FREEDOM
By: Nicole E.
Introduction:
“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” Make sure to keep this quote by Mahatma Gandhi in mind while reading through this anthology. People take freedom in many different perspectives and I assure you that everyone who reads this anthology will come out with a different conclusion not only based on their own opinion however, but also based on society’s influence. In each of these poems society has a different role and it will persuade you one way or another. Freedom also has an effect on our flag and in these poems its talk about the deeper meaning of flags and how these poets would create them. I hope you keep these ideas in mind when reading though this anthology. Enjoy!
This poem is surprising because it criticizes America. It has therefore made me think differently about America because it was not always great. Some figurative language included mood, enjambment, and theme. The mood creates a vision in your mind that America has done both harm, as well as good, to its own people and to others. It is structured into six different stanzas. Each one is separated purposefully which shows that the author has used enjambment by delaying the emotion. The theme of the poem is guilt because someone is telling America that they will never be that perfect country that they were set out to be. The poet Robert Creeley only sometimes follows grammatical terms. I think this is because he uses them when he only thinks that they are necessary. One thing that I liked about this poem is how it talks negatively about America and then gives advice on how it can change. However, some things are unchangeable. I also like how it refers to the four corners of the world because we now know that the world is spherical.
This poem focuses on the idea that people have become too patriotic and territorial, and that flags are a way of showing this. It suggests to me that people should not be in conflict by waving their flags, but should get together, take their flags down and make peace. I liked how the epigraph sets the idea and theme of the poem. I also liked the use of onomatopoeia when it describes the rooster's kukuku, and the feeling that we wake up every day and raise the flag. There is lots of hyperbole as the poem exaggerates how flags are used. It makes the reader think that we have too many flags in America and that perhaps we should think about others and not just how great we are in America.
This poems talks about how it is the people that makes a nation great, and not its riches or military might. How people's sacrifices and hard work are more important than the wealth a country has.
The way that the poet combines the figurative language and the deeper meaning adds a great effect to the entire poem. In the first stanza the poet asks you what you think will make a great kingdom or nation. It later explains that the wars and tragedies in our lives and our riches and spoiled does not make us truly happy and united. We should also remember those who have passed in our lives because all great nations fall at some point. In the fourth stanza it tells you to have pride for your country but don’t make others jealous because God is watching over you. The last two stanzas talk about how America tries to make their people strong and we must honor, suffer, and stand up for our country. It also says that brave people work while others rest and later they become lifted. I also really liked how in stanza one it says that they build pillars high and in the last stanza it says that they build them deep. I think this represents a time change.
Some figurative language in this poem includes theme, enjambment, and personification. I think that the theme of this poem is change. This is because it explains what they are going to do, how they are going to do it, and then it describes the outcome. The enjambment in this poem is simple, however meaningful. It is formatted into six different stanzas and I think they all help form a story. One example of personification in this poem is in stanza three where it says glory to decay because glory cannot actually decay.
This poem changed my views on the American flag because it showed what our flag should truly represent. I agree with the poem because I think that it should not just be three simple colors with stars and stripes; I think that it should represent the people and the cultures. Some figurative language includes: allusions, rhythm, enjambment, and a hyperbole. The first allusion is at the begging of the poem where it says, “They should be of gold thread,” this is an allusion to the Gold Rush of 1847. I think that that is important because that was a big part of American history. A second allusion includes “It should have a wound, a red river. “ This is an allusion to the Battle of Shiloh, one of the bloodiest battles in American history; this river is still red today. There is one example of rhythm in this poem. That is in this quote “It should have the first letter of every alphabet ever.” I think this adds depth to the poem and it adds spice to the poem. I also like this quote in general because it shows that America will invite anyone to enter our country. An example of a hyperbole includes “a birthday present we open upon death;” this is because when you are dead you cannot actually open presents. However, you are opened up into a new world. Another example of a hyperbole includes, “Our flag should hold failure.” This is a hyperbole because a flag cannot physically hold failure. I like this quote because it shows that America is not “all that” and that we have made many mistakes.
Bibliography:
Image Citation: teenmania. "Pray for Freedom for Americas teens" Image. YouTube. 24 November 2012.
Website Citation: Poets.org. Academy of American Poets., 1997-2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.poets.org/>.
Website Citation: Poets.org. Academy of American Poets., 1997-2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.poets.org/>.