Chaya's AP Lang Blog

In “The Modern Prometheus,” JJ uses irony, contrast and imagery with a relaxed, blissful tone to emphasize the joy in making others happy. He uses contrast to show the parents instructions compared to the actual scene in the house, conveying that although nothing they said is being enforced, the children are having fun. His use of vivid imagery like “soft pajamas lying idle in the closet” and “hard sour chewies dangling from their mouths” shows how the babysitter hasn’t made the children follow any of the rules, and gives off a relaxed, stress free environment where the children could be free to enjoy themselves. The irony comes in because the parents’ specific instructions were completely ignored and everything that they said not to do was happening. JJ uses these techniques to convey the satisfaction and contentment that comes with giving into the desires of others, and benefiting from their enjoyment.

In “A Man I Knew,” Margaret Levine uses a detached, distant tone together with syntax and symbolism to describe a person who has a sad unfulfilled life. The poem starts off with the symbolism of “a condo,” showing that this man that she used to know owns his own fancy home, implying that he cares about materialism, but not necessarily other more important things in life. He seems rich and detached, as he has a “maid who comes every other week,” showing how he does not have a spouse and pays someone else to deal with his mess. This is symbolic for the fact that he probably has many issues in his life, but he does not like to deal with his emotional problems and has other people deal with it for him. The poem continues and says how he has “kids who don’t” come to visit him, and they only “float on the dresser” like in a picture frame, and are not in his life. He is totally detached from his family and doesn’t seem to try to reach out, as it says they “float forever, like a boat” symbol...

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." -Buddha This quote really stood out to me and I really love it because of how true it is. The truth can never be hidden forever, and will always eventually be revealed. The sun and the moon might hide behind the clouds or the darkness, but they will never be hidden forever. Truth is exactly the same. I think this relates especially to people's personalities and character. Many times people are very good at hiding their bad traits and hide their true self by acting so nice and pleasant. However, the truth always comes out and once you get to know them, their true self will be revealed. This quote made me think about people in relationships, because you could be in a relationship with someone and think that they are amazing and such great people. But when you get to know someone really well, and you need to share your true emotions and feelings with one another, you are able to see who they really are ...

Robert Bly’s “Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter” gives off a content tone with its use of diction and alliteration to associate the poem with the feeling of internal pleasure in spending time alone. The poem contains words that seem to have a negative connotation, like “cold,” “deserted,” and “iron.” Although these words can be associated with loneliness and despair, the speaker appreciates these aspects and shows how a dark, cold night could be quite enjoyable. The alliteration used in the second line, “swirls of snow,” add to this picturesque image of a snowy night by creating a soft, flowing sound to the ear, showing the beauty, calmness and serenity of being alone in nature. In the last line, the speaker says that he “will waste more time” driving around in the snowy night, meaning that he is actually taking some time for himself, to drive around and enjoy his surroundings. Bly’s use of diction and alliteration help aid in the feeling of complete satisfaction in taking in the ...

In “Snow,” David Berman uses a simple tone and a plot based structure with repetition to display the pure innocence and naivety of a child’s mind and imagination. The poem begins with the speaker telling his brother that the imprints in the snow were actually from “troops of angels who had been shot” and dissolved into the ground. The speaker builds up the imaginative story in response to his brother’s questions, as the younger child really believes in the image his brother had created in his mind. This shows the innocence of a child, because when given an answer to their curiosity by a perceived older and wiser person, they automatically accept it as the truth. The younger brother repeatedly questions his brother about the story, asking, “Why did he shoot them?” and “But why were they on his property?” This shows that his innocence leads him to thinking that the story is true, and wanting to know more and more. Throughout the poem as the speaker continues to create his story, he cont...

Kate Knapp Johnson’s “The Meadow” uses a tone of despair and a shift in mood to convey the outcome of getting too lost in thought. The speaker begins with an expression of despair in wasting half of a day just staring out of the window in search of some intangible feeling or thing. By leaving “thinking for thought,” he did not realize that he was so absorbed in his mind that a long time had elapsed. A shift happens beginning with “two inches of snow have fallen,” showing that time has progressed significantly, and the speaker is now not just in their own deep thought, but it caused them to get so carried away that they didn’t notice all of the time they had wasted. The speaker ends the poem with another despairing statement saying, “Where did I go, how long was I out looking for you?,” since they finally realized that they had wasted away so much of their time self absorbing in their sorrows. Many times people get so carried away wallowing in their sorrows or searching for something ...

Dave Etter’s “Marcus Millsap: School Day Afternoon” utilizes a stream of consciousness and imagery to convey a childlike tone, sharing the exciting feeling of freedom that a child has when left home alone. Throughout the poem, the speaker constantly changes subjects and thinks to himself about everything that he plans to do with his freedom after school. Quotes like “What am I going to do when I get home?..” and “This weekend we're going to the farm show. I like roosters and pigs, but farming's no fun” shows how the speaker’s mind is rapidly changing and thinking about all the different things that he could possibly do with his freedom. Etter uses imagery to express a child’s joy of being free of rules and obligations. The child makes a sugar sandwich and goes outside to look at the birds and the giant silo, creating an image of the fun and adventure a child has when they have the freedom to do as they please. The poem culminates with the last line, when the child exclaims wi...

