"oread" reflects imagist poetry because it contains

PART 1

American Landscape, c. 1930. Charles Sheeler. Oil on canvas, 24 x 31 in. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

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“Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during a moment.”

—Carl Sandburg, “Poetry Considered”

MODERN POETRY

The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, NY

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LITERARY H ISTORY

Symbolist and Imagist Poetry

PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE MOMENTS in time. Painters depict visual ideas through arrangements of colors and shapes. What methods allow writers to use words as someone else might use a camera or a paintbrush? In the beginning of the modern age, a group of poets called the Imagists developed new, influential techniques for presenting visual impressions. Much of their inspiration came from the Symbolists, across the Atlantic Ocean, in France.

The Symbolist Foundation The avant-garde, or experimental, Symbolist move- ment in Paris dominated French poetry and art in the late 1800s and inspired the Imagists. Symbolist poets such as Charles Baudelaire, Stéphane Mallarmé, Arthur Rimbaud, and Paul Verlaine reacted against Realism by focusing their attention inward on moods and sensations. These poets believed that direct explanation could not capture emotion. They sought access to the inner workings of the mind through sug- gestion, metaphor, and symbols. The Symbolists took inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe, whose work is rich in symbolism.

“No good poetry is ever written in a manner twenty years old, for to write in such a manner shows conclusively that the writer thinks from books, convention and cliché, and not from life.”

—Ezra Pound “A Retrospect”

The American Imagists Contrasting with the Symbolists’ abstract, atmo- spheric poetry, the Imagists presented a concrete, tangible image that appeared frozen in time. “Essentially, it is a moment of revealed truth,” wrote critic William Pratt on Imagism. In that sense, the

Imagist method is similar to photography. Beyond that, however, Imagist poetry explores the effect of the image on an observer at a precise moment.

“In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound (see page 654) is a classic example of an Imagist poem. Pound responded to the sight of faces in a train station. Pound deleted words to condense a first draft of thirty lines into two lines of fourteen words and two striking images. He believed that the poet should “use no superfluous word, no adjective which does not reveal something.” He found a model for this intense com- pression in Asian poetry, such as in this haiku (three lines, seventeen syllables, in the original) by Japanese poet Matsuo Basho:

On a dead limb squats a crow– Autumn night. (Lucien Stryk translation)

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The Flatiron Building, Evening, from Camera Work, April, 1906. Edward Steichen.

RÈunion des MusÈes Nationaux/Art Resource, NY

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LITERARY HISTORY 651

In 1912 Pound submitted three poems by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) to Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. One of the published poems was “Oread” (following). In Greek mythology, the Oreads were nymphs, minor female divinities of nature, from the mountains. Notice the irregular, jagged look of the lines and how the line breaks are determined by the poet’s sense of imagery.

Whirl up, sea— Whirl your pointed pines, Splash your great pines On our rocks. Hurl your green over us— Cover us with your pools of fir.

H.D. and Amy Lowell were central figures in the Imagist movement. At a poetry reading, Lowell reportedly said to her audience, “Well, clap or hiss, I don’t care which, but . . . do something!” Such bold statements energized American poetry, which often displays the Imagist method of compressing an emo- tion or idea into a sharply observed image.

Imagist Principles The Imagists issued manifestos, or public declarations on their poetic principles. The following are sample manifestos in the style of those issued:

• The image is the essence, the raw material, of poetry.

• Poetry should be expressed in brief, clear, concrete language that forms precise images.

• These images should instantly convey to the reader the poem’s meaning and emotion.

• The language of these poetic images should sound like simple speech—not be made up of predictable rhythms and rhymes but of freer, more-modern verse forms.

• Topics for poems need not be high-minded or “poetic.” No topic is unsuitable for a poem.

Sudden Rain Shower on Ohashi Bridge, from One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo, 1850. Ando Hiroshige. Woodblock print. Musée des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, Paris. Viewing the Art: This wood-block print recalls the style of Japanese haiku masters such as Basho. What does this print have in common with Imagism?

Literary History For more about Symbolist and Imagist poetry, go to www.glencoe.com.

RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY

1. Why did the Symbolist poets refrain from directly explaining their themes?

2. What did the Imagists want to eliminate from poetry? Why?

3. What type of images does H.D. create in “Oread”? What impressions and associations do they evoke?

4. Compare and contrast the ways in which the poems on these two pages reflect the themes of Imagist poets. Which do you find most interesting?

Ando Hiroshige/Art Resource, NY

• Compare and contrast authors’ messages. • Analyze historical context. • Evaluate argument.

OBJECTIVES

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David Lees/CORBIS

BEFORE YOU READ

In a Station of the Metro and A Pact

MEET EZRA POUND

Though Ezra Pound’s literary accomplish-ments were immense, many hated him. As his friend and protégé William Carlos Williams wrote, “Pound is a fine fellow, but not one person in a thousand likes him, and a great many people detest him.” Nevertheless, T. S. Eliot claimed that Pound was “more responsible for the twentieth-century revolution in poetry than [was] any other individual.”

Imagism Pound was born in a small town in Idaho, but two years later his family moved east. When he was still young, he determined that “at thirty [he] would know more about poetry than any living man.” Pound entered the University of Pennsylvania at age fifteen but completed his undergraduate education at Hamilton College. As a student, he immersed himself in the Latin, Greek, and French classics.

“I have weathered the storm, I have beaten out my exile.”

—Ezra Pound, “The Rest”

After receiving his master’s degree in 1906, Pound briefly taught languages at a small Presbyterian college in Indiana. His eccentric manner did not fit well with the school’s character, and, at the age of 23, Pound left for Europe. He settled first in London, then Paris, and finally in Italy. There he wrote poetry and criticism and translated verse from nine languages. He also served as an overseas editor for Poetry magazine—a position he used to nurture the careers of Robert Frost and T. S. Eliot, among others. In 1912, Pound helped establish Imagism’s manifesto. It called for “direct treatment of the ‘thing’” and the use of “the language of common speech, but . . . always the exact word.”

A Complex Writer Though Pound declared that writers should “Make it new!” he did not believe in newness for its own sake and relied heavily on the literature of the past. In The Cantos, his longest and best-known work, Pound combined materials from different cultures and languages, historical texts, and newspaper articles. The Cantos is an extremely complex work, notorious for its diffi- culty and uneven quality.

Politics, Prison, and Exile During World War II, Pound supported Fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and made radio broadcasts openly criti- cizing the United States and the efforts of the Allies in the war. After Italy fell, Pound spent six months as a prisoner of war near Pisa. Here he wrote The Pisan Cantos, generally considered the greatest section of his long work.

After being declared mentally unfit to stand trial for treason, Pound was sent to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for the criminally insane in Washington, D.C. He spent the next twelve years at the hospital, after which the charges against him were dropped. Pound then left the United States, returning to Italy, where he stayed until his death in Venice in 1972.

Ezra Pound was born in 1885 and died in 1972.

Author Search For more about Ezra Pound, go to www.glencoe.com.

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LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW

EZRA POUND 653

Connecting to the Poems Have you ever experienced a moment in which an image, a sound, or an idea grabbed your attention and changed how you saw the world? This is what the speaker in each of the following poems experiences. Think about the following questions:

• Have you ever looked at something that you see every day as if for the first time? Explain.

• How can striking images change the way we think about mundane aspects of the world?

Building Background “In a Station of the Metro” and “A Pact” were originally published together in Poetry in 1916. Pound was impressed with the brief but evocative Japanese haiku form (see Literary Terms Handbook, p. R1). After experiencing the moment that inspired “In a Station of the Metro,” Pound composed a thirty-line poem. He destroyed this first attempt, calling it a work “of second intensity.” After two other tries, he created a short, haiku- like poem with a single powerful image.

Setting Purposes for Reading Big Idea New Poetics As you read, notice how Pound employs free verse and the rules of Imagism in his work.

Literary Element Imagery Imagery is the “word pictures” that writers create to make their subject more vivid or to evoke an emotional response in the reader. In creating effective images, writ- ers use sensory details, or descriptions that appeal to one or more of the five sense: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. As you read the poems, examine how Pound uses imagery to heighten the effect of his words.

• See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R9.

Reading Strategy Questioning Questioning is asking yourself regularly whether you’ve understood what you have read. In an Imagist poem such as “In a Station of the Metro,” it is impor- tant to use questioning to slow down your reading in order to fully understand the poet’s meaning.

