"Jump Cabling"

This poem was different from poems I'm used to reading. I liked the format with the space in between. I don't recall seeing that before. I feel as if this poem gave a different meaning by using the space. In one sense yes it was about cars but with a pause it broke away to another meaning such as a relationship or intimate moment between two people. For example "When our cars touched" (1) It could also mean when our hearts touched or when you touch someone for the first time. I liked this poem in that is was simple yet very cleaver at the same time. I think the last line represents an intimate journey and it brings both meanings together, perhaps.

"Moving Camp Too Far"

In the poem, "Moving Camp Too Far", the speaker appears to be melancholy. She is not able to live the life that her ancestors once did. Her ancestors were once proud to be free and live off the land. There was plenty of buffalo and eagles. Northsun writes, "i can see an eagle/almost extinct/on slurpee plastic cups" (lines 12-14). The times have changed for her generation. She is not able to go back and do the things that generations did before her. She can do them in another form. This is supported by the quote, "i can eat buffalo meat/at the tourist burger stand"(17-18). The speaker is trying to do all she can to keep her heritage alive. "i can/& unfrotunately/i do"(21-23). She feels it is unfortunate that she has to do it in this way.

Digging

As I read this poem, I realized that this poet is the grandson and is talking about his father and grandfather. After reading the poem, I realized that he was looking back on his past and remembering his grandfather and father. The poets grandfather and father were farmers and the poet referred to his grandfather as being a hard worker and better then he would ever be. Heaney talks about how the farming has been around for generations. In lines 17 and 18 Heaney states, "My grandfather cut more turf in a day Than any other man in Toner's bog." It shows that his grandfather was a fast worker and a hard worker too.

After reading the poem I was brought back to the stories of my grandparents and how hard they worked compared to now, granted we have advanced technology compared to a 100 years ago. It goes to show that I don't think we could live the way our grandparents did, especially in the field. They would pick by hands and now we use tractors and all the extra accessories that we have that they didn't have. Heaney shows his readers that working hard in life allows to achieve anything.

Heaney pointed out that our grandparents worked hard and that we should appreciate what they did. My grandparents always tell me stories about how hard and long they would work in the field just to get a row done, now days it takes little time. Their hard work has showed and it allows us to be where we are at in the world today.

Jump Cabling

This poem can be very passionate in a way of showing mechanics love for vehicles. Although i'm not a mechanical person and don't know much about vehicles, I could see the love from mechanics on vehicles. There is a white spot that is blank that in a sense almost seems as if the poet wants us to fill in our own sentence for that spot. But then again it could represent something within the poem as well. As I continued to read the poem, the last few lines, lines 6-8 showed that it was about something or someone else too. When it says, "When my car like the princess...." it shows that someone else is involved. So therefore it is about the love for a vehicle and the love for a, "princess."

"Digging" - Poetry Blog 1

When I began reading the poem “Digging”, by Seamus Heaney, I was a bit thrown by the first couple lines. “Between my finger and my thumb/ The squat pen rests; snug as a gun” (lines 1-2). I thought that this was an interesting way to start a poem discussing digging. However, as I read on I realized that Heaney was actually looking back on his childhood.

The poet’s grandfather and father were both potato farmers. Seamus Heaney is showing his gratitude towards them both through this poem. One example of this appreciation is show towards the middle of the poem. “My grandfather cut more turf in a day/ Than other man on Toner’s bog” (line 17). I also found it interesting how Heaney said, “But I’ve no spade to follow men like them” (line 28). The impression that I got from this line was that Heaney had neither an interest nor the desire to work as a potato farmer.

The poet goes on to state that, “Between my finger and my thumb/ The squat pen rests./ I’ll dig with it” (line 29-30). These last three lines are, for the most part, repeating the first two lines. This shows that he has already made the decision to become a poet. Another sign that he has already become a poet is in line seven where Heaney states, “Bends low, comes up twenty years away”. This tells the reader that he is looking twenty years into the past.

I thought that Heaney did a great job of gratifying his grandfather as well as his father. In lines fifteen and sixteen Heaney states, “By God, the old man could handle a spade./ Just like his old man.” Through the descriptive words of this poem, I got the sense that Seamus Heaney is very proud of both his grandfather and father, he could just not bring himself to follow in their footsteps.