In “Before She Died,” Karen Chase uses a wistful tone to convey the feeling of distance and yearning for a lost loved one by using contrast. The title of the pom is “ Before She Died,” yet the actual poem describes what life was like after she died, helping to differentiate between these two stages of life, before and after. The speaker says “When I look at the sky now , I look at it for you ,” showing the difference in the speaker’s purpose now that their loved one has passed. In the second stanza the speaker describes the time setting by saying, “With all the leaves gone almost from the trees,” showing that after the person died, everything around the speaker died as well, contrasting from what life must have been like before the person died. Finally, in the last stanza the speaker says, “It will take a long time to know how it is for you,” because now that the person has died, there is such a vast distance between them and it is hard to connect with them after they have died. Chase...

In “American Cheese” by Jim Daniels, a childlike, reminiscing tone is conveyed as he appeals to the reader through imagery of the familiar tastes, smells, and experiences in an American childhood, showing that your childhood memories always stays with you. The speaker starts out by defending his acquired taste for fine cheeses, showing how as an adult he has established himself and is more sophisticated than his simple background. Despite this, he recollects fondly, through imagery, the “American singles,” and “Day-old Wonderbread” that carried him through his childhood. Much detail is used to describe the American cheese, which represents his boyhood, like “Sixty-four Singles wrapped in wax” and how you had to  “dig your nails in to separate them.” The culmination of the poem occurs in the last stanza, where he explains that although his mother did not remember him being “a cheese eater, plain like that,” it is an insignificant thing that is really a big deal to him. Although the ...

Peter the Electrician He drives his rusty old van from house to house Toolbox by his side, As he goes around the neighborhood Repairing electricity and heaters. Although he has fallen from his previous glory, It reminds him of the power he used to possess, And the glow of the sparks fill him with joy, As if he is creating life on a smaller scale. To his neighbors and coworkers he seemed just like a normal young man, Completely unaware of his shocking past. How would they know what he has done for them? How could they guess what he has sacrificed for them? He goes by Peter, a quiet, unassuming fellow, Yet he is tortured inside and is all alone in his suffering. The mere sight of people fills him with joy, His own handiwork living all around him, And he wants so much to give them everything they need. Would they ever expect that their creator was living among them, Riding the bus with them, Shopping for groceries alongside them? Everywher...

In the poem “Tour” by Carol Snow, an antithesis and an inverted sentence is used in conjunction with a curious and pondering tone to establish the message that everything in life can be viewed from different perspectives. In this short and sweet poem, the speaker contrasts the actions that went into the creation of the beautiful scene in front of them; did the man sweep the path and then place the flowers, or simply sweep between the flowers? Thinking deeper, one could ask if the man was cleaning up in order to place objects of beauty there to enhance it, or was he clearing up the dirt around it to reveal the beauty that was already there and let it shine? This antithesis causes the reader to ponder and realize that any situation could be thought about from two sides, and there are possible explanations to any given scenario. The use of the inverted sentence, “near a shrine in Japan, he’d swept the path,” in comparison with the last sentence, “he’d swept the path between the fallen cam...

Jim Daniels’ poem, “Wheels,” rouses a nostalgic tone with his use of repetition and symbols to convey the despair that comes along with the memories of a lost one. The symbol of the different cars throughout the poem symbolizes the passing of time and the rites of passage that one goes through during a lifetime.  For example, “In his Mercury Montego getting married,” or, “In his black LTD trying to sell real estate,” showing different aspects of his life as he grows older. The poem is written from the view of photographs, or a camera, which symbolize memories and the way one remembers a loved one, bringing up that nostalgic feeling of looking back at the past. The repetition of the word “waving” after almost every sentence emphasizes the way that the speaker views these memories; always remembering the loved one in a state of happiness, frozen in time forever. The speaker’s despair comes in the last stanza, where the speaker is mourning that this final memory ends abruptly, becau...

“The Partial Explanation” by Charles Simic displays the emotions that come along with loneliness and solitude by using descriptive diction that creates a lonely and impatient mood. Simic uses words like “long time, snow, and darker” to convey a dark and gloomy atmosphere, which reflects the speaker’s attitude. Using descriptive words, like the “grimy little luncheonette,” the speaker is able to form a picture that the readers could associate with; a quiet, lonely place where one sits all alone. He says that he sits “at this table I chose myself upon entering,” showing that he chose to sit alone, yet is still sad and unsatisfied with the situation. The double usage of the word “longing” emphasizes his yearning for company, and even though he chose to be alone, he wishes his life were not like this. The diction in this poem is what helps bring across the emotions and feelings of lonesomeness and solitude.