Reading Tip: Taking Notes As you read “In a Station of the Metro” and “A Pact,” note in a double-entry jour- nal any questions that occur to you.

Vocabulary

apparition (aṕ ə rish� ən) n. a ghostlike or nearly invisible appearance; p. 654 Those who saw the shadowy apparition in the cemetery believed it was a ghost.

bough (bou) n. tree branch; p. 654 The baby bird clung to the bough as it waited for food.

detest (di test�) v. to greatly dislike or loathe; p. 654 I have detested television ever since my favorite show was canceled.

sap (sap) n. a watery source of nutrients that flows through a plant’s circulatory system; p. 654 I decided never to park under a tree again after finding my car covered in sap.

commerce (kom� ərs) n. exchange of ideas and opinions; p. 654 Through lively debate and com- merce, the two opposing political sides were able to reach an agreement.

Vocabulary Tip: Context Clues When you look at the words and sentences surrounding a new or unfamiliar word to define it, you are using context clues. Interactive Literary Elements

Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.

AnswersQuestions How does Pound feel about Walt Whitman?

In studying this selection, you will focus on the following:

• analyzing literary periods • monitoring comprehension with questioning • analyzing imagery

OBJECTIVES

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1 The Metro refers to the Paris subway.

New Poetics What does line 6 suggest about Pound’s understanding of Walt Whitman’s rela- tionship to modern poetry?

Big Idea

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apparition (aṕ ə rish ən) n. a ghostlike or nearly invis- ible appearance bough (bou) n. tree branch

Vocabulary

detest (di test) v. to greatly dislike or loathe sap (sap) n. a watery source of nutrients that flows through a plant’s circulatory system commerce (kom ərs) n. exchange of ideas and opinions

Vocabulary

I make a pact with you, Walt Whitman— I have detested you long enough. I come to you as a grown child Who has had a pig-headed father; 5 I am old enough now to make friends. It was you that broke the new wood, Now is a time for carving. We have one sap and one root— Let there be commerce between us.

The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.

Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound

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AFTER YOU READ

Respond 1. Which of these poems do you think reveals more

about the poet? Explain.

Recall and Interpret 2. (a)In the first line of “In a Station of the Metro,”

what word does the speaker use to describe how the faces look to him? (b)What might that word suggest about the faces?

3. (a)In the second line, to what image does the speaker compare the faces? (b)From this image, what can you infer about the speaker’s feelings?

4. (a)In “A Pact,” to whom is the poem addressed? In what way have the speaker’s feelings changed about that person? (b)What might be the reason?

5. (a)What is the extended metaphor used in the last four lines of “A Pact”? (b)What idea do you think the speaker expresses in these lines?

Analyze and Evaluate 6. Pound once wrote, “The image is the poet’s

pigment.” How is “In a Station of the Metro” like a painting? Explain.

7. (a)Briefly describe the most important differences in tone, form, and content of these two poems. (b)Which poem seems more compelling? Explain.

Connect 8. Big Idea New Poetics How do these poems

embody the values and stylistic goals of Modernism and Imagism?

RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Literary Element Imagery While most of the imagery in literature appeals to the sense of sight, imagery can appeal to all five senses. Sometimes the same image will involve more than a single sense. For example, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” (page 244) includes the following line: “And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple cur- tain.” In this line, Poe appeals to the senses of touch, hearing, and sight.

1. Which senses does Pound appeal to in “In a Station of the Metro”?

2. Identify one image from “A Pact” that appeals to the sense of sight.

Writing About Literature Compare and Contrast Tone Write a brief essay in which you compare and contrast the tones of “In a Station of the Metro” and “A Pact.” Consider how word choice and imagery work together to create a specific tone for each poem. You might want to organize your ideas in a Venn diagram before you begin.

Reading Strategy Questioning Questioning can help you determine an author’s pur- pose and the parts of a selection that are the most important. As you read a text, be sure to continually ask yourself whether you understand the ideas the author is trying to convey.

1. What do you think was Pound’s purpose for writing “A Pact”?

2. Write and answer two questions you might ask about the poem that could help you determine Pound’s purpose. Give evidence for your answers.

Vocabulary Practice Practice with Context Clues For each blank identify the appropriate vocabulary word.

1. Anger never solved anything; we need healthy dialogue and ____ to solve the problem.

2. I highly doubt that some ghostly ____ stole your homework.

3. The heavy storm caused the ____ of a tree to fall and crash into my windshield.

4. I have never enjoyed travel in an airplane; in fact, I have always ____ it.

Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to www.glencoe.com.

LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY

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BEFORE YOU READ

Author Search For more about Author Name, go to www.literature.glencoe.com.

MEET T. S. ELIOT

T. S. Eliot revolutionized poetry more than any other twentieth-century writer. His experiments in language and form and his introduction of the scenes and concerns of every- day life into poetry changed literary tastes and influenced future poets.

Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, into a distinguished family that provided him with the best education available. In 1906 he matriculated at Harvard, where he steeped himself in literature and published his first poems. At Harvard, he studied under Irving Babbitt, the New Humanist critic of Romanticism, who helped Eliot develop his taste for classicism in literature. Eliot then studied philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris, at Harvard, and at Oxford. He eventually settled in England.

The First Modernist Poet In his youth, Eliot was influenced by the French Symbolist poets. In England, Eliot met the Imagist poet Ezra Pound, another American expatriate. Pound had an even stronger influence on Eliot. He championed Eliot’s writing

and served as his editor. In 1915 Pound per- suaded Poetry magazine to publish “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Often called the first Modernist poem, “Prufrock” captures the emptiness and alienation many people experienced

while living in impersonal modern cities. The poem baffled and angered many

readers. They found its subject mat- ter “unpoetic,” its fragmented struc- ture off-putting, and its allusions, difficult to understand.

The outbreak of World War I prevented Eliot’s return to Harvard for his final doctoral

examinations. He remained in England, where he mar-

ried Vivien Haigh- Wood, taught school, and

worked for Lloyds Bank. He also continued to write poetry and literary essays. His best-known work, The Waste Land, was published in 1922; in it he expresses the disillusionment that many people felt after World War I and decries the inability to find meaning and purpose in life. The work brought him international acclaim, but not happiness. Eliot was facing great strain in his marriage and in his job.

“Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.”

—T. S. Eliot

Finding a Purpose Eventually, Eliot began a new, more satisfying career as a book editor and joined the Church of England. In Christianity he found a purpose in life, and in his poems, such as “The Hollow Men,” “Ash Wednesday,” and Four Quartets, he described the importance and diffi- culty of belief in a spiritually impoverished world.

In his later years, Eliot wrote several plays, attempting to adapt verse drama to the modern stage. Murder in the Cathedral (1935), about the martyrdom of Saint Thomas à Becket, was a great success in both England and the United States. He also wrote literary criticism. In recognition of his achievements, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. Eliot’s poetry has been praised for the power of its symbolism, its precise, often ironic language, and its mastery of form. At the time of his death in 1965, Eliot was considered by many to be the most important and influential poet and critic writing in the English language.

T. S. Eliot was born in 1888 and died in 1965.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

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Author Search For more about T. S. Eliot, go to www.glencoe.com.

Bettmann/CORBIS

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LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW

Connecting to the Poem In Eliot’s poem, the speaker asks himself, “Do I dare?” about several things. As you read, think about the fol- lowing questions:

• What makes the speaker afraid to dare? • Do you find the questions that the speaker asks

himself to be important or trivial? What would you choose to do if you were in the speaker’s situation?

Building Background When Eliot wrote “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” cities were growing at a rapid rate. In many countries, city dwellers outnumbered those inhabiting rural areas. Factories overran residential neighborhoods, and people crowded into huge tenement buildings. Factory owners amassed great wealth at the expense of workers who toiled under miserable conditions. In his poems, Eliot expressed the feelings of loneliness, alienation, and frustration that came with these changes.

Setting Purposes for Reading Big Idea New Poetics As you read, notice how Eliot deliberately rejects some of the conventions of traditional poetry.

Literary Element Allusion An allusion is an indirect reference to a character, a place, or a situation from history, art, music, or literature. For example, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” can be seen as an extended allusion to Dante’s Inferno. By quoting Dante in the epigraph, Eliot suggests that Prufrock’s journey with a companion through the streets of London to “the room” is similar to the journey that Dante and Virgil make through the underworld to the center of hell.

• See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R1.

