This chapter about similes and metaphors was helpful to exemplify how figurative language can be used well and also to show that using it is almost inherent. The introduction of the chapter talked about how we live in a figurative world in which our language, thinking, and perceptions contain similes and metaphors. It makes me think of Piaget’s notion of schemas in child development: learning new information and referring back to what you know to make sense of it. In doing so, we form similes and metaphors to understand new information presented to us. To know that thinking figuratively is almost inherent makes it a little less scary when trying to write with that sort of language. I also like the concept of the Toxic Language Dump. It is a funny and straightforward way to make decisions about the quality of similes or metaphors for poetry. I also think that adding humor allows you to not take it too seriously when you write something bad, just truck it off.
Feared Drowned by Sharon Olds is a fantastic example of figurative language done well, and I really enjoyed this poem. I always thought that similes were pretty cliche because of the “like” or “as”, but in Sharon Old’s poem its as if you do not even realize you’re reading similes since it is smooth and flows well. Old’s poem also shows the importance of word choice in order to add depth and emotion. The author’s wrote that figurative language gives you access to certain words and images, depending on the metaphor or simile. Their examples about the head on collision and jumping from a plane with a defective parachute makes me curious about the words associated with the figurative language that I use in my own poems. I also liked Jack Gilbert’s Michiko Dead and Katha Pollitt’s Archaeology as they exemplify how a poem can serve as one big metaphor.
After reading this section on simile and metaphor, I found myself excited to try and write in a way that I am not used to. Being in the science field makes writing poetry extremely difficult in my eyes. I used to heavily incorporate similes and metaphors into my writing in high school, but have since been told to stray away from that, as scientific writing is always very bland and to the point. I agree with our class discussion when I say that “Feared Drowned” has been the best poem we have read thus far. The language of the author and the way she weaved simile and metaphor seamlessly throughout her piece was astonishing. I find that it is more difficult for me to piece together metaphors and similes now that I’ve reached this point in college, but I definitely want to try. I felt like it really deepened the poem and made it sound more like art rather than just words. I definitely see myself returning to this chapter in order to find ways to create similes and metaphors of my own.
One thing I found interesting about this chapter was the idea that metaphors should come naturally to us as we compare things on a daily basis. The other part is the idea of the humble writer and knowing that you wrote a garbage poem. Versus the other non-humble writer who keeps their mess in sight. When we look at Sharon Olds’s poem Feared Drowned, she is able to give us images and familiar settings with our own context without saying her meaning straight. I really liked the line, “A metaphor opens a poem and a simile closes it.” Furthermore, the idea of describing normal things that eventually mean something once the reader has taken a step back. The important takeaway from these metaphors and similies can help enhance the image that the writer is trying to present to their audience, while also giving them a lot to think about when it comes to breaking down the poem in pieces or looking at it from afar.
This chapter really made me think longer than I would like to, especially “Feared Drowned” and that last line. There is a realization in this chapter, in society, in our world, we always connect things and certain places, objects, events, etc. remind us of something else. We use metaphors and similes to study! Everyday we use metaphors and if we didn’t it would be a pretty bland world. I find it curious, how writers can know when a poem is bad or good just by the language being used. We all have different perspectives of what is “bad” or “good” or what may belong in the “word dump.” I feel like sometimes, as a writer, you can use simplistic similes to get a point across, but I also completely like what the chapter tells us. Writing poems with figurative language is not just to compare things or more specifically emotions and scenes, but to catch the reader’s eye and help them connect to the poem. It helps make a poem deeper. Another good chapter that helps me and I am sure others with their writing and understanding behind poetry.
This chapter centers on exploring similes and metaphors within poetry – these poetic devices are an absolutely essential part of learning the craft of poetry but also in recognizing how much of a figurative world we live in. Though sometimes, we don’t recognize how deeply entrenched metaphors and similes are in our everyday lives, and because we are somewhat familiar with their cliches, it does matter to pay attention to the depth of feeling they create. I also found the section where they speak to the importance of learning to decipher what would enhance our poetry to be a great point of reflection – they call part of this idea the “ the Toxic Language Dump – a place we’ve invented for all those expressions that are deadly for the art”(95). It is so true that we can become so immersed in our feelings and what we want to get across that there comes a time to be aware of what is doing more harm than good to our work. The example within this chapter of Sharon Olds’s poem Feared Drowned, which we also discussed in class, shows how powerful metaphors and similes can be and how they can truly speak to us through immense feeling and imagery so subtle yet clear in our minds. As they say in the chapter, these devices open up a whole new language to some degree where we can employ words, ideas, and images that have so many different meanings and connotations that, when merged together, create an entirely unique experience, though at times beautifully universal.
