Jackson J’s Blog

(A parade "rolling" down the street)

Clint Smith’s usage of this poem along with his consistent dialogue of poems gives the reader a basic understanding of his thought process, but also influences his previous ideas. In the poem “When people say, “we have made it through worse before”” Smith emphasizes his idea of the future of our children and how what is happening presently is impacting that. The poem starts off with a strong defining tone for where the rest will lead with “all I hear is the wind slapping against the gravestones.” This is followed up by explaining that those people are not going to live to see “confetti fall from the sky.” This means that the people who are dead are not going to be here to experience the unity of everyone.

Smith’s contrast reminds me of and is compatible with the painting, “The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh. Smith leads the beginning of the poem with a dark context and consistently adds to it portraying a shadow-like mood over the idea of the gravestones. This can be related to the dark theme of nighttime in a small village with no real illumination of the town or outer areas. He then adds to this by not necessarily changing the mood but by adding a different aspect of the idea giving it a sense of lightness and hopefulness. This can be compared to the light or lights that “guide” the dark night or give it a sort of brightness and sovereignty.

Clint Smith’s description of watching parades “roll down the street” gives a celebratory idea of the way unification would occur. I also see it as a happy and humorous idea of parades of people actually “rolling” down the street. Smith explains that there is no reason to change words to make them tell the same lie. I see this as him explaining the pointlessness of making something look better than it is. He says that the “moral arc of the universe” does not alter course to comfort people. In other words, the world is not going to always give you what you want or be easy to endure.

Smith says “do not say I am hopeless” He believes that there is a future, a better future to fight for. A future where “we are not all left standing after the war has ended”. This is where a jump or change in ideas occurs. Where we are going to have to fight and sacrifices will need to be made to gain this unity. Then Smith brings us back to one of the starting ideas that we may not get to see this occur. He exclaims this idea based on his beliefs of the current situation and conditions of the world. This leaves the reader with a feeling of lost hope, hopefulness that I would say urges the reader to take action for the greater good. 487

 

Reflections on Ice-Breaking

“Candy

Is Dandy

But liquor

Is quicker.”

This short poem makes viewing the literary devices for any reader very easy. In fact, this poem is too easy to decipher. As a reader someone who indulges in eating candy knows that it can brighten your day. It could be because that person is taking time out of their day to do something. As well as, it could be the amount of sugar that rushes through someone’s body when they eat it. The comparison between candy and liquor shows that they both give a similar joyful sensation. If someone has prior knowledge of what alcohol does to the body, then they know this is true. The irony of this is that it is so easy but so true and that’s what makes it a great poem and something special.

(A duck one of which is commonly known to enjoy water.)

The Duck 

“Behold the duck. It does not cluck. A cluck it lacks. It quacks. It is specially fond. Of a puddle or pond. When it dines or sups, It bottoms ups.” In “The Duck” by Ogden Nash, the writer immediately starts off his poem with something that most readers can relate to, the sound of a duck. Most people know that a duck quacks but Nash adds a perspective that shows another sound that a duck could make. “It does not cluck. A cluck it lacks. It quacks.” A cluck while it walks or runs, but reassures the reader that a duck quacks. Nash’s rhyme scheme gives the reader a sense of humor and enjoyment. The characteristics of this poem make it just right because it gives the reader something to relate to while giving a realistic perspective.

The Cow

“The cow is of the bovine ilk; One end is moo, the other, milk.” I feel that the cow in this poem is a true representative of what the writer is trying to portray. I think that Nash is trying to convey a deeper idea of what the cow really is and is just using it to describe something else. This poem for me is very difficult to decipher. I can’t tell if it is being literal or what I really think it is, specifically because Ogden Nash is a comedy poet. I think it’s referring to people and how he perceives us as people of imperfection. The way we say one thing and do something else can be referenced through “One end is moo, the other, milk” moo can be considered us talking and milk could be the action that we take. It can also perceive humans as hypocritical beings. (418)

 

 

How bad did our cleanliness have to be  before the world was in shambles 

when cities shut down  ghosts appear  did the virus want to kill people

the scientists tell me we’ve been close to death for a long time now  media

tells me we were already annihilated  my sister was born in a world 

where this happened  I was born in a world where this happened 

which I am told makes it mine  I come from a world that is dying  while 

being told it is still healthy

 

In the poem “what is left” by Clint Smith is well written and uses several elements to elevate the thoughts of the reader. The poem starts by asking “how warm did the water have to be      before it gave the sky permission to crumble” this not only uses meteorological knowledge about how storms are created. It uses imagery to verbalize how the rain would come down from the sky. 

The Sky Crumbling

It follows by saying ”did the ocean intend to swallow the city   or find refuge inside of it” this is a reference to what the locals were experiencing. It is used to explain how they were seeking shelter in the city in crowds of thousands of people. It relates to the crime that was taking place everywhere that they couldn’t escape. It really is stating that while they were seeking shelter the “ocean” people were taking it over.

 

My experience of being in terrible storms is prominent. I have been in several bad storms on land and on water. Where lightning is crackling on the water in front of me and raindrops feel like bullets. I can understand how bad this storm would have been because of my experiences and can guarantee that it was on the strong side. After studying this storm and understanding the perspective of the people that experienced it. It has taught me why Katrina is so important to remember and talk about today. 

 

A Death Recognized

Smith says “the scientists tell me that we have been disappearing for a long time now.” I relate this in my poem by saying “scientists tell me we’ve been close to death for a long time now.” If we are disappearing, wouldn’t death have involvement with that. Especially with the context of a storm where thousands of people died. The relationship between this and the covid virus are apparent as they both are found with an ending of death.

 

Smith says “ i come from a city that is drowning   while being told it is rinsing itself clean.” This helps express the sad state that the citizens were enduring during the time of this atrocity. Saying that this city is drowning has a double meaning because it is accurate in this context but also it is failing individually. Smith’s use of personification to show how the city was “rinsing” itself clean during the storm. This essentially describes that it was flooded and cleared of things like buildings, trash, and other commonly used things. (416)

 

Childhood

John Deere tractors have been an interesting thing to me ever since I was little. I don’t know if it is because of the green and yellow contrasting colors. The size of some of the tractors and the sheer power they create. As well as it could be the loud noise that they make that would make any boy get excited. It could have been the fact that I wanted to be a cowboy always wearing boots and a stetson hat.

When I got a little older my interest for harley davidsons grew. I had a power wheel Harley that I rode around on. I got a razor dirt bike for christmas one year and that’s where my love for motorcycles boosted. I would practice doing figure eights in the driveway to learn how to turn at a sharp angle. As I got older I got a real dirt bike for Christmas and rode with my friend almost every day for several years.

I started cub scouts when I was little but the troop dismembered with the fall of the church. A few years later I decided to go into boy scouts because I was old enough. I became very interested in camping and being active outside. We went to summer camps and earned merit badges learning new skills that are fun and beneficial in life.

When I started high school I decided that I wanted to play on the golf team. I had never actually played golf before, the only thing I had done was taken lessons. It was a struggle at first but then I got better and started to enjoy it. After joining the team I started playing outside of school and became what someone would call your average golfer. I am proud of that because it takes hard-work and time just to be average.