Love is not always a Happy Ending

One Perfect Rose 

Brown desert turns to a passion garden 

   Volumes of petals lays on the wide ground 

Blossoming buds growing to the love is done 

One Perfect Rose, Rose for the lover 

   Stem long as the string connecting both hearts 

Deep shade of red stands for love

A Rose for the next heart in line 

A sole Rose blindly, 

the message stands 

even if picked differently

  Scarlet Rose lands on the hands of your lover

As the red bolds,

the love is restored at each glance

  Love finds no bounds, 

but the Rose grows thorns without notice

A red rose has a deep and emotional symbolism as it represents love and passion between two lovers. Love is a great emotion for somebody that when a red rose is given as a gift they would think about the romantic relationship between each person. In “One Perfect Rose” by N. Catalan, she grew inspiration from the traditional meaning of a rose as well as Edmund Waller’s poem “Song” which included the rose to be the main figure of the poem. However, N. Catalan, does not conclude with the happy ending that a rose could define, but rather with a dark conclusion that could also come from love.  

In the 15-line poem, N. Catalan presents an inconsistent rhyming scheme that does not also follow through to the last poem, but there could have been a purposeful point. Looking at the first stanza, having line 1 with “garden” and line 3 with “done” rhyme, it brings significance to the lines as roses could be grown in gardens in bunches as well as compare it to the amounts of love that was already found in the world that might’ve come from gifting a rose. Another example of the inconsistent rhyme scheme through the poem, the end rhyme of both lines with “blindly” and “differently” as if choosing a rose blindly with the potential of it blossoming to a romantic feeling. 

There are many significant aspects within this poem that influence the theme of a narrative that love has been pure and ongoing in the beginning but sometimes realities ruin the romantic scene between people. With the first stanza, the lines include, “Brown desert turns to a passion garden / Volumes of petals alay on the wide ground / Blossoming buds growing to the love is done” (Line 1-3), as you can hear a certain meter of beat that could be translated being a  iambic pentameter. This is the only stanza that includes the 10 syllables that flow to a rhythm. The perfect rhythm happening in the stanza reflects on the idea of the happiness and goodness that love prevails. 

This poem provides the traditional symbolism of the rose as it continues to reflect love and passion, but there is a “turn” in the poem that could be found in the concluding lines as it follows, “Love finds no bounds, but Rose grew thorns” (Line 14-15), as through the poem the rose was always something a romantic gift, but thorns are not something that relates to the feeling of loving. There was a narrative in the poems as the rose started out in a garden of roses and will be used as the gift of love, but in the end, it would be turn sour quickly.

Naraint Catalan Rios

No Voice of The Working Class

McKay’s poem “The Tired Worker” describes the difficulties of the working class of the harsh  treatment and long hours of work, and the only thing that powers through the terrible conditions  is the waiting for nightfall to come. However, as “The Tired Worker” demonstrates the difficulty of working class, but comparing the poem to McKay’s other work “Outcast” that show the sense of unworthiness and hopelessness, but through analyzing the work, the main idea does not really transition to the working class depicted in “The Tired Worker.”

 McKay utilizes the sonnet form of the 14 lines with ending the Volta of the poem that depicts the people’s treatment of work within the city that allows them to be abused shown through the blood in their vein, brain and life of the speaker. With also the use of the rhyme scheme, McKay emphasizes the importance of night for the working class as it is their time to be freed through the difficult work and long hours where night allows them to be at peace. By looking at the end rhyme which could pick out a few significant words, from “moon” symbolizing the night after a stressful work to which is the one thing they look forward to. The speaker continues to explain, “the night is mine / Come, tender sleep, and fold me to my breast” (Line 9-10), as the speaker  describes the importance of night and the should be close to their chest. 

On the other side, taking a close look and analyzing McKay’s poem “Outcast” proceeds with having the sense of unworthiness and hopelessness, but it does not demonstrate the voice of the working class from the other poem. McKay continues to use the sonnet form, but the end rhyme is not significant compared to the other poem. Through simple aspects, you can pull out different ideas that could relate to the other poem. The speaker begins, “For the dim regions whence my fathers came” (Line 1), to which describing the “dim regions” that could be shown as the late hours of work as the speaker’s father comes back home. The poem continues, “I would go back to darkness and to peace” (Line 5), as the connotation of darkness would define it as the dark of night which finally allows the speaker peace. However, the poem does not represent the working class through working struggles and economics, but McKay presents a more racial idea of the community. The speaker mentions, “For I was born, far from may native clime, / Under the white man’s menace, out of time” (line 13-14), as it includes the “white man’s menace” as the idea of the racial impact of being disregard and them being the burden to the rest. 

Naraint Catalan Rios

Tate’s Recitation Touches Up Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s sonnet “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” unfolds a male narrator describing the woman he loves, but while he is very interested in the female, he realizes that she is far from perfect as he does not dare compare to the beautiful things that could be seen in this world. With this poem, Shakespeare explores the use of the sonnet to display his thoughts of the woman he loves as he describes the woman’s body to different aspects of beauty but no matter if she does not reach the standard of beauty. However, Shakespeare twisted the idea of the sonnet as it was expected that the theme of using a sonnet is allowing a male speaker displaying their love to a female close to them, but in the sonnet, the male narrator express his interest in a different way that disregards the woman but he does not care as he had deep feelings. 