I thought the poems that this chapter chose to highlight were very interesting. Specifically the poem about carrying the box. It’s a very simple metaphor. Some might even say it’s a cliche metaphor but he puts a different spin on talking about it which makes it interesting again. I agree with what the chapter said at the beginning that cliche’s can be overdone and shouldn’t be used in poetry but only to an extent. I think cliches are well liked for a reason as it resonates with human nature. If that new and exciting line becomes well liked enough it too will eventually be seen as cliche. Cliches aren’t bad things and I don’t think all cliches have to be taken to the Toxic Language Dump. I think putting a new spin on cliches can lead to fantastic poetry.
I thought the in depth look at different metaphors was very helpful though. I have a tendency to not write in absolutes. I’d be more likely to use “Acts like an angel” than “is an angel”. This chapter seemed to solidify for me that, unless I’m going to disagree with this person being an angel, I should be more absolute in my writing as it will lead to better metaphors and better writing in the future.
This chapter focused on metaphors in poetry, especially with how we, as humans, constantly compare things to one another, making metaphors and similies all the time. However, the problem then becomes the cliches we all try to avoid. Something that stood out to me in the chapter was the concept of the “Toxic Language Dump,” which is simply a name for realizing when something you’ve written needs to go for the sake of improvement. I like how the chapter is willing to admit that this self-criticism is necessary (to a degree, as all things should be in moderation) in order to craft a better poem.
I also enjoyed the poems, especially Feared Drowned by Sharon Olds, which we also read in class, as it showcases how metaphors, especially unified metaphors and similes (ones that all are themed off a certain subject), can create such a vivid image in our minds, such as the way that Feared Drowned instilled a deep sense of dread in me, which happened to remind me of a song I’d listened to called Painters (by the 90s singer Jewel), which also uses unified metaphors and similies, except instead of the ocean, it is themed around art. It is definitely something I try to utilize in my own writing, both in poetry and fiction.
I think that this chapter will prove to be a helpful resource again and again throughout this semester. To begin, the distinction that the author draws between similes and metaphors is very important to me and my poetry writing. They say that similes are comparisons between two things using connector words such as “like” or “as” whereas metaphors are just saying that one thing is another to create the connection in the reader’s head. This may be obvious to most, but I definitely needed to read it on paper to fully internalize it.
Metaphors, according to the author, should be used to emphasize certain parts of your poem, something that I had not considered. Since I have trouble creating poetry, this is a good thing to remember as I go back and edit my work. Our language is figurative, and how we perceive the world is metaphoric. This makes metaphors and other creative language rather easy to brainstorm, but super difficult to master. Mastering this natural skill requires a lot of practice and errors to understand fully. For me, it is really tough to think of metaphors and figurative language that are uncommon and unused routinely in conversation. It takes a long time to think of the right thing to put down on paper, so most of the time I end up skipping over my metaphor thoughts to take a more direct route.
Sharon Olds’ poem was beautifully done. I could not come up with a string of metaphors and language like that if I had one thousand years to do it. It’s particularly hard to look at really well-done work like hers and go about writing my own. However, I do enjoy reading it. What I gathered from this chapter is that I could stand to take the time to make my metaphors work better in my poems.
I particularly enjoyed this chapter about metaphors and similes, because it is precisely what I am trying to work on more. In my last poem, I wrote a poem inspired by a movie, Call me by your name, that tried making a connection between trees and people, leaves and memories. I think while it resonated with some people, it was lost to most. I appreciate the pointers this chapter gave in respect to the figurative. Through your metaphor, you are given access to a range of words and images that can bring out the essence of your poem, and it’s important to stick to those. I think I could have made some better word choices, and more detailed images, to emphasize my metaphor. This chapter had some of my favorite poems of this semester. I think metaphors can truly make or break a poem, they’re kind of like the beating heart of it.
