Final Responses

American Gothic
John Stone
Thought the poem was cute, I don’t think it had very deep insight except to play off of the infamous American Gothic painting. However it did have a nice rhythm to it I thought it painted a detailed, imaginative scene of what was happening outside the picture frame. The lines “the borders of the Gothic window, anticipate the ribs, of the house” jumped out at me. The descriptions give life to the objects he is describing, and even though they are out of the picture frame, I feel as if I can clearly picture them next to the farmer couple.

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
Wallace Stevens
I remember discussing this series of poems in class, I found them to be interesting but am still not quite sure of the exact meaning of the Blackbird to the writer. Certainly birds that are black conjure up dark, mysterious impressions, however I am really curious to know what the Blackbird is intended to symbolize or is it meant to be an enigmatic figure. The subject reminds me of Poe and his Raven. I found the stanzas “A man and a woman and a blackbird. Are one.” to be thought provoking. And wonder why the blackbird is apart of this trinity.

Winter Landscape
John Berryman

Thought the mood and motif of this poem fit the Peter Brueghel’s painting perfectly. The painting is a depiction of a static moment in time of these travelers, it seems very cold but on the other side of the hill there lies salvation for the hunters. The poem reflects on this, that even though there seems to be a warm welcoming for the weary travelers, they are forever meant to be a top the hill looking down. This to me mimics the fatigued sense I get from looking at the painting.

The Hunter in the Snow
William Carlos Williams
I was not as captured by this poem based on The Hunter in the Snow, as I was in the previous poem by John Berryman. Thought it had strong images but lacked a deeper meaning. This is important to me as there is already an image to look at, so why bother simply describing the image, say something more insightful, thought-provoking about it as well. I did enjoy the stanzas “their pack the inn-sign
hanging from a, broken hinge is a stag a crucifix” but once again I felt it’s only intention was to highlight the already present images.

Musee des Beaux Arts
W. H. Auden

I think this poem, like the John Berryman poem, reflects the painting very well. It talks about how Icarus’s fall in insignificant, which I feel fits the poem appropriately as I can’t even see Icarus in the painting. It at first, seems to be just landscape scene, however it isn’t until I read the title that I actually began looking for Icarus out in the water. I think the poem points to this quite beautifully, suggesting that it does not matter, these things happen, almost completing the painting in a way.

The Bronze David of Donatello
Randall Jarrell
This read like an elegant description of the sculpture. I enjoyed the lines “Lightly, as if accustomed, Loosely, as if indifferent, The boy holds in grace, The stone moulded; somehow, by the fingers, The sword alien, somehow, to the hand. “ It described the emotional quality of the gesture perfectly.

Archaic Torso of Apollo
Rainer Maria Rilke
When reading this poem aloud, I thought it had nice rhythm to it. It was easy to follow and decide which words to put emphasis on. It would make for a good imitation poem in that respect.
I liked the line that related the hips and torso to a smile, and felt the poem had good imagination. I am curious of the last line “You must change your life.” Suddenly the poem turns on the reader and addresses them, instead of continuing on with its description of Apollo.



A Red-Figured Cup of the Onesimos Painter
Robert Kelly
This poem stands out a lot to me, obviously for its strong sexual content and erotic references. Still I like it. I like the story it adds to the image on the cup. It plays off of the gestures of the figures and uses them to create a narrative.
It definitely has a masculine voice while reading it, and at first it almost seems like it is making fun of the image, with the dildo reference, then towards the end it seems more thoughtful.
It’s funny to me how the poem seems to poke at the man on the cup’s physique. He does not seem that old or skinny to me, he seems equal to the women climbing on top of him. Yet the poem insists of juxtaposing them.

The Tall Figures of Giacometti
May Swenson
Thought this poem had good imagination. I especially like the line “We bubble as do the dead but more slowly.” I thought it was interesting that the figures were related to the dead because they are faceless, sexless and seem to lack any real identity. They indeed remind me of ghosts wandering around.
The crude language of the poem seemed to mimic the unpolished, rough style of the statue.

The Emperor of Ice Cream - Wallace Stevens
This poem seemed random to me. It did not make a whole lot of sense.
Curious to know when it was written, as it does not seem that old. I don’t think there is any insightful meaning to the poem, it seems more funny and playful. I did notice that the poem used some rhyming. It seemed successful, and did not take away from the poem at all.