Reading Strategy Connecting to Cultural Context

A piece of writing is more meaningful to you when you place it in its cultural context. Think about the society in which the writer lived, the technologies that surrounded the writer, and the historical forces that influenced the writer’s choice of subject matter, point of view, and tone. “Prufrock,” like much of Eliot’s work, is set in the cultural context of England’s upper-middle-class society in London before, during, and after World War I.

Vocabulary

insidious (in si�dē əs) adj. slyly dangerous; deceitful; p. 658 The insidious criminal gained the confidence of his victims.

presume (pri z¯¯¯oom�) v. to expect something without justification; to take for granted; p. 660; The employee presumed she would be promoted because her boss liked her.

digress (d�̄ �res�) v. to depart from the main subject; to ramble; p. 660 The history teacher liked to digress by telling the class amusing personal anecdotes.

malinger (mə lin���ər) v. to pretend incapacity or illness to avoid work; p. 660 In order to avoid the big math test, John decided to malinger and stayed home.

deferential (def´ə ren�shəl) adj. yielding to someone else’s opinions or wishes; p. 662 The devoted son was always deferential toward his father.

Vocabulary Tip: Antonyms Antonyms are words that have opposite or nearly opposite meanings. Antonyms are always the same part of speech.

Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.

T. S . ELIOT 657

In studying this selection, you will focus on the following:

• interpreting literary allusions • analyzing visual images

• understanding dramatic monologue • writing a character analysis

OBJECTIVES

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1. The epigraph is from Dante’s Inferno, Canto XXVII, in which a condemned spirit in hell confesses his sins. He says, “If I thought that I was speaking / to someone who would go back to the world, / this flame would shake no more. / But since nobody has ever / gone back alive from this place, if what I hear is true, / I answer you without fear of infamy.”

2. Etherised (etherized) (ē thə r ̄zd́ ) means “anesthetized with ether, as before an operation”; in other words, “made insensitive to pain.”

3. Tedious means “tiresome because of length” or “boring.”

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S’io credessi che mia resposta fosse a persona che mai tornasse al mondo, questa fiamma staria senza più scosse. Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo non tornò vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero, senza tema d’infamia ti respondo.1

Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherised2 upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, 5 The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: Streets that follow like a tedious3 argument Of insidious intent 10 To lead you to an overwhelming question . . . Oh, do not ask, ‘What is it?’ Let us go and make our visit.

T. S. Eliot

New Poetics How is this simile an example of Modernism in poetry?

Big Idea

insidious (in sidē əs) adj. slyly dangerous; deceitful

Vocabulary

Winter Night, 1928. Stefan Hirsch. Oil on panel, 221/2 x 193/4 in. Collection of the Newark Museum.

Collection of the Newark Museum. Anonymous gift, 1929. (cat. No. 55)/Art Resource, NY

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T. S. ELIOT 659

In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo.4

15 The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes, Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening, Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains, Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys, 20 Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap, And seeing that it was a soft October night, Curled once about the house, and fell asleep. And indeed there will be time For the yellow smoke that slides along the street 25 Rubbing its back upon the window-panes; There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; There will be time to murder and create, And time for all the works and days of hands 30 That lift and drop a question on your plate; Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a hundred indecisions, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of a toast and tea.

35 In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo.

And indeed there will be time To wonder, ‘Do I dare?’ and, ‘Do I dare?’ Time to turn back and descend the stair, 40 With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— (They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin!’) My morning coat,5 my collar mounting firmly to the chin, My necktie rich and modest, but asserted6 by a simple pin— (They will say: ‘But how his arms and legs are thin!’) 45 Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

For I have known them all already, known them all— 50 Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,

4. Michelangelo Buonarroti (m̄ ́kəl an jə lō bwo na ro tē) (1475– 1564) was a gifted Italian sculptor and painter.

5. A morning coat is a man’s jacket that slopes away from a front button at the waist to tails at the back. It was worn for formal daytime dress.

6. Here, asserted means “made more bold” or “enhanced.”

New Poetics How does Eliot disregard traditional poetic elements in these lines? What traditional element does he keep?

Big Idea

Connecting to Cultural Context What is the cultural dif- ference between this room and the streets through which Prufrock has traveled?

Reading Strategy

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I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; I know the voices dying with a dying fall Beneath the music from a farther room. So how should I presume?

55 And I have known the eyes already, known them all— The eyes that fix you in a formulated7 phrase, And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, Then how should I begin 60 To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways? And how should I presume? And I have known the arms already, known them all— Arms that are braceleted and white and bare (But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!)? 65 Is it perfume from a dress That makes me so digress? Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl. And should I then presume? And how should I begin? 70 Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows? . . . I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of silent seas. 75 And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully! Smoothed by long fingers, Asleep . . . tired . . . or it malingers, Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me. Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, 80 Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis? But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed, Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter8

I am no prophet9—and here’s no great matter; I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,

7. Formulated means “reduced to or expressed as a formula,” thereby losing individuality.

Allusion Although he claims not to be a prophet, Prufrock compares himself to John the Baptist. In what sense does Prufrock envision his head “brought in upon a platter”?

Literary Element

8. [head . . . platter] This biblical reference is to the beheading of the prophet John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1–11). King Herod was so pleased with the dancing of Salome, his stepdaughter, that he promised her anything she desired. Prompted by her mother, Salome asked for the head of John on a platter. Herod granted her request.

9. A prophet is a person who predicts the future or who speaks by divine inspiration.

presume (pri zō̄ōm) v. to expect something without justification; to take for granted digress (d̄ res) v. to depart from the main subject; to ramble malinger (mə linər) v. to pretend incapacity or illness to avoid work

Vocabulary

Connecting to Cultural Context What does this metaphor tell the reader about the society that Prufrock inhabits?

Reading Strategy

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85 And I have seen the eternal Footman10 hold my coat, and snicker,

And in short, I was afraid.

And would it have been worth it, after all, After the cups, the marmalade, the tea, Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me, 90 Would it have been worth while, To have bitten off the matter with a smile, To have squeezed the universe into a ball

To roll it towards some overwhelming question, To say: ‘I am Lazarus, come from the dead,11

95 Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all’— If one, settling a pillow by her head, Should say: ‘That is not what I meant at all. That is not it, at all.’ And would it have been worth it, after all, 100 Would it have been worth while,

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10. The eternal Footman is Death.

11 . [I am Lazarus . . . dead] This biblical reference is to John 11:1– 44 in which Jesus restores his friend Lazarus to life after he has been dead for four days.

Allusion How is Prufrock’s allusion to Lazarus ironic?Literary Element

Rainy Night, 1930. Charles Burchfield. Watercolor, 30 x 42 in. San Diego Museum of Art.

Connecting to Cultural Context How does this symbol characterize the cultural context of the poem?

Reading Strategy

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f A rt

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f A nn

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662 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets, After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail

along the floor— And this, and so much more?— It is impossible to say just what I mean!

105 But as if a magic lantern12 threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:

Would it have been worth while If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl, And turning toward the window, should say: ‘That is not it at all, 110 That is not what I meant, at all.’

No! I am not Prince Hamlet,13 nor was meant to be; Am an attendant lord, one that will do To swell a progress,14 start a scene or two, Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool, 115 Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic,15 cautious, and meticulous; Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;16

At times, indeed, almost ridiculous— Almost, at times, the Fool.

120 I grow old . . . I grow old . . . I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

125 I do not think that they will sing to me.

I have seen them riding seaward on the waves Combing the white hair of the waves blown back When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea 130 By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

Allusion What does this allusion tell the reader about how Prufrock sees himself?

Literary Element

New Poetics How is this line an example of the new poetics of Modernism?Big Idea

12. The magic lantern, a forerunner of the modern slide projector, was a device for projecting enlarged images.

13. Prince Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark, the tragic hero of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.

14. To swell a progress is to partici- pate in, and thereby increase (swell) the number of people in a royal procession or a play.

15. Politic (po lə tik) means “characterized by prudence or shrewdness in managing, dealing, or promoting a policy.”

16. High sentence is fancy, pompous speech full of advice, like that of the old counselor Polonius in Hamlet. Obtuse (əb t¯¯¯oos) means “slow in understanding” or “dull.”

deferential (def´ə renshəl) adj. yielding to someone else’s opinions or wishes

Vocabulary

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AFTER YOU READ

Respond 1. What image does the name J. Alfred Prufrock con-

jure up for you? How does Prufrock, as his charac- ter and personality are expressed throughout the poem, illustrate this image?

Recall and Interpret 2. (a)In lines 1–9, what do the images that Prufrock

uses to describe the evening and the places he will travel through evoke? (b)What do these descriptions suggest about his state of mind?