As someone who is constantly thinking of things in metaphors with a writer’s brain, I loved this chapter. Ever since I was a kid I’ve thought and had thoughts as if I’m being written into a story, and I do that so I can practice how I write and use current experiences into my writings later. Not to mention this beautiful Feared Drowned poem that continuously reminds the reader that nothing lasts forever, that death can touch anything. And this doesn’t quite mean literal death- it can mean that things are forever fleeting and that the idea that they are is deadly and scary in their own sense. This last line is just truly haunting, as the whole poem is not just in a hallowing way but by adding heavy personification through descriptive environmental parallels. “Once you lose someone it is never exactly the same person who comes back” resonates with me extremely hard. I was so taken aback in class by this because I had, this past year, reconnected with my older brother who had always tried very hard to separate himself from our family by moving to Maine. He and I went to the beach together and I swear this exact scene played out- I couldn’t see him coming out of the water and maybe that was in an odd figurative sense as well. It had been four years since I’d seen him before coming up here for college, and while I’d wanted to give him space it would be an understatement to say he’d changed and grown in his own way. That he was never, and will never, be the same person I’d known growing up.
For this chapter, one idea really stood out to me. This was the usage of the Toxic Language Dump. I have found myself already using this before I even knew what it was called. It’s extremely important to remember this when writing poems, and anything creative in general. If we use phrases, words, similes, metaphors, etc, that are well known, it can take us out of the piece! It could be a gorgeous poem as you’re reading through and then you hit a pothole that just shakes up how you ingest the rest of the poem. Going back into the poems you write to look at the language you use is extremely important! Not just for the revising process, but to really make sure the feeling you want to emerge from the poem actually comes through with the words you chose. Reading the Sharon Olds poem again brings this point home as well. Reading it over and over again, you feel the love and care that she put into picking each word she chose! It is truly inspiring to read because the haunting feeling she creates feels so real, you can feel it in your chest as you read. I also enjoyed reading “Machiko Dead” by Jack Gilbert. It is very literal in wording but also extremely symbolic of the grief one has to carry when a loved one passes away. It feels just to the side of the normal comparison we hear about grief as a heavy weight one has to carry. The use of the heavy box was just enough to get that feeling across. In case the title wasn’t there to guide us, I feel this imagery would still be connected to grief after diving into the poem itself.
This chapter introduces a very interesting way to use metaphors in poetry. I really appreciate the fact that yes, metaphors in poetry are abundant and should one hundred percent be used, however the use of language in the metaphor alters the meaning of the poem. Specifically in Sharon Old’s poem about the woman searching for her companion on the beach, the line about the “widow’s shawl” could have been just “shawl”, but the image of specifically a widow wearing a shawl is much more thought and emotion provoking than just shawl on its own. I also love the intro to the chapter itself, explaining that, as humans, we already see the world in metaphors. It’s just a matter of getting the metaphors down onto the page in a comprehensive and interesting way that constructs poetry. Another poem I found interesting in the chapter was Michico Dead. The transitions in the poem from each body part that you switch to in order to continue carrying the box (in other words, shifting to accommodate your grief throughout the grieving process) is both smooth, and relatable in a literal sense, which really drives the metaphorical point home. Grief is not something you just drop, you carry it no matter how heavy; how annoying; how tired you are. It almost reminds me of moving from one house to another, or as a literal interpretation, moving from one stage of your life to the next. It can even apply to this in a literal sense— just an overarching poem about loss and trying to move on with your life despite it. As someone who’s moved schools multiple times, and how just moved into college, it really does hit close to home. The feeling of melancholic nostalgia is permeating the poem and currently my life right now, and I really appreciate how it was articulated in the metaphor.
The process of using metaphors and similes is resourceful to assist readers in grasping the story-tellers vision. I believe imagery is essential for tying in the writing with other correlations that could help bring an understanding to what is being told. Using similes and metaphors, we can provide parallel descriptions in order to present the reader with ideas of the true meaning. The poems “Finding Something” and “Michiko Dead” by Jack Gilbert intrigued me as I read this chapter. The depth in which the author portrayed these pieces called attention to levels of grief and appreciation that he expressed. He felt happiness while he got to spend his last moments with her, catering to her as she lived uncomfortably. However, it struck him with sorrow while he watched her slowly passing. As he carries the box, he promises himself he won’t put it down, which showed a true depiction of his unwavering love for her. It’s admirable that he had continued to show his gratitude, yet felt so deeply about her last days. This poem used metaphors like, “The arches of her feet are like voices of children calling in the grove the lemon trees, where my heart is as helpless as crushed birds” (98). In that line, he’s experiencing substantial agony for the loss of his wife, which gives the impression that there’s nothing he can do to help although he wishes he could. Overall, it gives me the lesson that watching a loved one die in front of you first hand could easily destroy you, but there is ability to find hope and serenity in the harsh times.
