The so called "need" to be white and move towards whiteness essentially losing oneself in the process of trying to be accepted in a place where there is no acceptance given no matter how hard one tries. I think this also plays into the lack of being one's true self due to this need.

This is directly correlated with the tarot reading, only we now know how he died. What I found interesting is the line "he passed the stages of his age and youth entering the whirlpool". I am assuming the whirlpool is somewhere within the wasteland and could represent the one of the "stages" of the wasteland. It also seems like his life flashed before his eyes and he aged as the whirlpool took him.

This line here is playing onto the idea of the wasteland and could also be representative of death. The wind is unheard, meaning that either the narrator is literal and the wind cannot be heard or it cannot be heard because there is no one left to hear it, indicating that they have died.

Seems that there is a motif of nature/death when correlated to the rat. Rats can be typically found in alley ways and are infamously known for their spreading of disease, especially during the black plaque, again playing onto the sense of death in these two lines.

I found these couple lines quite interesting. The use of a psychic and the play on with the card reading essentially telling the Phoenician Sailor their "fate" makes me wonder if the narrator is aware of their reading or if a reading has been done on them at all? I also wonder what suit of the Tarot cards were pulled as there are four different suits, essentially portraying a facet of life.

This is a play on to the formation of spring, what I like about this is that although it was written in 1923, if we put this line a compare it to the most recent springs in the past two years, I think it accurately represents the springs present day.

The style/form in this poem is quite interesting it's almost conversational, as if the narrator is talking to someone. With that there are no punctuation's allowing the poem to flow cohesively within the stanzas. The use of enjambment is noticeable.

possibly playing into the working class theme that is found throughout the poem. Cheap jewelry could be a sign of struggle/ the need for money. The rich young men could be those that Elise works for or the only possibly "escape" she has from the working class life.

Why would the person want this is there a correlation between the "Indian" blood and the girl being born this way?

This image here of the dark delphinium is quite interesting as it is releasing something into the flower hence the "spiny land." Delphinium are known to be poisonous by touch. The dark delphinium could be representing that of a man eager to get something out of the flower but cannot due to the flower having this sense of barrier up, causing the dark delphinium to release those toxins.

Could there be a double meaning in terms of "what power has brought you low"? According to the title, none mourn him, so one meaning could possibly be actually being low as in 6 feet deep, but also could mean low as in an emotional state of sadness? However "be as dust among the dusts that blow", could be an indication of a possible cremation hence why the sea only mourns him.

love in all cannot fix physical things as stated in the quote, however love can destroy one within, internally, which possibly correlates to the man "making friends with death." Indicating that Love itself has the power to drive one insane.

It looks like Robert Frost is using a AABA Rhyme Scheme

Correct me if I am wrong, but I remember reading about a back story between Robert Frost and his dear friend Edward Thomas. Thomas served in the first world war and I believe hesitated when it came to joining at first. I think it had to do with his internal self and the need to not feel like a coward for not joining? Although this poem has many meanings, could this possibly be an ode to his dear friend in the sense that Thomas took the road less traveled which eventually led to his death, and instead of Frost being the narrator, it is Frost potentially impersonating Thomas writing in what would be Thomas's perspective?

If we compare this to life, oftentimes we see those two roads, one that seems easier than the other. When Frost says "had worn them really about the same" I think he's hinting at regardless of the path chosen, both have been traveled and worn out through the essence of time, it is simply about the choice one makes in the path.

It is know from simply reading that the wall is what separates them and essentially makes them alienated from one another. However, the boulders play an interesting dynamic in the sense that it seems that the boulders are what the wall consist of? Could the falling of them be an attempt to tear down the wall and get to know each other?

clerks of time, possibly referring to scholars of time? Could be a possibly indication that the work of these poets and kings cease to be forgotten over time.

Seems like a moment of remembrance, they possibly referring to the clerks seem to latch to this memory.

There seems to be a juxtaposition between what is good and what is evil, yet the question is possibly contradicting the power within the village?

Spoon river is a fictional town, however the river itself is real. The circulating library is almost a double in the sense that the library is in the town, but also could be circulating in the river.

What's interesting about this line is that these all indicate some type of poetic form or ways of writing a poem. It also seems like in this poem there is a hint of each form, was that intentional? There also is a correlation between villanelles and ballades as they take form of music, one in song and one in instrumental.

The title is quite interesting as a plays onto the small things such as the seeds or the tick's and the mites. However when petit is translated from French to English, it reads "Small, the Poet". Now is the poet it small, or do the things the poet talks about within the poem appear to be small as in not that much of importance?

Again, the recurrence of John thinking and not wanting her to do certain things, Vs the needs of the narrator.

There is a sense of wanting here as there is throughout the piece. Her inability to get well as fast as she would want to hinders her as a person both mentally and physically. Her husband John it seems, makes her feel as if she doesn't need to think of these things although she wants to.

The dynamic between the husband and the narrator is quite interesting. There seems to be a theme of control or the need to be controlled in the eyes of the husband, hence why he tells her to take the medication, and why he would "not hear of it"

Since John is a physician, could that be why he doesn't have patience with things such as horror, superstition, and faith? Since his career is based heavily on facts?

This here is a great example of the never ending struggle that can be seen till this day. The theme of wanting to be free combated with the reality of not being able to escape the hate and prejudice, even when laws are passed, even when one is deemed "free". There will always be loopholes to make POC oppressed and continuously oppressed.

I think this shows a good representation of the motif of being lost in the sense of not knowing ones true self. Through their true self POC can escape what Du Bois speaks of, but is made difficult when society is constantly and consistently telling you that You're different from the rest because the color of your skin. This then degrades one's thought of themselves causing again that double consciousness.

Du Bois is well aware of not only his place in the American society but the place of POC. Again there is a contrast between two worlds, the world he lives in as a POC and the world of the white man, who would be considered as first sight and POC as second sight. This is correlated with the sense of double-consciousness which seems hard to escape as it is all around POC and is inflicted by white society.

It's quite interesting yet sad. There seems to be a motif/theme of alienation or of race in terms of being "a problem" and the indication of the other world, which could possibly be referring to the White man's world hence why he has to reduce the boiling to a simmer.

The juxtaposition between the sequences and science is quite interesting. What really catches my is what is said about time and thought. He is right time is artificial and thoughts can be consumed by chaos. However, are these forces correlated with the force of electricity, why sequences, or what seems to be the use of the scientific method?

I think it's interesting yet quite fitting that he calls it the "great hall of dynamos" which indicates there is a vast majority of these "dynamos" within a set place. The mention of electricity being a force makes me ponder as to what forces he is referring to when he states "or force of any kind", is it limited, is it absolute?

Karl Marx's work in all is very interesting, but why was he not able to apply it? Why Paris specifically? Is it because Marx had spent time in Paris at one point in his life?

Throughout the poem there are constant pauses at the end of a good majority of lines with the exception of a few, this is the first instance where there are no pauses within 3 lines consecutively; is there a reason for doing this?

Could They Lion be that of someone in the working class, due to the grained arm and the "reeds of shovels"?

Could the bus ride be a representation of leaving West Virginia, or the wanting to leave due to the "kiss my ass" when referring to WV?

Lions are much bigger in size compared to a house cat.