3. (a)What kinds of activities does Prufrock say he will have time for in lines 26–48? (b)What does he mean by “Do I dare/Disturb the universe”?

4. (a)How does Prufrock describe himself and his life in lines 49–74? (b)What does Prufrock’s description of his life suggest about his personal self-assessment?

Analyze and Evaluate 5. (a)What are being compared in the extended

metaphor in lines 15–22? (b)How does this metaphor contribute to the meaning of the poem?

6. (a)In lines 26–27, Prufrock says that there will be time “To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.” For what occasions does one “prepare a face”? Explain. (b)What is the difference between meeting a “face” and meeting a person?

7. (a)What, in your opinion, is Prufrock’s “overwhelming question” (lines 10 and 93)? (b)Why does Prufrock never ask the question?

8. (a)What does the allusion to mermaids (lines 124–130) suggest about Prufrock’s state of mind? (b)What is the function of the final line of the poem?

Connect 9. Big Idea New Poetics (a)How does this “love

song” differ from traditional love poetry? (b)How is the title of the poem ironic?

RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Study the painting Rainy Night below. The painter, Charles Burchfield (1893–1967), is known for his watercolors. This work was painted in 1930 and is

representative of the second phase of the artist’s career, when he painted scenes depicting the bleakness of city life.

1. What is your overall impression of the painting? Cite details in the painting that contribute to your impression.

2. Which images or lines from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” might you use to describe this painting? Explain.

T. S. ELIOT 663

VISUAL LITERACY: Fine Art

Rainy Night, 1930. Charles Burchfield. Watercolor, 30 x 42 in. San Diego Museum of Art.

San Diego Museum of Art. Gift of Anne R. and Amy Putnam.

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LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY

Literary Element Allusion When an author uses an allusion, he or she appeals to the reader to appreciate and enjoy a shared artistic experience. An allusion can add richness and depth to a work of literature through its association of ideas. For example, lines 92–93 contain an allusion to Andrew Marvell’s poem “To His Coy Mistress,” in which the speaker says, “Let us roll all our strength and all / Our sweetness into one ball, / And tear our pleasures with rough strife / Through the iron gates of life.” This allu- sion is ironic because Prufrock, after squeezing “the universe into a ball,” is unable to “roll it towards some overwhelming question.”

1. In the allusion to Shakespeare in lines 111–119, why does Prufrock claim he is not Prince Hamlet?

2. In the poem, Prufrock makes allusions to John the Baptist, Lazarus, and Hamlet. What do these char- acters have in common? How do they relate to Prufrock?

3. In your opinion, what is the overall effect of Eliot’s use of allusions in this poem?

Review: Dramatic Monologue As you learned on page 500, a dramatic monologue is an extended speech by a literary character to a silent listener. When that silent listener is the reader, the speech takes the form of an interior monologue, also known as stream of consciousness, a term first used by the psychologist William James to describe the spontaneous flow of a person’s random thoughts and feelings. Some readers have interpreted “Prufrock” as a stream-of-consciousness monologue in which Prufrock addresses his alter ego, or the opposite side of his personality.

Partner Activity Meet with a classmate and talk about the function of the dramatic monologue in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Address these ques- tions during your discussion:

1. Who is the “you” in line 1?

2. What is the relationship between the “you” in the poem and the “you” in the epigraph from Dante’s Inferno?

3. Does Prufrock maintain the same tone throughout the poem? Explain.

Reading Strategy Connecting to Cultural Context

You can use what you know about the cultural context of the poem to enhance its meaning. For example, the allusion “In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo” (lines 13–14, 35–36) refers to the great Italian Renaissance painter.

1. What sort of room do you imagine the women are in? Describe it.

2. What can you infer about these women?

3. Why do you think that the lines are repeated? What can you infer from this repetition about the nature of the women’s conversations?

Vocabulary Practice Practice with Antonyms Find the antonym for each vocabulary word from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” listed in the first column. Use a dictionary if you need help.

1. insidious a. candid b. honest

2. presume a. demur b. defer

3. digress a. stray b. focus

4. malinger a. persevere b. pretend

5. deferential a. rude b. arrogant

Academic Vocabulary

Here are two words from the vocabulary list on page R86. These words will help you think, write, and talk about the selection.

comment (ko� ment) v. to make an observation or criticism; to express an opinion

seek (sēk) v. to go in search of; to look for

Practice and Apply 1. Comment on how successful you think Eliot was

in finding new forms and new poetics to express his ideas in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.”

2. What does the speaker seem to seek through- out the poem? Does he find it?

664 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

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Writing About Literature Analyze Character Is Prufrock a tragic character—is the reader supposed to feel sorrow and pity about his situation? Or is he a comic character—is the reader sup- posed to laugh at him or think he is foolish? Write a brief essay in which you express and support your opin- ion. Begin by formulating a main idea in which you state that Prufrock is essentially tragic or comic—or a combi- nation of both. Then review the poem to find lines and images that support your position. Organize your thoughts in a graphic organizer, such as the one below.

Supporting Detail

Main Idea

Conclusion

Supporting Detail

Supporting Detail

Then write a draft, making sure to include all your sup- porting details. Make smooth transitions between your ideas.

After you complete your draft, meet with a peer reviewer. Evaluate each other’s work and suggest revi- sions. Then proofread and edit your draft for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Submit the final copy to your teacher.

Performing Put Yourself in Prufrock’s Shoes Choose a section (at least 15–20 lines) of “Prufrock” to perform. In planning your performance, you can create a costume or use props if you wish, but it is more important to choose a physical posture and vocal quality appropri- ate to the character. Plan your facial expressions, ges- tures, and movements. Also, practice speaking the lines aloud to determine the appropriate volume, into- nation, and timing—and to determine which words and phrases you should emphasize. Finally, perform your piece for the class.

Eliot’s Language and Style Using Infinitives An infinitive is a verb form that is usually preceded by the word to and is used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” Eliot uses infinitives to achieve emphasis through repetition and grammatical parallelism. Consider the following stanzas:

“And would it have been worth it, after all, After the cups, the marmalade, the tea, Among the porcelain, among some talk of you

and me, Would it have been worth while, To have bitten off the matter with a smile, To have squeezed the universe into a ball

To roll it towards some overwhelming question, To say: ‘I am Lazarus, come from the dead, Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all’— If one, settling a pillow by her head, Should say: ‘That is not what I meant at all. That is not it, at all.’ ”

Notice the grammatical parallelism in this stanza. All but one infinitive serve as appositives to “it.”

Activity Create a chart similar to the one above in which you list other infinitives in the poem, their parts of speech, and their functions.

Revising Check Using Infinitives With a partner, go through the character analysis essay you wrote earlier. Look for places where you could improve clarity by using infinitives. Revise your essay accordingly.

T. S. ELIOT 665

Part of Speech noun noun noun noun adverb

Infinitive

To have bitten To have squeezed To roll To say To tell

Function

appositive appositive appositive appositive modifies “come back”

WRITING AND EXTENDING GRAMMAR AND STYLE

Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to www.glencoe.com.

0656-0665 U5P1APP-845481.indd 665 4/7/06 10:45:48 PM

Lisa Larsen/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

BEFORE YOU READ

MEET WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS

William Carlos Williams led a double life as a doctor and an award-winning poet. Often he would write between seeing patients, sometimes even jotting down poems on prescription pads. Despite the fact that his atten- tion was divided, Williams managed to write some of the most memorable poems of the Imagist movement. In his poetry, he captured America’s colloquial speech and presented everyday events in powerful, compact lines.

“Eyes stand first in the poet’s equipment.”

—William Carlos Williams

Doctor and Poet Williams was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, and came from a diverse background: his mother was born in Puerto Rico, and his father was British. Williams began writing poetry in high school and soon settled on the goal of becoming both a doctor and a writer.

While attending the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Williams wrote many of the poems that would appear in his first book, Poems, published in 1909. At school he also met and befriended the poet Ezra Pound. Pound would become a great influence on the young Williams, even arranging for the publication of his second collection, The Tempers, in 1913.

