Question

poetry help

Answer 1

This Was Once a Love Poem
Jane Hirshfield, 1953
This was once a love poem,
before its haunches thickened, its breath grew short,
before it found itself sitting,
perplexed and a little embarrassed,
on the fender of a parked car,
while many people passed by without turning their heads.

It remembers itself dressing as if for a great engagement.
It remembers choosing these shoes,
this scarf or tie.

Once, it drank beer for breakfast,
drifted its feet
in a river side by side with the feet of another.

Once it pretended shyness, then grew truly shy,
dropping its head so the hair would fall forward,
so the eyes would not be seen.

IT spoke with passion of history, of art.
It was lovely then, this poem.
Under its chin, no fold of skin softened.
Behind the knees, no pad of yellow fat.
What it knew in the morning it still believed at nightfall.
An unconjured confidence lifted its eyebrows, its cheeks.

The longing has not diminished.
Still it understands. It is time to consider a cat,
the cultivation of African violets or flowering cactus.

Yes, it decides:
Many miniature cacti, in blue and red painted pots.
When it finds itself disquieted
by the pure and unfamiliar silence of its new life,
it will touch them—one, then another—
with a single finger outstretched like a tiny flame. what is the poem about ???

Answer 2

Characteristic Selected Poem Title:
Initial Response:
What does this poem seem to be about?



Words: Were the words in this poem difficult or easy to understand?
Was there any word or phrase that was powerful to you?



Images:
Did the poet create strong images?
What could you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel?



Figurative Language:
What poetic devices were used in this poem?
What did these poetic devices do for the poem?
Did these devices help create imagery or communicate the author's feelings?



Emotion:
What emotion was the author trying to express?



Structure:
How is the poem organized (lines, stanzas, etc.)?
What is unique or interesting about the structure of the poem?
Does the poem rhyme?



Meaning:
What is the poem saying about life or love?
Do you agree or disagree with this message? Explain.
Are there any other reasonable ways to interpret this poem?

Publication:

What kind of magazine or other publication would be the best place for this type of poem?