13 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 5”
This chapter about similes and metaphors was helpful to exemplify how figurative language can be used well and also to show that using it is almost inherent. The introduction of the chapter talked about how we live in a figurative world in which our language, thinking, and perceptions contain similes and metaphors. It makes me think of Piaget’s notion of schemas in child development: learning new information and referring back to what you know to make sense of it. In doing so, we form similes and metaphors to understand new information presented to us. To know that thinking figuratively is almost inherent makes it a little less scary when trying to write with that sort of language. I also like the concept of the Toxic Language Dump. It is a funny and straightforward way to make decisions about the quality of similes or metaphors for poetry. I also think that adding humor allows you to not take it too seriously when you write something bad, just truck it off.
Feared Drowned by Sharon Olds is a fantastic example of figurative language done well, and I really enjoyed this poem. I always thought that similes were pretty cliche because of the “like” or “as”, but in Sharon Old’s poem its as if you do not even realize you’re reading similes since it is smooth and flows well. Old’s poem also shows the importance of word choice in order to add depth and emotion. The author’s wrote that figurative language gives you access to certain words and images, depending on the metaphor or simile. Their examples about the head on collision and jumping from a plane with a defective parachute makes me curious about the words associated with the figurative language that I use in my own poems. I also liked Jack Gilbert’s Michiko Dead and Katha Pollitt’s Archaeology as they exemplify how a poem can serve as one big metaphor.
After reading this section on simile and metaphor, I found myself excited to try and write in a way that I am not used to. Being in the science field makes writing poetry extremely difficult in my eyes. I used to heavily incorporate similes and metaphors into my writing in high school, but have since been told to stray away from that, as scientific writing is always very bland and to the point. I agree with our class discussion when I say that “Feared Drowned” has been the best poem we have read thus far. The language of the author and the way she weaved simile and metaphor seamlessly throughout her piece was astonishing. I find that it is more difficult for me to piece together metaphors and similes now that I’ve reached this point in college, but I definitely want to try. I felt like it really deepened the poem and made it sound more like art rather than just words. I definitely see myself returning to this chapter in order to find ways to create similes and metaphors of my own.
One thing I found interesting about this chapter was the idea that metaphors should come naturally to us as we compare things on a daily basis. The other part is the idea of the humble writer and knowing that you wrote a garbage poem. Versus the other non-humble writer who keeps their mess in sight. When we look at Sharon Olds’s poem Feared Drowned, she is able to give us images and familiar settings with our own context without saying her meaning straight. I really liked the line, “A metaphor opens a poem and a simile closes it.” Furthermore, the idea of describing normal things that eventually mean something once the reader has taken a step back. The important takeaway from these metaphors and similies can help enhance the image that the writer is trying to present to their audience, while also giving them a lot to think about when it comes to breaking down the poem in pieces or looking at it from afar.
This chapter really made me think longer than I would like to, especially “Feared Drowned” and that last line. There is a realization in this chapter, in society, in our world, we always connect things and certain places, objects, events, etc. remind us of something else. We use metaphors and similes to study! Everyday we use metaphors and if we didn’t it would be a pretty bland world. I find it curious, how writers can know when a poem is bad or good just by the language being used. We all have different perspectives of what is “bad” or “good” or what may belong in the “word dump.” I feel like sometimes, as a writer, you can use simplistic similes to get a point across, but I also completely like what the chapter tells us. Writing poems with figurative language is not just to compare things or more specifically emotions and scenes, but to catch the reader’s eye and help them connect to the poem. It helps make a poem deeper. Another good chapter that helps me and I am sure others with their writing and understanding behind poetry.
This chapter centers on exploring similes and metaphors within poetry – these poetic devices are an absolutely essential part of learning the craft of poetry but also in recognizing how much of a figurative world we live in. Though sometimes, we don’t recognize how deeply entrenched metaphors and similes are in our everyday lives, and because we are somewhat familiar with their cliches, it does matter to pay attention to the depth of feeling they create. I also found the section where they speak to the importance of learning to decipher what would enhance our poetry to be a great point of reflection – they call part of this idea the “ the Toxic Language Dump – a place we’ve invented for all those expressions that are deadly for the art”(95). It is so true that we can become so immersed in our feelings and what we want to get across that there comes a time to be aware of what is doing more harm than good to our work. The example within this chapter of Sharon Olds’s poem Feared Drowned, which we also discussed in class, shows how powerful metaphors and similes can be and how they can truly speak to us through immense feeling and imagery so subtle yet clear in our minds. As they say in the chapter, these devices open up a whole new language to some degree where we can employ words, ideas, and images that have so many different meanings and connotations that, when merged together, create an entirely unique experience, though at times beautifully universal.
