Author: MAVIS CHEN

Some of Yehuda Amichai’s poems deal with loss which is particularly prevalent in his two poems “An Arab Shepherd Is Searching for His Goat on Mount Zion” and “Try to Remember Some Details.” In “An Arab Shepherd Is Searching for His Goat on Mount Zion,” Amichai writes about a missing goat and a missing boy which are both precious to the ones who have lost them– the Arab shepherd and the Jewish father. When they are lost, people feel anxious and they cry out, but when they’re found, laughter is released and sighs of relief. Being lost seems to be one of the natural qualities of humans because everyone has moments in their life when they feel unsure, but finding guidance can help them overcome their struggles. In “Try to Remember Some Details,” Amichai is trying to say that you should hold onto the memories of the people that you’ve lost such as what they wore and the little details of them. Once they’re gone, you only have those memories to hold onto because they can be ripped away from you in cruel ways. These poems show that Amichai witnessed many tragedies during his life which could have been similar to the ones he wrote about that triggered this kind of writing style.

In the short poem “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop, the poem starts off with the idea that losing simple items such as keys are easy, but then it ends with losing a person. On the exterior, it seems like Bishop doesn’t really care about her losses, but her vulnerable, inner self is revealed through her intricate words. When Bishop uses the words “master,” “faster,” and “disaster,” it gives a sense of buildup with each of her losses more impactful than the last. Furthermore, in Bishop’s other poem “In the Waiting Room,” Bishop shows the mind of a six year old girl who realizes that she’s growing up and has no control over it. Although this poem is more about coming of age, it still relates to the versions of ourselves. When the little girl opens the National Geographic, she sees adult images which could represent her transition into a woman and how she is gradually becoming a different, more mature version of herself. In both of these poems, Bishop integrates the depiction of an important female character in our lives such as the loved one and the aunt which could signify how these women shape us and affect our growth.

In the short story “The Lady with the Dog” by Anton Chekhov, Dmitri Gurov sexualizes Anna Sergeyevna’s youthfulness. The sexualization is especially prevalent towards the beginning of the story which was considered normal during that time period. Dmitri describes women as “the lower race” because he believes that they’re inferior to men, but he would still rather be in the company of a woman. Throughout the story, readers can tell that Dmitri is attracted to Anna’s small body frame, purity, and obedient nature. Anna’s purity and innocence are symbolized by her white dog that she is always seen with. Later on in the story, her dog is seen less and she’s not as innocent due to her affair with Dmitri. Meanwhile, the repetition of grey in the story shows Dmitri’s uncertainty about his affair because he used to never believe in enduring relationships. The use of the color grey represents Dmitri’s realization that he’s actually in love with Anna, making his world of black and white disappear and his appreciation of Anna more profound.

In the short story “Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton, many buried secrets are revealed through the conversation between Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. Both women have been holding a grudge against each other for a very long time, but the truth is finally let out. Alida’s fake letter to Grace posing as Delphin, the now deceased husband of Alida, shows how calculating Alida was. Alida lured Grace out in hopes that she would get sick, but little did she know that Grace wrote back to Delphin. Grace and Delphin did meet and have an affair which resulted in Barbara, the daughter of the two. Readers can tell that Alida is really her own undoing because if she hadn’t written the letter, none of these events would have taken place such as the affair between Grace and Delphin. Wharton wants us to consider that we may not even know the true intentions of our closest friends, family members, or significant others. In this story, Delphin deceives his own wife, Grace deceived her also now deceased husband, and Barbara and Jenny- Alida’s daughter are unaware that they’re actually half-sisters. The revenge, lies, and secrets have ultimately led to Alida and Grace’s own self-destruction.

In the story “The Dead” by James Joyce, the main character, Gabriel is obsessed with being in control or else he doesn’t know how to act. Even though Gabriel is highly educated, he can’t hold proper conversations with the people around him. An instance is when Gabriel dances with Miss Ivors who accuses him of not loving his own country enough. Gabriel gets riled up and exclaims, “I’m sick of my own country, sick of it” (13)! From this scene, readers can recognize that while Miss Ivors is calm, collected, and composed, Gabriel is uncomfortable and worried about what others may think of him. Another character in the story is Gabriel’s wife, Gretta who brings up her past lover, Michael. Although Gretta is physically with Gabriel, she is so fixated with the past that her spiritual soul is actually still attached to Michael. Through the contrast of the past and present, Joyce depicts the differences between Gabriel and the other characters in the story. While Gabriel wants to focus on the present, other characters are engrossed in past memories and people. However, these characters all share one thing in common- they can not run away from the snow that covers all of Ireland, the living and the dead.

The poem, Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798 unfolds with Wordsworth taking in the same scenery he once did five years ago. Wordsworth recalls how nature provided comfort and “tranquil restoration” for his mind. He realizes that his perception of nature has changed over time. In the past, nature was his everything-“An appetite; a feeling and a love,” but now he has developed a more profound and deeper understanding with nature. Wordsworth thinks of nature as “The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, / The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul / Of all my moral being.” Nature has allowed him to connect spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically with himself. While in the company of his sister, Wordsworth sees his former self in her and prays that his sister will be able to experience nature and find solace within it as well.