Looking into the poem, the male speaker begins, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” (Line 1), as they describe their female love interest and not being capable of comparing her beauty to the shining sun. The sun is the center of our world to which is something cherished that sheds light to everyone, but the female is not worthy of the brightness she could display. The disregarding of the woman he loves does not stop there as the speaker continues, “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know / That music hath a far more pleasing sound” (Line 9-10), as the speaker describes finding the pleasure in hearing the woman they have feelings for while acknowledging there are more beautiful sounds to listen to, but they stand behind their feelings.

Catherine Tate’s recitation of the sonnet demonstrates a different tone towards the poem Shakespeare expected as Catherine in the setting of a student annoying the new English teacher trying to teach about Shakespeare recites the Sonnet 130. As she continues, she recites the poem in an angry loud tone to her voice which enhances the meaning of the poem as the speaker of the poem who stands forth of what the poem is describing no matter if the love interest is not perfect or their beauty is not shown. The speaker does not care of the imperfectness but still accepts their love for them. 

Naraint Catalan Rios

Losing The Burning Spirit

With Antonio Lopez’s poem Triptych of the Adobe-Cotta Army, it drives deep into the theme of gentrification as it details the processed rebuilding and remodeling of a poor neighborhood with its community endanger of the outcome that may come, but through personification, symbolism, and imagery, Lopez illustrates the battle the locals have risen up fight against but not lasting for long. Lopez incorporates an exclusive style of the poem as through the title of “Triptych,” it is defined as a three part piece as by looking at the poem, it is separated into three parts which presents a new direction and tool of poetry. 

By looking at the first part of the poem. Lopez begins, “My fingers desperate / to unearth the ruins / of my countrymen” as he personifies the desperation of discovering within the ruins of their home that included the local people who lived by that area. Gentrification is a very distinguishable change to a community as it wipes away the culture and “visual” negative aspects of an area that make it true to the people who have lived their whole lives, but the change is what takes them away from the reality of their home to impress higher class people. Lopez having lived in East Palo Alto has probably witnessed such striving of gentrification as he mentions, Tesla / on the second floor of our apartment / — now a parking garage” as the Tesla company being a big contributor the the gentrification of certain areas by taking home space of families and locals. Explains who is causing this issue that is affecting many locals as if they can not fight against the big companies of Tesla and Amazon as they take over their area without much of a say to those who respect the city. 

Through the second part of the poem, Lopez opens the relationship between the saviors and the locals of such areas when clashing. Lopez describes, “hooded saints / tore the covenant / of earthly silence” where Lopez identifies the villains who are masked as those “saints” that will help the neighbor their their plans, but they destroy the city as breaking the universal agreement of not letting the changes affect the families and locals who have submerge their roots into the city. It’s as if they are to “preach” to the community as they try justifying their actions and decisions for the best of the city and people, but many people who do not think the same. As those people who are greatly affected are those protecting the poverty line of the city, Lopez describes “pressed / against my lips / a cholo’s chalice” where he forced to hear and understand the struggles of those front he tough areas of the city. Up for the fight, Lopez states, A fist tucked / inside a hoodie” where it demonstrates the hidden anger and frustrations the people must feel as their homes are taken away and their city changes that gentrification brings without their knowing but wanting to risk everything to take back their city. 

WIth the final part of the poem, Lopez portrays the heroes who risk everything to protect their home and community as they become soldiers in this endless battle of gentrification. Lopez mentions, “Consider the clothesline as a bandolier / sling over the ruined soldiers, / whose uniformes still cling / onto apartment balconies” as he makes the comparison of the clothesline to their bandolier that holds the ammunition over their shoulders as they are to dress to go to war against the gentrification. Lopez symbolizes the locals who wanted to fight against the battle as the soldiers, but they have let their burning spirit of taking back their city die as they give up the fight and hang up their uniforms. 

Lopez explores a different direction of poetry to better develop his main idea of the battle of gentrification because through the personification, symbolism and imagery, he demonstrates the to challenge the politics of gentrification as they are to being against the big corporations and locals losing their courage of speak back towards the gentrification.

Naraint Catalan Rios

In the end, it all becomes dried petals.