So Mexicans (are?) Taking Jobs from Americans

A poem about immigrate workers seems very fit for the time. So it shocked to me to see that "So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans" by Jimmy Santiago Baca was actually written in 1977. Th author writes this poem from an aggressive, angry point of view. He seems sick of how Americans treat Mexican workers and being accused of stealing jobs. "Do they mug you, a knife at your throat,/saying, I want your job?" (Lines 10-11). This line made me think about how we, as Americans, treat immigrate workers. "I see this, and I hear that only a few people/got all the money in this world, the rest/count their pennies to buy bread and butter" (Line 29-31). Is making money or scraping by the reason America started? My belief is that this county was started on the bases of making a better life for your family and to be able to live the life you want. Whether that is the freedom to practice your own religion, job or to speak your mind, everyone should still be able to move to America to experience those freedoms today as well. I feel that the author was reminding us of what we have forgotten. Nevertheless, America has become a country controlled by money and the search for it. Looking at the stock market will show how crazy we can feel when we see the greedy we have created slipping away. Back to the poem, so are Mexicans taking jobs away from Americans? Maybe, but isn't that the American way?

Digging

"Digging" by Seamus Heaney reminds me about my own life. The author writes about his grandfather and father's potato farm. He compares his job, being a writer, with working on a farm. While those occupations are very different, they both require digging. "Over his shoulder, digging down and down/For the good turf. Digging" (Lines 23-24). This passage shows that the author appreciates the work of his father and grandfather. They dig in the potato field all day for a living. "The squat pen rests/I'll dig with it." (Lines 29-30). These final lines show the author's connection of being a writer and growing up on a potato farm. He uses his pen as his father and grandfather used their spades in the field. Even though the author did not take over the family farm, I felt that the author greatly appreciated the work and admiration of his family's work. "By God, the old man could handle a spade" (Line 15). I can relate to the same appreciation and reasons for admiring my family's work as the author. I grew up watching my grandfather and father work on our family farm. Like the author, I do not plan on going into the same business. I hope to be able to "dig" in my own career rather then in my fathers'. I know that growing up on a farm has affected my life and my future, "But I've no spade to follow men like them" (Line 27). I may have different goals then farming, but in the end farming will effect my life just as in the poem.

Moving Camp too Far

In the poem "Moving Camp too Far" by Nila Northsun, the narrator cannot speak or tell of the past moving experiences or how there were battles fought by their ancestors. "I can't speak of" (line 1). Probably because he never lived that kind of life. Cannot tell the story of the battles because he was not there. "I can't tell" (4). Maybe they are not allowed to bring it up in a conversation, in fear of starting another battle. There are a few things he can do now that is is the future. "I can see an eagle/almost extinct/on slurpee plastic cups" (12-15). I feel as if the narrator is Indian but lives a more civilian life. Although he can do all those things that native Americans do, I get the impression that he does it because he feels he has to but doesn't like to. "I can/and unfortunately/I do" (21-23). The word unfortunately tells me that the speaker doesn't look at himself as being fortunate to be Indian and is not so proud like most others would be. Also when using the lowercase "i", this could mean that he feels small and not so popular.

So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans

In the poem "So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans" by Jimmy Santiago Baca, it almost sounds like the narrator is being sarcastic in asking the questions he asks. "Do they sneak into town at night" (line 8). If they need a job bad enough they may arrive at night but not to be sneaky. They too need to feed their families just like we do. We may even sneak into town at night, it's not the Mexicans. The children are the ones suffering. "The children are dead already, we are killing them/that is what americans should be saying" (38-39). We can't save the world but we can be compassionate to others and help out whenever we can. Don't stereotype because others take our jobs too and even some of us don't want to work period. So we give them our jobs. This is America where we are free, and that means all of us are free. Free to tackle a job fit to work and that is available.

digging down and down..

I do not think that our generation can live the way our grandparents lived. We are used to a different life style especially with all this technology. But this does not mean that we are having an easy life. The more technology and knowledge we gain, the more responsible we become. Life is getting complicated more and more every day. Things, beliefs and methods change because life is changing. To survive we need to cope with these changes and adapt ourselves.

Seamus Heaney’s poem “Digging” emphases this idea, that past generations worked hard to support themselves in a harsh life. But we are also working hard like they did in a different time and with different means. What matters is to work hard to achieve our goals in life. The speaker says, “Over his shoulder, digging down and down/For the good turf/Digging”. I believe that the speaker is making an interesting connection between the words “good” and “digging”. He wants us to understand that the more we “dig” or the more we work hard, the more we get good results or achievements.