I thought the poems that this chapter chose to highlight were very interesting. Specifically the poem about carrying the box. It’s a very simple metaphor. Some might even say it’s a cliche metaphor but he puts a different spin on talking about it which makes it interesting again. I agree with what the chapter said at the beginning that cliche’s can be overdone and shouldn’t be used in poetry but only to an extent. I think cliches are well liked for a reason as it resonates with human nature. If that new and exciting line becomes well liked enough it too will eventually be seen as cliche. Cliches aren’t bad things and I don’t think all cliches have to be taken to the Toxic Language Dump. I think putting a new spin on cliches can lead to fantastic poetry.
I thought the in depth look at different metaphors was very helpful though. I have a tendency to not write in absolutes. I’d be more likely to use “Acts like an angel” than “is an angel”. This chapter seemed to solidify for me that, unless I’m going to disagree with this person being an angel, I should be more absolute in my writing as it will lead to better metaphors and better writing in the future.
This chapter focused on metaphors in poetry, especially with how we, as humans, constantly compare things to one another, making metaphors and similies all the time. However, the problem then becomes the cliches we all try to avoid. Something that stood out to me in the chapter was the concept of the “Toxic Language Dump,” which is simply a name for realizing when something you’ve written needs to go for the sake of improvement. I like how the chapter is willing to admit that this self-criticism is necessary (to a degree, as all things should be in moderation) in order to craft a better poem.
I also enjoyed the poems, especially Feared Drowned by Sharon Olds, which we also read in class, as it showcases how metaphors, especially unified metaphors and similes (ones that all are themed off a certain subject), can create such a vivid image in our minds, such as the way that Feared Drowned instilled a deep sense of dread in me, which happened to remind me of a song I’d listened to called Painters (by the 90s singer Jewel), which also uses unified metaphors and similies, except instead of the ocean, it is themed around art. It is definitely something I try to utilize in my own writing, both in poetry and fiction.
I think that this chapter will prove to be a helpful resource again and again throughout this semester. To begin, the distinction that the author draws between similes and metaphors is very important to me and my poetry writing. They say that similes are comparisons between two things using connector words such as “like” or “as” whereas metaphors are just saying that one thing is another to create the connection in the reader’s head. This may be obvious to most, but I definitely needed to read it on paper to fully internalize it.
Metaphors, according to the author, should be used to emphasize certain parts of your poem, something that I had not considered. Since I have trouble creating poetry, this is a good thing to remember as I go back and edit my work. Our language is figurative, and how we perceive the world is metaphoric. This makes metaphors and other creative language rather easy to brainstorm, but super difficult to master. Mastering this natural skill requires a lot of practice and errors to understand fully. For me, it is really tough to think of metaphors and figurative language that are uncommon and unused routinely in conversation. It takes a long time to think of the right thing to put down on paper, so most of the time I end up skipping over my metaphor thoughts to take a more direct route.
Sharon Olds’ poem was beautifully done. I could not come up with a string of metaphors and language like that if I had one thousand years to do it. It’s particularly hard to look at really well-done work like hers and go about writing my own. However, I do enjoy reading it. What I gathered from this chapter is that I could stand to take the time to make my metaphors work better in my poems.
I particularly enjoyed this chapter about metaphors and similes, because it is precisely what I am trying to work on more. In my last poem, I wrote a poem inspired by a movie, Call me by your name, that tried making a connection between trees and people, leaves and memories. I think while it resonated with some people, it was lost to most. I appreciate the pointers this chapter gave in respect to the figurative. Through your metaphor, you are given access to a range of words and images that can bring out the essence of your poem, and it’s important to stick to those. I think I could have made some better word choices, and more detailed images, to emphasize my metaphor. This chapter had some of my favorite poems of this semester. I think metaphors can truly make or break a poem, they’re kind of like the beating heart of it.