After completing his internship in New York and further study in advanced pediatrics in Leipzig, Germany, Williams returned to Rutherford, where he began his medical practice and continued to write. In his next book, Al Que Quiere! (To Him Who Wants It!), published in 1917, Williams drew upon his Spanish and Puerto Rican heritage and

established himself as a major voice in modern poetry. However, Williams soon began to drift away from Pound and mainstream Imagism. He felt that Pound’s ideas were too rooted in the cultural values of Europe, and not those of the United States, which Williams so adored.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Williams published several books, including two collections of poetry, Kora in Hell and Spring and All; a book of essays, In the American Grain; and a novel, White Mule, which was the first in a trilogy telling the story of an American family. From 1946 through 1958, Williams worked on his masterpiece, Paterson. This epic poem, which spans five volumes, mythologizes the world of northern New Jersey. In 1963 Williams was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his collection Pictures from Brueghel and Other Poems.

Visionary and Legacy Believing that poetry should be grounded in everyday things and scenes, Williams was famous for saying, “No ideas but in things.” He explored the world around him, writ- ing of New Jersey’s gritty, industrial landscape and of his patients and neighbors, many of whom were impoverished immigrants struggling to succeed in the United States. Williams left an impressive leg- acy of work that had an enormous influence on the writers of the 1950s and 1960s and continues to be very important to poets today. Somehow, while accomplishing so much as a writer, he also man- aged to deliver more than two thousand babies.

William Carlos Williams was born in 1883 and died in 1963.

The Red Wheelbarrow and This Is Just to Say

666 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

Author Search For more about William Carlos Williams, go to www.glencoe.com.

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LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW

WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS 667

Connecting to the Poems How do the things we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste affect how we interact with the world? In Williams’s poems, the speaker expresses awe and delight with ordinary aspects of the physical world. Think about the following questions:

• Have you ever found beauty in an ordinary thing or sound?

• How does beauty reveal itself in everyday life? Building Background Imagism’s influence is obvious in “The Red Wheelbarrow” and “This Is Just to Say.” Of the experi- ence that inspired “The Red Wheelbarrow,” Williams wrote, “The sight impressed me somehow as about the most important, the most integral that it had ever been my pleasure to gaze upon.” About writing in this style, Williams wrote: “Cut and cut again whatever you write—while you leave by your art no trace of your cut- ting—and the final utterance will remain packed with what you have to say.”

Big Idea New Poetics As you read, notice how Williams’s spare style exempli- fies Imagism and evokes the American landscape.

Literary Element Form Form is the structure of a poem. Many contemporary writers use loosely structured poetic forms instead of following stricter, more traditional patterns. These poets vary the length of the lines and stanzas, relying on emphasis, rhythm, and the placement of words and phrases to convey meaning. As you read these poems, examine how Williams uses and breaks with traditional forms as a means of adding depth and complexity to his poems.

• See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R7.

Reading Strategy Recognizing Author’s Purpose

An author’s purpose is the author’s intent in writing a piece of literature. Authors typically write in order to persuade, inform, explain, entertain, or describe. While reading these poems, try to determine Williams’s pur- pose for writing them.

Reading Tip: Taking Notes Make a list of questions to ask yourself as you read “The Red Wheelbarrow” and “This Is Just to Say.” As you think about your answers, decide what the author’s purpose might be.

Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.

Answer I learned that simple things can leave a lasting impression.

Question

What did I learn that I didn’t already know?

Evidence The poem is about a simple red wheelbarrow sitting in the rain.

Vocabulary

depend (di pend�) v. to rely on; p. 668 In foot- ball, the whole team depends on the quarterback to get the ball to the end zone.

glazed (�lāzd) adj. covered with a smooth, glossy coating; p. 668 The cinnamon rolls were glazed with icing.

delicious (di lish� əs) adj. having a very pleas- ing taste; p. 669 I love all kinds of ice cream fla- vors but I find chocolate to be the most delicious.

Vocabulary Tip: Antonyms When two words have opposite or nearly opposite meanings, they are called antonyms. Note that antonyms are always the same part of speech.

In studying this selection, you will focus on the following:

• analyzing literary periods • analyzing form • recognizing an author’s purpose

OBJECTIVES

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668 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

Wheelbarrow, 1934. Morris Graves. Oil on canvas, 311/8 x 351/8 in. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC.

William Carlos Williams

so much depends upon

a red wheel barrow

5 glazed with rain water

beside the white chickens.

Form What effect does the break between the words wheel and barrow have?

Literary Element

depend (di pend�) v. to rely on glazed (�lāzd) adj. covered with a smooth, glossy coating

Vocabulary

S m

ith so

ni an

A m

er ic

an A

rt M

us eu

m ,

W as

hi ng

to n,

D C

/A rt

R es

ou rc

e, N

Y

0668-0669 U5P1SEL-845481.indd 668 1/9/07 9:52:12 PM

S11-231-01C-635423 Kent Agenda Thin Ultra/Condensed U5 T7

WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS 669

I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox

5 and which you were probably saving for breakfast

Forgive me 10 they were delicious so sweet and so cold

Recognizing Author’s Purpose What does line 9 suggest about the author’s purpose?

Reading Strategy

William Carlos Williams delicious (di lish əs) adj. having a very pleasing taste

Vocabulary

Plums and Pears. Paul Cezanne. Oil on canvas, 7¾ x 14 in. The Barnes Foundation Collection, Merion Station, PA.

T he

B ar

ne s

F ou

nd at

io n,

M er

io n

S ta

tio n,

P en

ns yl

va ni

a/ C

O R

B IS

0668-0669 U5P1SEL-845481.indd 669 4/8/06 12:33:46 PM

AFTER YOU READ

Respond 1. What feelings do the images, tones, and word

choice in these poems evoke?

Recall and Interpret 2. What do the first two lines of “The Red

Wheelbarrow” suggest about the speaker’s response to the scene?

3. (a)What does Williams describe in stanzas 3 and 4? (b)What do you think Williams is saying by intro- ducing these elements into his poem?

4. (a)In “This Is Just to Say,” what does the speaker admit to in the first two lines of the poem? (b)What does this admission suggest about the speaker’s relationship with the person being addressed?

5. (a)What does the speaker want from the person being addressed? (b)What is described in the final lines of the poem? Why do you think these things are described?

Analyze and Evaluate 6. (a)Williams carefully arranges his words, including

breaking up the words rainwater and wheelbarrow. How, in your opinion, does the breaking of these words across lines affect their meaning? (b)What do you think of this technique? Explain.

7. (a)What is the tone of “This Is Just to Say”? (b)Why is this tone appropriate?

Connect 8. Big Idea New Poetics How are these poems

innovative in their subject matter and style?

RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Literary Element Form No poem is ever entirely without form. Even free- verse poems contain some formal elements. Because poetic forms vary greatly from period to period, and from poet to poet, it can occasionally be difficult to identify the forms being used. For example, Williams’s poems appear, at first glance, to be written in free verse—lacking any formal structure. However, these poems have consistent stanza and line lengths, and though not technically metered, they have strong rhythmic qualities.

1. Briefly describe the forms used in “The Red Wheelbarrow” and “This Is Just to Say.”

2. Why do you think Williams used these forms?

Writing About Literature Compare and Contrast Form Write a brief essay in which you compare and contrast the form in “The Red Wheelbarrow” with that of another poem you have previously read. Make sure to include in your essay a discussion of how form affects the meaning in each poem.

Reading Strategy Recognizing Author’s Purpose

Writers of fiction or nonfiction generally have purposes that can be easily identified. This is not always true of poets. In Williams’s “This Is Just to Say,” the purpose at first seems to be to apologize to an unnamed lis- tener, but it goes beyond that.

1. What do you think is the author’s purpose in “The Red Wheelbarrow”? What evidence do you find for this purpose in the poem?

2. What do you think is the author’s purpose in “This Is Just to Say”? What evidence do you find for this purpose in the poem?

LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY

670 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to www.glencoe.com.

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Vocabulary Workshop

Exercise A. Use your understanding of the following compound words to match

each word with its definition. 1. elbow room 2. seaweed 3. grillwork 4. swaybacked 5. ill-used

a. underwater plant b. metal screen or grating c. mistreated d. adequate space e. having a sagging spine

B. Define the following compound words based on their word parts. Discuss your definitions with a partner. Then check your definitions. 1. ivory tower 2. dark horse

3. icebox 4. green revolution

Word Meanings

º Vocabulary Tip

A compound word is made of two separate words that each have a different meaning standing alone.

º Test-Taking Tip

If a compound word does not appear in a dictionary, it is most likely spelled open.

º Reading Handbook

For more about compound words, see Reading Handbook, p. R20.

eFlashcards For eFlashcards and other vocabulary activities, go to www.glencoe.com.