The speaker in this poem asserts that our grandparents worked hard. We are not supposed to do their same job to be classified as hard workers. We can just learn from them concepts and values that we can apply in our life.

Those Winter Sundays

“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden really impressed me as telling a pretty complicated and important story in a very few words. It also touched me about how children don’t appreciate parents or grandparents very much. Children see most of the world in terms of themselves. In the last four years I have come to think more about this as both of my grandfathers have died. I have realized what a child I have been. Both men gave so many important things to me, but I think that I did not show enough appreciation.

One of my grandfathers was called “Papa,” which is sort of a southern term. He lived in West Virginia. He always showed me his love even though he could be stern. He gave me strong moral values and taught me to be kind. He was very hard working and taught me to be independent and happy. When I would go visit for a month in the summers, he was glad to see me. He told me to be a good boy and if I wasn’t he would “put me in my place.” He will always have a special place in my heart.

The other was called “Grandfather” and lived in Philadelphia. He was very funny and liked to joke around. I felt protected when we were together. He taught me that if you saved your money—no matter what your occupation—you could be wealthy in your old age. He grew up in the Great Depression, so that made a big impression on his thinking about using resources wisely. My Grandfather was very athletic and active. Whenever I exercise, I think of him. In fact, I think of him almost everyday.

My only regret is that I did not share these feelings with the two grandfathers when they were living. I feel sort of like the poem, “what did I know, what did I know” about making sure you share your feelings of appreciation when you can.

So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans

The pattern of the refrain in Jimmy Santiago Baca’s “So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans” is one of the powerful symbols in the poem. This refrain is like a retelling of the same myth or mindless gossip that is repeated by many Americans without thinking about what it really means. Baca uses the refrain to show the irony that Mexicans are NOT taking jobs away from Americans.

Initially, Baca suggests that perhaps the taking is done by force. If this is true, then why don’t the Americans defend themselves from this violence? Or could it be done in a sneaky way and Americans don’t know about it? Baca suggests that it is not either by force or sneaky but that Americans are busy doing many other things—some illegal and can’t be bothered with the work that the Mexicans are “taking.”

Then Baca describes the politicians that continue to perpetuate this myth that Mexicans are taking jobs from Americans. The violence is not done by the Mexicans but rather the whites. This is especially upsetting when the white farmers are actually controlled by big business interests totally unfamiliar with the lives of white farmers or Mexican farmers. The situation divides the world into the “haves” and the “have nots.” The imagery of being underwater is especially powerful suggesting the poor are under pressure from the wealthy and searching for “pearls” in their “dreams” and “holding their breaths” while the poor try to get out of poverty. Baca does a great “job” of helping us understand the problem as a human issue rather than an economic issue.

"Those Winter Sundays"

This is a poem about a father who was a hard working man. Even though it was Sunday, he worked to support his family. The father probably worked a job that involved hard labor. A job where he was not recognized or praised. Hayden writes, "...No one ever thanked him" (line 5). The father had no time for his son so every day seemed mechanical. The father would get his son up and they would start another day. A day without a father and son closeness. There didn't seem to be any interaction in the house. There was no warm family feeling. The son felt alone. The house seemed something to fear. The son spent a lot of time alone in the house. He maybe had a lot of duties around the house. Which this quote at the end implies, "Why did I know, what did I know of love's austere and lonely offices?" (13-14).

"Digging"

Seamus Heaney's poem "Digging" is about a person from a third generation. A person who has a father and a grandfather whose generations were potato farmers. They were both hard working, getting their hands dirty working the land. His grandfather started the hard working tradition. Heaney writes,"...He straightened up/To drink it, then fell to right away" (lines 20-21). This hard working ethic was also instilled in his father. His father also worked hard, which is supported in the quote,"Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds/Bends low, comes up twenty years away" (6-7). The third generation person respects his father and grandfather's hard work, but prefers to write and not dig in the soil. "But I've no spade to follow men like them" (28). His hard work is writing. He will work as hard as his grandfather and father, but not digging potatoes.