As someone who is constantly thinking of things in metaphors with a writer’s brain, I loved this chapter. Ever since I was a kid I’ve thought and had thoughts as if I’m being written into a story, and I do that so I can practice how I write and use current experiences into my writings later. Not to mention this beautiful Feared Drowned poem that continuously reminds the reader that nothing lasts forever, that death can touch anything. And this doesn’t quite mean literal death- it can mean that things are forever fleeting and that the idea that they are is deadly and scary in their own sense. This last line is just truly haunting, as the whole poem is not just in a hallowing way but by adding heavy personification through descriptive environmental parallels. “Once you lose someone it is never exactly the same person who comes back” resonates with me extremely hard. I was so taken aback in class by this because I had, this past year, reconnected with my older brother who had always tried very hard to separate himself from our family by moving to Maine. He and I went to the beach together and I swear this exact scene played out- I couldn’t see him coming out of the water and maybe that was in an odd figurative sense as well. It had been four years since I’d seen him before coming up here for college, and while I’d wanted to give him space it would be an understatement to say he’d changed and grown in his own way. That he was never, and will never, be the same person I’d known growing up.
For this chapter, one idea really stood out to me. This was the usage of the Toxic Language Dump. I have found myself already using this before I even knew what it was called. It’s extremely important to remember this when writing poems, and anything creative in general. If we use phrases, words, similes, metaphors, etc, that are well known, it can take us out of the piece! It could be a gorgeous poem as you’re reading through and then you hit a pothole that just shakes up how you ingest the rest of the poem. Going back into the poems you write to look at the language you use is extremely important! Not just for the revising process, but to really make sure the feeling you want to emerge from the poem actually comes through with the words you chose. Reading the Sharon Olds poem again brings this point home as well. Reading it over and over again, you feel the love and care that she put into picking each word she chose! It is truly inspiring to read because the haunting feeling she creates feels so real, you can feel it in your chest as you read. I also enjoyed reading “Machiko Dead” by Jack Gilbert. It is very literal in wording but also extremely symbolic of the grief one has to carry when a loved one passes away. It feels just to the side of the normal comparison we hear about grief as a heavy weight one has to carry. The use of the heavy box was just enough to get that feeling across. In case the title wasn’t there to guide us, I feel this imagery would still be connected to grief after diving into the poem itself.
This chapter introduces a very interesting way to use metaphors in poetry. I really appreciate the fact that yes, metaphors in poetry are abundant and should one hundred percent be used, however the use of language in the metaphor alters the meaning of the poem. Specifically in Sharon Old’s poem about the woman searching for her companion on the beach, the line about the “widow’s shawl” could have been just “shawl”, but the image of specifically a widow wearing a shawl is much more thought and emotion provoking than just shawl on its own. I also love the intro to the chapter itself, explaining that, as humans, we already see the world in metaphors. It’s just a matter of getting the metaphors down onto the page in a comprehensive and interesting way that constructs poetry. Another poem I found interesting in the chapter was Michico Dead. The transitions in the poem from each body part that you switch to in order to continue carrying the box (in other words, shifting to accommodate your grief throughout the grieving process) is both smooth, and relatable in a literal sense, which really drives the metaphorical point home. Grief is not something you just drop, you carry it no matter how heavy; how annoying; how tired you are. It almost reminds me of moving from one house to another, or as a literal interpretation, moving from one stage of your life to the next. It can even apply to this in a literal sense— just an overarching poem about loss and trying to move on with your life despite it. As someone who’s moved schools multiple times, and how just moved into college, it really does hit close to home. The feeling of melancholic nostalgia is permeating the poem and currently my life right now, and I really appreciate how it was articulated in the metaphor.
The process of using metaphors and similes is resourceful to assist readers in grasping the story-tellers vision. I believe imagery is essential for tying in the writing with other correlations that could help bring an understanding to what is being told. Using similes and metaphors, we can provide parallel descriptions in order to present the reader with ideas of the true meaning. The poems “Finding Something” and “Michiko Dead” by Jack Gilbert intrigued me as I read this chapter. The depth in which the author portrayed these pieces called attention to levels of grief and appreciation that he expressed. He felt happiness while he got to spend his last moments with her, catering to her as she lived uncomfortably. However, it struck him with sorrow while he watched her slowly passing. As he carries the box, he promises himself he won’t put it down, which showed a true depiction of his unwavering love for her. It’s admirable that he had continued to show his gratitude, yet felt so deeply about her last days. This poem used metaphors like, “The arches of her feet are like voices of children calling in the grove the lemon trees, where my heart is as helpless as crushed birds” (98). In that line, he’s experiencing substantial agony for the loss of his wife, which gives the impression that there’s nothing he can do to help although he wishes he could. Overall, it gives me the lesson that watching a loved one die in front of you first hand could easily destroy you, but there is ability to find hope and serenity in the harsh times.