Church Going

In Larkin's "Church Going," a scene is described as being as a beautiful empty church. The church is being examined by an un-belonging biker; the biker seems to be familiar with the church's innards and examines them thoroughly. He seems not to appreciate the church for its religious aspects, but for its features and architecture. He then begins to examine the reason for the church in the first place, he seems to have almost a sad tone when describing that the church has been reduced to a once a week, superstitious ceremony along with weddings and baptisms. It seems that he can recall when religion played a larger role in society. He has realized that belief is dieing, and he begins to wonder what will happen when it is dead. In particular, what is going to happen to the building after belief has disappeared?

The Goosefish

Howard's "The Goosefish," is a rather strange poem. It begins with two people having sex on a beach; there is blood everywhere, which suggests the girl is losing her virginity. In the second stanza it goes on to describe a very inviting moon during their romantic act. This is contrasted by the appearance on the beach, of a big, dead, smiling, ugly fish. The couple does not know what to make of the fish, they look to it as some kind of symbol and its appearance makes them feel guilty for what they have just done. This is kind of creepy because they describe the dead fish as watching them, smiling with amusement, and they wonder if this symbol is a precursor for their future.

The Passionate Shepard to His Love

When looking at Christopher Marlowe's poem "The Passionate Shepard to His Love," It is important to understand what kind of writing this is. This is a pastoral poem which is a poem used to describe the timeless, painless, beautiful life of a poem. The author walks us through what I would assume to be his pasture, which is full of beautiful and captivating things. The Shepard in this poem seems almost like he is inviting us into his life and his lifestyle. He shows us the delights of this beautiful, carefree, place, which to most reading it, would seem heavenly in comparison to the average Joe's hard labor.

On Her Loving to Equally

In Aphra Ben's "On Her Loving to Equally," she describes her feelings for two different lovers. She goes on to say that when she is one of her lover’s arms, she longs for the other, and her heart is divided. She can't seem to make a choice in between her two lovers. This poem is written like a confession, in hope of advice. She makes it seem as though she’s writing it to cupid. I think that these strong feelings for two are making her feel, increasingly uneasy and she is beginning to realize that this cannot go on for much longer. She is awaiting a sign for advice for her decision.

The Word Plum

In Helen Chasin's "The Word Plum" she describes through words, the image, and taste of a plum being eaten. She uses language filled with adjectives and describes the moment of bliss when eating a plum. She uses this language to make a plum seem like a piece of heaven. The way this is written reminds me of an advertisement, or some form of persuasion. After reading this I can honestly say I wanted to go out and buy a bag full of plums.

One Perfect Rose

The poem by Parker uses the classical symbol of a rose. Which usually represents love and romance, Parker puts her own spin on this common symbol. She describes how a rose is fragile and how your heart is enclosed in it. She goes on to describe it's perfect smell, and pure image. These descriptions reiterate and strengthen our previous definitions of a rose's symbolism. In the last few lines, we see a change in the entire view of the poem, by asking "why not a limousine?" This shows that a rose is nice and all, but regardless, it is still just a flower. I think that she sees the rose as a cheap, somewhat, crappy gift, and would much rather have her lover show his affection through materialistic goods.

A Symphony in Yellow

In A Symphony in Yellow the author paints a picture of a yellow, possibly fall, landscape. Wilde walks us through several scenes that involve yellow objects in them. To me, yellow is a color that represents welcoming, happiness, and sunshine, all positive symbols. This poem reminded me of a troops returning poem because of the yellow ribbon that is associated with troops returning from battle. I thought that it was rather interesting that it went from yellow, to green, because green is a color that is used in camouflage of troops. The Thames is a river in London so I thought that it could be possible that he is leaving in a boat to go to war.