Defining Compound Words so much depends upon

a red wheel barrow

—William Carlos Williams, from “The Red Wheelbarrow”

Connecting to Literature Wheelbarrow is a compound word; that is, a word made up of two words that together have a meaning different from each word’s meaning. Compound words may be spelled open (magic lantern), closed (sawdust), or hyphenated (half-deserted). You can check a dictionary to find out whether a compound word is closed, open, or hyphenated. Notice that Williams turns wheelbarrow, which is normally closed, into an open compound word and puts barrow on a new line for poetic effect.

Examples The meanings of many compound words are obvious from the parts that make up the word. For example:

• What is sawdust? It is the dust created by sawing wood.

• What is a look-alike? It’s someone or something that looks just like someone or something else.

• What is a natural resource? It is a naturally occurring material that is useful to humans, such as mineral deposits, forests, or water.

The meanings of other compound words, however, may be less obvious. To learn the meaning of less familiar compound words, you should consult a dictionary.

671

OBJECTIVES

• Analyze compound words. • Use research tools such as

a dictionary.

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BEFORE YOU READ

Summer Rain and Fireworks

MEET AMY LOWELL

Amy Lowell was a brash, controversial, uncompromising woman, and one of the most important poets of the Imagist movement. Her promotion of Imagism in the United States, along with her irreverent person- ality, turned Lowell into one of the most well- known poets of her generation.

Amy Lowell was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. Her family was wealthy and socially prominent: Lowell was related to Fireside poet James Russell Lowell (see pages 200–201), her brother Abbott served as the president of Harvard University from 1909 to 1933, and her brother Percival was a famed astronomer. Lowell spent her first twenty-eight years like most women in her social set. She trav- eled, was educated in private schools in Boston, and considered prospects for marriage. However, in 1902, Lowell chose a new path and dedicated her life to poetry.

An Imagist Poet In 1913 Lowell read several poems by Imagist poet H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) in Poetry magazine. Lowell connected immediately to the Imagist style. She traveled to England that

same year, met Ezra Pound (page 652), and joined his Imagist cir- cle. The first anthology of Imagist poetry, Des Imagistes, edited by Pound, appeared the next year and included a poem by Lowell. Also in 1914, Lowell published her book Sword Blades and Poppy Seed.

Lowell also began to make friends with many literary figures, including Robert Frost

(page 704) and D. H. Lawrence. In 1915 she helped launch Frost’s career with a favorable review of his collection North of Boston in the New Republic.

Poetic Influence Lowell’s growing influence within the Imagist movement caused Pound to remove himself from it. He would later sarcastically refer to the group as “Amygism” after it had fully come under Lowell’s influence. Over the next sev- eral years, she edited three volumes of the annual anthology Some Imagist Poets. Before 1920 she pub- lished many more books of poetry and prose, including Can Grande’s Castle, Tendencies in Modern American Poetry, and Men, Women, and Ghosts.

“Why should one read Poetry? That seems to me a good deal like asking: Why should one eat?”

—Amy Lowell

Inspired by a lecture she gave about John Keats in 1921 and by a lifelong fascination with the English Romantic poet, Lowell published a biography of Keats. This, unfortunately, would be her last publi- cation during her life. In 1925 Lowell died of a cerebral hemorrhage. One volume of her poetry, What’s O’Clock, appeared after her death and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

Lowell is important not just for her literary contri- butions, but also for her promotion of the poetic innovation of Imagism. Fellow Modernist T. S. Eliot called her “the demon saleswoman of poetry.” Through her tenacity, her brilliant mind, and her poems, Lowell helped to define the texture of twentieth-century verse.

Author Search For more about Amy Lowell, go to www.glencoe.com.

672

Amy Lowell was born in 1874 and died in 1925.

Bettmann/CORBIS

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LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW

Connecting to the Poems Can you ever “see” your feelings? Do your feelings ever seem to have weight, shape, or color? In “Summer Rain” and “Fireworks,” Lowell describes emo- tions that are so powerful that they take on vibrant col- ors and swift action. As you read the poems, think about the following questions:

• How do your feelings about others change your reaction to your environment?

• What do you think hate looks like? What might love look like?

Building Background Both “Summer Rain” and “Fireworks” appeared in Lowell’s collection Pictures of the Floating World. This book contains nearly 200 Imagistic free-verse poems and is broken into multiple parts. The poems from the first section, “Lacquer Prints,” are based on a set of Japanese prints and very closely resemble haiku, a Japanese poetic form. The section from which “Summer Rain” and “Fireworks” are drawn is titled “Planes of Personality.” This section lyrically celebrates intense emotions such as love, hate, and longing.

Setting Purposes for Reading Big Idea Modern Poetry As you read, notice how Lowell uses imagery to con- vey emotions and ideas.

Literary Element Enjambment Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence across a line break without a punctuated pause between lines. A poet may choose to use enjambment for a number of reasons: to maintain a rhyme scheme or a rhythm, to increase readability, or to create exciting juxtapositions of language or ideas. As you read, pay attention to Lowell’s use of enjambment and how it affects the poems.

• See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R5.

Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.

AMY LOWELL 673

Reading Strategy Interpreting Imagery Imagery is the “word pictures” authors use to evoke an emotional response in the reader. Poets may use figures of speech, including metaphors, similes, and personification, to create images. Often it is possible to explicitly determine the meaning of imagery. Other times different readers will have different interpreta- tions of the same image.

Reading Tip: Taking Notes Use a chart like the one below to record your interpretations of Lowell’s imagery.

Interpretation The speaker is filled with intense emotion upon seeing this hated person.

Imagery p. 675 “It spits and sparkles in stars and balls, Buds into roses—and flares, and falls.”

Vocabulary

pepper (pe�pər) v. to shower with small objects; p. 675 The crowd was peppered with candy from the passing parade floats.

crimson (krim�zən) adj. a bright purplish red; p. 675 The girl’s crimson coat caught the eye of many people.

azure (ā�zhər) adj. a light purplish blue; p. 675 The azure sky was a beautiful sight.

mount (mount) v. to ascend or to soar; p. 675 As the rocket mounted, the crowd began to cheer.

Vocabulary Tip: Synonyms When two words have nearly the same meaning, they are called synonyms. Note that synonyms always have the same part of speech.

In studying this selection, you will focus on the following:

• analyzing literary periods • understanding enjambment

• interpreting imagery • expanding vocabulary

OBJECTIVES

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674 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

Enjambment Why do you think Lowell chose to use enjambment in lines 9–10?

Literary Element

Amy Lowell

A ll night our room was outer-walled with rain. Drops fell and flattened on the tin roof, And rang like little disks of metal. Ping!—Ping!—and there was not a pinpoint of silence between them. 5 The rain rattled and clashed, And the slats of the shutters danced and glittered. But to me the darkness was red-gold and crocus-coloured With your brightness, And the words you whispered to me 10 Sprang up and flamed—orange torches against the rain. Torches against the wall of cool, silver rain!

ak g-

im ag

es

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You hate me and I hate you, And we are so polite, we two!

But whenever I see you, I burst apart And scatter the sky with my blazing heart. 5 It spits and sparkles in stars and balls, Buds into roses—and flares, and falls.

Scarlet buttons, and pale green disks, Silver spirals and asterisks, Shoot and tremble in a mist 10 Peppered with mauve and amethyst.

I shine in the windows and light up the trees, And all because I hate you, if you please.

And when you meet me, you rend asunder1

And go up in a flaming wonder 15 Of saffron2 cubes, and crimson moons, And wheels all amaranths3 and maroons.

Golden lozenges and spades, Arrows of malachites4 and jades, Patens5 of copper, azure sheaves. 20 As you mount, you flash in the glossy leaves.

Such fireworks as we make, we two! Because you hate me and I hate you.

AMY LOWELL 675

Amy Lowell

Interpreting Imagery What do you think the imagery in these lines means?

Reading Strategy

pepper (pepər) v. to shower with small objects crimson (krimzən) adj. a bright purplish red azure (āzhər) adj. a light purplish blue mount (mount) v. to ascend or to soar

Vocabulary

1. Rend asunder means “to tear apart.” 2. Here, saffron refers to an orange-yellow color. 3. Here, amaranth refers to a reddish purple color. 4. Malachite is a deep green stone. 5. Patens are small metal plates.

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AFTER YOU READ

Respond 1. In your opinion, which poem expresses the

speaker’s emotion most effectively? Explain.

Recall and Interpret 2. (a)In “Summer Rain,” in what ways does the

speaker describe the sound of the rain? (b)What do these descriptions suggest about the speaker’s feelings for the rain?

