AGENDA:
1. Read W. S. Merwin's "The Nails" and the reading guide
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69462/ws-merwin-the-nails
Explore writing ideas about a "break up' poem and discussion guide:
Answer discussion questions and post on blog. Work on one of the two writing ideas.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52501/the-nails#tab-resources
2. Work on object poem (see examples in previous post) and self-portrait poem (and any other missing work)
"Nails" by W.S Merwin
ReplyDelete1. Hanging on wall-sorrow
calendar in one color- calm
torn place on sleeve- rejected
mirror on a string- stressed
uncover my footprints- peaceful
autumn pond- mellow
trees in a flood- restless
nails on fingers- weird
2."Oh I know I’ve no I’d know I could." The poem uses the pattern of Oh-I-Oh-I.
3.This poem shows the aftermath of a relationship because it shows how a relationship has broken up and there is pain like when nails are being placed upon fingers. The author wanted to address the anger of an individual being upon the other person as well and causing pain. The other person remains mysterious and the object leaps as different images are being drawn upon to show the anger and pain being built after a break up.
4. The poem also shows connection when he describes a key and a lock, and he talks about uncovering footprints. These strong images portray a connection happening in the poem. Winter is also coming and there is connection for what happened in the growing season, but since winter is near, there is no more growth, and there is a lack of something.
1.My father, in his first act of begrudging acceptance of my life as a poet, bought me 10 audiocassettes of poets reading their work - cathartic
ReplyDeleteI gave you sorrow to hang on your wall -sad
torn place, giving the phrase a bit of sonic forcefulness -toughening
2. Yes, he uses the structure of oh and I's to muttle the words as to correlate to the emotion and discomfort he was feeling in this instance.
3. The poem shows the pain and stuffing of the break up by using visual imagery to physically explain emotional feelings such as nails being placed upon his fingers
4. Ending by saying that his mouth at this moment is just flesh and incapable of expressing his inner emotion really nails into the reader as all of his inner emotion was previously put into almost absurd images.