Comparing H.D’s “Sea Rose” and Adrianna Puente’s “The Rose and The Poppy,” both describe a flower more specifically a rose, but oppose a different perspective to the classic symbol of a rose. The traditional symbol of a red rose illustrates romance between people, strong emotions of passion, and when given a rose you have to cherish it to its last petal. However, Puente’s poem challenges the symbol of passion should not only bestow onto an average red rose as there are many other red flowers that could bring such comfort, but in the end, all the flowers and their significance end up in the same place of dried petals

Puenta begins with the speaker describing what they don’t represent, “I am / not a ravishing ruby red” (Line 1-2), as the speaker explains how they are not as dashingly compared to a rudy red flower. As it continues, the speaker admits, “Not the flower you give to a lover” (Line 4), where it relates back to the classic performance of a red rose to show love  and romance, but the speaker mentions how they are far from the act of a red rose. However, a red rose is not the only red flower that has deep importance as the poppy flower also resembles a red color. With the second stanza, Puenta opens, “I am / wild in fields of green and blues” (Line 11-12), which shows the speaker being a red flower in the roaming in the wild like a poppy flower outshining their surroundings of mixed color flowers. The poppy flower mentions, “Rarely chosen for / eager hands on Valentine’s day” (Line 17-18), as red poppy flower that has been defeated by the specialty of a red rose as it can not compare to the symbolism of a rose on their special day like Valentine’s Day that enhances the attraction and romance. As Puenta argues how the poppy flower is better than the traditional rose, she concludes, “we each wilt between dried petals… Rotting into umber” (Line 21, 23), as no matter how special a rose is compared to any other flower, all the flowers end up dried and breaking, losing its meaning of romance and nothing more than dried petals as time goes on.

Naraint Catalan Rios

Jarring Recitation

Luis Alberto Ambroggio’s poem “We are All Whitman: #2 Song of/to/My/Your/Self”embodies similarity of the rhythmic enumeration to Walt Whitman’s poem “I Sing the Body Electric” through the aspects of recitation of poem, punctuation and the grammatical structure. Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric,” has an enumeration of body parts which causes a very cacophonous sound when the reader is reciting the poem. It all involves the emphasis when reading the high use of repetition, punctuation, and the listing of body words that allows the poem to continue with a very harsh flow. 

Ambroggio’s poem follows this Whitman style of poetry as it also involves similar aspects that could be pinned back to Whitman’s poem. Whitman uses the the long list of body parts to signify the founding over the human body through, “O I say these are not the parts and poems of the body only, but of the soul, / O I say now these are the soul” (267), as he concluded to list off the the different parts of the body. While in Ambroggio’s poem, he explains the nature of an individual by looking back towards their roots from their skin color, religion, etc as they all come from somewhere. 

While closely looking Ambroggio’s poem, the sound the poem flows through while even having the listing of features. Whitman gave this very cacophonous sound as it involved harsh wording that Whitman purposely placed to be properly pronounced and articulated to support this main idea. However, Ambroggio’s poem had more of a graceful euphonious sound while also incorporating the enumeration. When both poems involve listing off words, the poem designs it to be recited in a particular way such as in Whitman’s case, the reader is needed to rapid fire the list of body parts that as the reader is reading the poem it intensifies them without much of caesura or end stop punctuation. Ambroggio follows the similar structure when further describing the individual’s identity through a list as without much a stop for a breather makes the reader recite the poem quickly. With both similar parts of the enumeration, they change the rhythm of the poem while having the reader recite it quickly as they do not have an intended meter, rhyme scheme, and punctuation that makes the reader pause and reflect on the text.

Naraint Catalan Rios

Rhythm and Meter

Beauty is beyond masking our natural features with cosmetics and dressing to impress. With Ben Jonson’s “Still to be Neat” and Robert Herrick’s “Delight in Disorder,” both poems describe the nature of beauty and art, but Jonson’s poem more effectively expresses the beauty of the natural appearance of women. Jonson’s poem is shown to be iambic prosody as the rhythm and meter helps support his idea within this poem. 

The poem begins, Jonson details, “Still to be neat, still to be dressed” (Line 1), where he explains the nature of a woman to be represented in a certain pleasing and clean manner. As you read the line, you can feel the distinguishing of each unstressed and stressed syllable for the emphasis of “neat” and “dressed.” He is driving the focus on the words to begin his idea of the nature of art to be natural and real. He continues, “Still to be powdered, still perfumed” (Line 3), as both the powder and perfume are used as masking the natural appearance and smell that further separates the real beauty of women.  Jonson continues to use rhythm to underline “powdered” which is broken into three syllable words that creates an anapest foot that breaks off the iambic tetrameter that begins in the poem. Later addresses a woman as “Lady” as demonstrating they have to present themselves as respectable ladies and it is something to be assumed of them. While explaining the natural standard of a woman, he proclaims, “Give me a look, give me a face, / That makes simplicity a grace” (Line 7-8), as he supports the idea that being natural and true to themselves is beautiful as well no matter how simple it may seem. As it starts a new stanza in the poem, Jonson keeps on the iambic tetrameter, however, uses the word “simplicity” that is broken into 4 syllables which breaks the iambic tetrameter with two unstressed and two stressed feet. His use of simplicity supports the importance of simple beauty and art. 

As well as in Herrick’s poem “Delight in Disorder” being in iambic tetrameter through the poem, Herrick does not further advance the use of the rhythm to give a strong presence and support his idea within the poem. Both poems have similar ideas of the nature of beauty, but Jonson further explores the use of breaks in the iambic tetrameter that emphasizes and supports his idea of beauty.  

Naraint Catalan Rios