3. (a)How does the speaker see “the darkness”? (b)What does this suggest about the speaker’s feel- ings for the person addressed?

4. (a)In the first couplet of “Fireworks,” besides hate, how does the speaker characterize the relationship described in the poem? (b)What does this descrip- tion suggest about the poem’s “fireworks”?

5. (a)What does the speaker claim to do in the win- dow and to the trees? (b)In your opinion, how does this image affect the following line?

Analyze and Evaluate 6. (a)How does the rhyme scheme in “Fireworks” dif-

fer from that in “Summer Rain”? (b)Which poem’s rhyme scheme do you prefer? Explain.

7. (a)In what way does the content of the couplets in “Fireworks” differ from that in the quatrains? (b)Is the variation in stanza length effective?

Connect 8. Big Idea New Poetics In your opinion, how are

the ideals of Modernism refl ected in these poems? How are the more classical ideas and techniques refl ected?

RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Literary Element Enjambment Enjambed lines contrast with end-stopped lines, in which both meaning and grammatical structure come to an end or a definitive pause. In both “Fireworks” and “Summer Rain,” enjambment serves to empha- size certain words or to expand their meanings by placing them in different contexts. This technique also serves to express the flow of the speaker’s thoughts and to establish rhythm.

Partner Activity Meet with a classmate to discuss the effect Lowell creates with each example of enjambment in “Fireworks.”

Writing About Literature Compare and Contrast Form In what ways are the structures of “Summer Rain” and “Fireworks” different? How are they the same? Write a brief essay in which you compare and contrast the forms and structures of these poems.

Reading Strategy Interpreting Imagery The imagery in a poem can contribute to its tone. Use the imagery chart you created on page 673 to determine the tone of each poem based on the imagery. How would you describe the tone of each of these poems? Support your opinion with examples from the poems.

Vocabulary Practice Practice with Synonyms Read the following sen- tences. Choose the best synonym for the underlined word. Use a dictionary if you need help.

1. Mark Twain’s literature was often peppered with regional dialect.

a. dotted b. fl ashed c. pestered

2. All that remained of the sunset was a splash of crimson fading into the horizon.

a. violet b. scarlet c. black

3. The morning sky was a beautiful azure color until the black storm clouds rolled in.

a. blue b. pastel c. dark

4. The movie ended when the cowboy mounted his horse and rode off into the sunset.

a. brushed b. galloped c. ascended

676 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY

Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to www.glencoe.com.

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Comparing Literature Across Time and Place

(t)V. Brockhaus/zefa/CORBIS, (tc)Royalty-Free/CORBIS, (bc)Images.com/CORBIS, (b)Images.com/CORBIS

Connecting to the Reading Selections How does one distinguish between what is ordinary and what is exhilarating? In asking such ques- tions, poets trace the development of their work from an initial feeling or idea to a condensed and captivating piece of writing. The four writers compared here—Archibald MacLeish, Rainer Maria Rilke, Mark Strand, and Ishmael Reed—explore their enthusiasms for both reading and writ- ing poetry in the following selections.

United States, 1920s

Czechoslovakia, 1929

United States, 1968

Archibald MacLeish

Ars Poetica ............................................................................ poem .................. 680 Defining poetry

Rainer Maria Rilke

from Letters to a Young Poet ....................................letter .................. 682 Looking within

Mark Strand

Eating Poetry ....................................................................... poem .................. 684 A hunger for words

Ishmael Reed

beware: do not read this poem ................................ poem .................. 686 Poetry—a warning

COMPARING THE Big Idea New Poetics During the twentieth century, the boundaries of subject matter, form, and style were extended. Poets from the United States and elsewhere—such as MacLeish, Rilke, Strand, and Reed—sought to capture individual experience by bending the traditional rules and conventions of poetic form.

COMPARING Imagist Poetry Modernist poets let content dictate form. In the early 1900s, the Imagists employed clear, con- crete language to convey precise images. In abandoning traditional language, the Imagists’ poetry and their principles are reflected in the poetry of the later twentieth century.

COMPARING Literary Trends Like other aspects of culture, literature has trends. However, sometimes a literary trend is not identified until years after it has passed. Distinct styles become apparent when one compares literary movements, such as local-color writing and Modernism.

COMPARING LITERATURE 677

United States, 1972

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Oscar White/CORBIS

BEFORE YOU READ

Ars Poetica

MEET ARCHIBALD MACLEISH

Archibald MacLeish was a poet with a pur-pose. He believed that, through love and awareness, U.S. citizens could achieve the goals of freedom and equality set down in the Declaration of Independence. MacLeish’s idealism is evident both in his poetry and in his public life.

“But what, then, is the business of poetry? Precisely to make sense of the chaos of our lives.”

—Archibald MacLeish

Creative Echoes Born in the late 1800s in Glencoe, Illinois, MacLeish was keenly aware of both the traditional world and the constantly evolv- ing cultural landscape of the early twentieth century. After attending Yale University, where he played football, MacLeish entered Harvard Law School at the age of twenty-three. Being at Harvard further enlivened his interest in, as MacLeish put it, “the vision of mental time, of the interminable journey of

the human mind, the great tradition of the intellectual past which knows the bearings of the future.” Within the next two years, he mar- ried singer Ada

Hitchcock and enlisted in the army. After World

War I, he became a suc- cessful lawyer, but he soon quit his job to move with his wife and

two small children to Paris. MacLeish pursued his writing there and published four poetry collections in five years. In 1928 MacLeish returned with his family to the United States, where he continued writing poetry. In 1933 he won his first Pulitzer Prize for Conquistador, an epic poem about the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish.

Public Interests Concerned about the nation’s social problems, MacLeish also wrote journalistic articles and supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal economic reforms and anti- Hitler stance. Critic David Luytens called MacLeish “the poet laureate of the New Deal.” In the 1940s, MacLeish served as director of a wartime office of propaganda, as assistant secretary of state, and as a librarian of Congress. He was also chairman of the U.S. delegation for the founding conference of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) in 1945. Through all these diplomatic commitments, MacLeish continued to write poetry as well as drama. His first play to be produced—Panic: A Play in Verse—was based on the biblical story of Cain but was set in the Great Depression. MacLeish, who was also on the editorial board of the business magazine Fortune, lamented the economic hardship and grow- ing despair brought on by the Depression.

In the 1950s, MacLeish won two more Pulitzer Prizes: one for poetry and one for drama. Between 1944 and 1954—during what has been called his “second renaissance” as a poet—he published more than eighty poems. MacLeish’s later works continued to explore both the poetic expression of the myster- ies and feelings of the poet’s inner world, and of the core meaning of U.S. citizenship as passed down through the founders of the nation. Critic Hayden Carruth said, “MacLeish wrote not as a personal cru- sader, never as a political crank or lonely visionary, but instead as the spokesman of the people.”

Archibald MacLeish was born in 1892 and died in 1982.

Author Search For more about Archibald MacLeish, go to www.glencoe.com.

678 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

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LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW

Connecting to the Poem How do you judge an experience or a piece of art? Are there clear criteria that help you form an evaluation, or do more subjective factors inform your response, tran- scending mere positive or negative impressions? In “Ars Poetica,” MacLeish expresses what he believes a poem should be. As you read this poem, think about the following questions:

• How do you judge a poem? • What qualities should a good poem have? Building Background Ars poetica, a Latin phrase meaning “the art of poetry,” is the title of a work written around 13 B.C. by the Roman poet Horace. In this text, Horace laid down his own rules for writing poetry. In 1926 MacLeish pub- lished his poem “Ars Poetica” in a collection titled Streets in the Moon. When he wrote it, MacLeish was living in Paris and was part of a circle of innovative writers—among them Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and E. E. Cummings—who were working to perfect their own creative skills.

Setting Purposes for Reading Big Idea New Poetics Although the concept for this poem has deep historical roots, MacLeish’s style is innovative and modern. As you read, note how the unique pattern of lines and creative, startling imagery add to his purpose.

Literary Element Theme A theme is a central idea presented in a literary work. In some works the theme is stated directly, but in most works the theme is implied and revealed gradually. A lit- erary work may have more than one theme. As you read “Ars Poetica,” look for events, dialogue, and description that help develop the theme of the poem.

• See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R18.

Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.