Laurel Blossom uses short cut-off sentences with informal diction and a great deal of repetition in her poem, “Radio,” which assists in conveying the feeling of helplessness in trying to protect yourself and your property from those around you. The short sentences and format of the poem make it seem like a note that the speaker left in their car, in attempt to ward off burglars. It helps the reader empathize with the speaker’s situation and associate those feelings with their own lives, as does the informal diction. Continuously repeating the words “no radio,” the speaker is displaying the feeling of having to plead and prove that there is nothing of value for someone to steal, so they shouldn’t even bother. The speaker's sense of despair comes from when they say “radio gone, note hole in dashboard,” because they have already felt like they have been violated and don’t want to experience that again. The use of diction and short sentences aid the speaker in conveying this sense of v...

R.T. Smith uses a regretful and remorseful tone in his poem “Neglect,” and uses an extended metaphor of the apple tree and vivid imagery to impart the message that one must not take for granted the things important to them in life, because you don’t know what you have until it's gone. The speaker recalls the sense of loss and longing they have over their precious apple tree that they neglected to take care of and appreciate, and wants to beseech the reader not to do the same. Smith uses strong imagery to show how devastating it was that the apple tree was lost, and the strong emotions that came along with it, like “skew the sap’s passage, blacken leaves, dry the bark and heart.” This conveys a gloomy and mournful tone, showing how dark everything is without this important fixture in their life. One must take extra measures to love and appreciate the important people and things in our lives, because “death is inevitable for any living being unloved, untended.” By detailing the met...

In “The Poet,” Tom Wayman uses a catalog style poem, together with a witty and slightly critical tone, to paint a picture of the personality and skills of a poet. He formats the poem in a way that lists all of a poet’s perceived weaknesses, such as that he “may speak much but makes little sense” or “does not understand was he reads.” These might seem true to an outsider observing a poet, but in reality, real poets know how to analyze and dissect poetry better than anyone else, yet sometimes they aren’t able to easily express their thoughts and feelings to others. Poets can spend weeks and weeks analyzing one poem, and although it may seem like they do not understand or cannot comprehend it, they are really just delving into the depths of the poem so much more than the average person. Poets “may recognize a word one day and not the next” because they could find numerous interpretations for words and phrases that could change the whole meaning of a poem. This poem sounds similar and is...

In “At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border” by William Stafford, peaceful imagery is used to create a calm and reflective tone, which is used to bring out the message of peace and that the best type of monument is one in a place where nothing ever happened. The speaker starts from the beginning by describing a perfect, untouched field that conveys a serene and still feeling. The field is where “grass joined hands,” seeming to be a piece of land between the U.S. and Canadian borders. This field, lying in the middle of two countries has experienced no fatalities, no wars, and no violence. It has the potential to become a breeding ground for hatred and fighting, but instead, “no monument stands.” There is nothing that needs to be commemorated in this place, and its inner glory is allowed to shine through, as shown in the line, “the only heroic thing is the sky.” The imagery used with the birds “unfolding their wings across the open” visualizes a place where there is absol...

Ron Koertge uses illustrative imagery and cliches in his poem, “Do You Have Any Advice For Those of Us Just Starting Out?,” which creates an empowering, carefree tone, enumerating the message that the best way to become a great writer is to go out, break all of the rules, be original and fearless. In the second stanza, the speaker starts of with their advice by saying that the best type of notebook to have is a cheap one, “with pages the color of weak tea,” and with “a kitten or a spaceship” on the cover. The message is that you don’t need any fancy materials to become a great writer, all you need is to stand out and have a great idea. Everyone remembers having those graphic notebooks in elementary school, and his message is that inspiration and greatness could stem from anyone, anywhere, with anything. In the third stanza he writes that you should avoid enclosed spaces “where more than three people are wearing turtlenecks.” Aside from the humor in this image, this gives a sense of u...

  Laurel Blossom uses emphasis and repetition to convey a conflicting, tension-filled tone that expresses how although opposites can attract, not always does that type of relationship work out. The speaker starts off strongly by telling the reader “That this is the difference between me and you,” making it clear to understand that these lovers have many differences and conflicts in their relationship, and goes on to list these differences in the following lines. She is confronting her lover with the blatant truth that they are so immensely different from each other that they cannot possibly continue their relationship. She goes on to repeat their differences in weather, hobbies and clothing, like the “red flannel shirt,” and “you like to wear wool,” emphasizing that these crucial parts of each of their personalities clash with one another. When in a relationship, although it is said that opposites attract, the two people need to have a common ground on certain areas for them to hav...

Billy Collins' resigning yet lighthearted tone in “Introduction to Poetry,” along with his use of vivid imagery, helps convey the message that analyzing poetry must be done by actively reading the poem to slowly uncovering its meaning. In the first stanza the speaker asks their students to hold the poem up to the light “like a colored slide.” Just like a slide must be looked at through rays of light to reveal its true colors, so to a poem must be held up and analyzed to reveal its clarity and meaning. He says that they should “walk inside the poem’s walls” and feel around for the light switch , conveying the sense of groping in the darkness, struggling to find the meaning of the poem. When one actively reads and analyzes a poem and truly immerses themselves in its words, they are able to switch on the light bulb in their heads of what the poem is trying to tell them. The imagery continues as the speaker wants his students to “ water ski across the surface of the poem” painting ...