"Jump Cabling" Poem # 3

This short poem "Jump Cabling" was written by Linda Pastan. It was a very short poem, but with lots of energy. I believe that the princess she talked about was Sleeping Beauty "When my car like the princess/In the tale woke with a start" (lines 6-7). This was a touching poem. It sounded as if she were in love with the person who was jump starting her car. It sounded as if she did not know the person, but wanted to leave together with him. She is in her own little fantasy, and I believe that this poem is so powerful because they are merely just jump starting her car. She also put more emphasis on the poem by putting breaks between the lines and the last word. On the last line it was powerful because she put it all together as if she was one hundred percent sure that that is what she wanted and felt "I thought why not ride the rest of the way together?" (8). Everything she wrote down on this poem made it all feel like it was very intimate. I love this poem.

"Moving Camp too Far"

“Moving Camp too Far” written by Nila NorthSun. The things she says she can’t do is all apart of her native culture. She can do things that we do in today’s time because technology has gotten so advance that we all forget about the native ways. Nila Northsun is comparing what she can’t do anymore but what she can do now. I looked up the word “travois” (line 3), it is what the Indians use to carry supplies and camp over land. The statement, “i don't know what it/was to hunt buffalo/or do the ghost dance” (lines 8-10), which is stating what the Indians do and she compares that statement with what we do now, “i can eat buffalo meat/at the tourist burger stand/i can dance to Indian music/ rock-n-roll hey-a-hey-o”(Lines 17-20). This is significant to seeing the change to what we do now compare to what they did. The last statement sums it all up with saying, “i can/& unfortunately/ i do” (lines 21-23). This could mean that unfortunately the Indian in her is becoming extinct, to the life of today.

"So Mexicans are taking Jobs from Americans"

"So Mexicans are taking Jobs from Americans", written by jimmy santiago baca. This poem seems to me like it is a reach out to people to tell them that we are accusing Mexicans of taking our jobs. Mexicans taking our jobs is not actually the issue; our issue is that people do not try harder enough to succeed. If we don’t succeed by ourselves we have to blame it on someone else such as the Mexicans, just for the reason that they do not belong here. The sentence "I see the poor marching for a little work"(line 24), to me states that we aren't trying hard enough to succeed, but then we resort to saying it is the Mexicans fault. Also the sentence I find to be very strong is "I hear Mexicans are taking your jobs away./Do they sneak into town at night, and as you’re walking home with a whore,/they mug you, a knife at your throat,/saying, I want your job?"(Lines 7-12). This creates an image as if from a movie of villains robbing the people. Also to use the word "whore" puts out quite an impression, seems to be almost insulting in a way.

"Those Winter Sundays"

"Those winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden, Is a poem that I believe in some we all can relate. The speaker is a child which it is implied by the sentence "Sundays too my father got up early"(line 1). This poem states that the father has cracked hands, "then with cracked hands that ached"(line 3), which implies that he is a hard worker. Although he is a hard worker is not thanked for his work. Yet the speaker’s father works so hard to keep the house warm and their shoes cleaned for the speaker. So the father works to provide even though he is not appreciated. I think he is not so appreciated because the speaker does not know what the father goes through as implied in lines 13-14 "What did I know, what did I know/of love's austere and lonely offices?" I looked up the word "austere"(line 14), which means cold manner. The speaker does not yet know of loves cold manner or the feeling of those long hard working days.

"Jump Cabling"

"Jump cabling" by Linda Paston appears like it is going to be about someone's car not starting and it is getting jump by another car. "Jump Cabling” uses a unique form it. The writer leaves an empty space in between the last word, almost as if it allows you to put your own word in. The words to the right make this poem intement. These words off to the right intensify this feeling. This feeling is as if the cars are imagery for a bigger emotion. The first lines make it appear as if it is just about cars but then the speaker says When my car like the princess/In the tale woke with a start,/I thought why not ride the rest of the way together?"(Lines 6-8). These sentences reveal that not only is it about car but a relationship of intense feelings. The line that stick in my mind is "By a pulse of pure energy,"(line 5), this sentence adds to the poem because the word choice. These words are strong and add an intense feeling of energy.

Digging # 2

The poem "Digging" was okay. I think that it is about a boy and his father and grandfather and how they are digging. It talks about how the son would not be as good of a digger as his father and his grandfather are. I think that they are working in a field with potaoes and that is there job. Maybe they are emigrated from another country and moved somewhere to get a better job to help support the family or maybe it is their own farm land that they are working in to get food ready for the winters months to come.