Reading Strategy Analyzing Style Combining knowledge about the separate parts of something to form an overall judgment of it is analyzing. Writers’ style includes the expressive qualities that distinguish their work, such as word choice, the length and arrangement of sentences, and the use of figurative language and imagery. As you read “Ars Poetica,” analyze MacLeish’s style. Consider why he chose to break the lines the way he did and how the imagery and word choice contribute to the overall effect of the poem.

Reading Tip: Taking Notes Record the effects of MacLeish’s style in a chart like the one below.

Overall Effect

Helps emphasize certain words

Author’s Style

Irregular line length

Vocabulary

palpable (pal�pə bəl) adj. tangible; able to be touched or felt; p. 680 The tension was palpable in the team’s locker room before the big game.

mute (mūt) adj. silent; p. 680 James hit the mute button on the television and decided to focus on his homework.

entangled (en tan��əld) adj. twisted together; caught p. 680 The fish was entangled in the fisherman’s net.

Vocabulary Tip: Analogies An analogy is a type of comparison that is based on the relationships between things or ideas. To solve an analogy ques- tion, identify the relationship in the first pair of words. These five types of relationships are a good place to start:

• Association or Usage • Part/Whole • Example/Class • Synonym or Antonym • Object/Characteristic

ARCHIBALD MACLEISH 679

In studying this selection, you will focus on the following:

• relating literature to historical periods • analyzing theme • analyzing style

OBJECTIVES

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S11-119-01C-635423 Bellevue Chris

A poem should be palpable and mute As a globed fruit

Dumb1

As old medallions to the thumb

5 Silent as the sleeve-worn stone Of casement2 ledges where the moss has grown—

A poem should be wordless As the flight of birds

A poem should be motionless in time 10 As the moon climbs

Leaving, as the moon releases Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves, Memory by memory the mind—

15 A poem should be motionless in time As the moon climbs

A poem should be equal to: Not true

For all the history of grief 20 An empty doorway and a maple leaf

For love The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea—

A poem should not mean But be

Archibald MacLeish

1. Dumb: here, unable to speak.

Theme How does MacLeish develop the idea that a poem can be “wordless”?

Literary Element

palpable (palpə bəl) adj. tangible; able to be touched or felt mute (mūt) adj. silent entangled (en tanəld) adj. twisted together; caught

Vocabulary

680 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

2. casement: a window that opens on hinges.

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AFTER YOU READ

Literary Element Theme The themes of a literary work are different from its topics. In MacLeish’s poem, the topic is poetry itself, but the theme is a statement about poetry that sug- gests its relation to life in general.

1. What themes do you find in the poem?

2. Are the themes stated directly or implied? Explain.

Writing About Literature Analyze Genre Elements Where do you draw the line between poetry and prose? Many writers of the modern era wrote works that blur the traditional distinctions between the two. Although MacLeish’s poem is written in rhymed couplets, the lines in the poem are of irregular length and meter. How do you think MacLeish decided where to break the lines? Write a brief essay in which you analyze the features that make this selection poetry rather than prose. Be sure to show how these features contribute to the author’s purpose.

Respond 1. Which image in the poem could you see, feel, or

hear most vividly in your imagination? Why?

Recall and Interpret 2. (a)What five adjectives in lines 1–8 describe what

a poem should be? (b)What is ironic about the use of these words to describe a poem?

3. (a)To what does the speaker compare poetry in lines 9–16? (b)What does this image suggest about the function of poetry?

4. (a)How does the speaker suggest that grief and love should be represented in poetry? (b)What can you infer from this suggestion about the way poems should express emotions?

Analyze and Evaluate 5. In your opinion, how effective are the images in

this poem in appealing to the senses? Explain.

6. How does the repetition in lines 9–10 and lines 15–16 contribute to the poem?

7. In your opinion, do lines 20 and 22 adequately cap- ture the emotions of grief and love? Why or why not?

8. A simile is a figure of speech in which things are compared through the use of words such as like or as. How do the similes in “Ars Poetica” contribute to the effectiveness of the poem?

Connect 9. Big Idea New Poetics MacLeish was a believer

in both tradition and innovation. What traits of Modernism do you see in “Ars Poetica”?

RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Reading Strategy Analyzing Style Style is made up of the expressive qualities that dis- tinguish an author’s work. It can reveal an author’s personality as well as his or her purpose in writing.

Group Activity Meet with a group of classmates to discuss how each of the following elements contributes to MacLeish’s poem as a whole.

• figurative language • sentence length • diction and structure

Vocabulary Practice Practice with Analogies Choose the pair of words below that best completes each analogy.

1. palpable : real :: a. durable : strong b. malleable : heat 2. mute : noisy :: a. smart : curiously b. slowly : quickly

LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY

ARCHIBALD MACLEISH 681

Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to www.glencoe.com.

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You ask whether your poems are good. You send them to publishers; you compare them with other poems; you are disturbed when certain publishers reject your attempts. Well now, since you have given me permission to advise you, I suggest that you give all that up. You are looking outward and, above all else, that you must not do now. No one can advise and help you, no one.

There is only one way: Go within. Search for the cause, find the impetus1 that bids you write. Put it to this test: Does it stretch out its roots in

the deepest place of your heart? Can you avow2 that you would die if you were forbidden to write? Above all, in the most silent hour of your night, ask yourself this: Must I write? Dig deep into yourself for a true answer. And if it should ring its assent, if you can confidently meet this serious question with a simple, “I must,” then build your life upon it. It has become your neces- sity. Your life, in even the most mundane and least significant hour, must become a sign, a tes- timony to this urge.

682 UNIT 5 BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN AGE

Rainer Maria Rilke

1. An impetus is a something that encourages or stimulates activity.

Building Background Rainer Maria Rilke was born in 1875 in Prague, which was then part of Austria-Hungary and is now the capital of the Czech Republic. He spoke and usually wrote in German. In 1902 Rilke went to Paris to write a book about Auguste Rodin, the great French sculptor. Rodin quickly became Rilke’s friend and mentor, sharing with the young poet a creative methodology based on an ethic of hard work and dedication to minute detail. Rodin’s theories about the creative process ran counter to the popular idea that art is an inspiration that comes from a muse, or an outside force or spirit long depicted in female form.

The following selection is from a collection of letters

Rilke wrote to Franz Xaver Kappus, an aspiring poet. The letters were written during a five-year period that started in 1903, when Rilke was in Paris. In these letters, Rilke passed on to Kappus the bravado and confidence that he had learned from Rodin. Rilke said, “Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other.” Rilke died in Switzerland in 1926, but his letters and poetry continue to influence many writers here and abroad.

Rainer Maria Rilke was born in 1875 and died in 1926.

Author Search For more about Rainer Maria Rilke, go to www.glencoe.com.

BEFORE YOU READ

2. To avow is to declare openly.

The Heart Called “Rancho Pastel”, Jim Dine. Private collection.

Christie’s Images/CORBIS

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In this letter, Rilke insists that the individual finds the most powerful means of expression by looking inward. He also says that a writer must write in order to express himself or herself, just as one must breathe in order to live. In what ways does Rilke’s advice to the young poet apply to other aspirations people have in life?

Discussion Starter

Then draw near to nature. Pretend you are the very first man and then write what you see and experience, what you love and lose. Do not write love poems, at least at first; they present the greatest challenge. It requires great, fully ripened power to produce something personal, something unique, when there are so many good and some- times even brilliant renditions3 in great numbers. Beware of general themes. Cling to those that your everyday life offers you. Write about your sorrows, your wishes, your passing thoughts, your belief in anything beautiful. Describe all that with fervent,4 quiet, and humble sincerity. In order to express yourself, use things in your sur- roundings, the scenes of your dreams, and the subjects of your memory.

If your everyday life appears to be unworthy subject matter, do not complain to life. Complain to yourself. Lament that you are not poet enough to call up its wealth. For the creative artist there is no poverty—nothing is insignificant or unim- portant. Even if you were in a prison whose walls would shut out from your senses the sounds of the outer world, would you not then still have your childhood, this precious wealth, this trea- sure house of memories? Direct your attention to that. Attempt to resurrect these sunken sensa- tions of a distant past. You will gain assuredness. Your aloneness will expand and will become your home, greeting you like the quiet dawn. Outer tumult will pass it by from afar.

If, as a result of this turning inward, of this sinking into your own world, poetry should emerge, you will not think to ask someone whether it is good poetry. And you will not try to interest publishers of magazines in these works. For you will hear in them your own voice; you will see in them a piece of your life, a natu- ral possession of yours. A piece of art is good if it is born of necessity. This, its source, is its crite- rion; there is no other.