Had to post a picture of Matt in his new glasses. He was not very keen on getting them, but is so excited now by what he can actually see. I am sure he thought it was normal for things to be blurry.I am struggling through this poetry. The title of the textbook says it all, "SEVEN CENTURIES of Poetry in English".
Does anyone know what this poem is about??
The Sea Anemones Gwen Harwood
Grey mountains, sea and sky. Even the misty
sea wind is grey. I walk on lichened rock
in a kind of late assessment, call it peace.
Then the anemones, scarlet, gouts of blood.
There is a word I need, and earth was speaking.
I cannot hear. These seaflowers are too bright.
Kneeling on rock, I touch them through cold water.
My fingers meet some hungering gentleness.
A newborn child's lips moved so at my breast.
I woke, once, with my palm across your mouth.
The word is: ever. Why add salt to salt?
Blood drop by drop among the rocks they shine.
Anemos, wind. The spirit, where it will.
Not flowers, no, animals that must eat or die.
4 comments:
OK Jo... first of all... I feel for you. In 102 you can succesfully avoid doing the poetry section if you are cunning enough (and study up on the other sections for the exam)... but in 101 there is a poetry question that you can't avoid.
From memory (and it's 2 years ago) the tut at the res school we did this poem... and the red colour etc the general consensus was the hurt of the loss of a child which stood out from the rest of the 'world' surrounding it. There was no real agreement on whether it was an accidental or intentional death, though... the hand across the mouth thing was a big part of the discussion.
There was a whole lot about colour... will look to see if I have some notes on the computer and email them to you.
I feel for you, I do... Harwood in 101 is difficult. Harwood in 102 (Suburban Sonnets etc) is much easier!
Jen :)
PS. I spent my life when studying the poetry part going "what is this about?"! From memory you can pretty much stick to sonnets if you want to, and you'd be okay in the exam (I found them the easiest to study)...
Just found some notes. Suburban Sonnet was in 101 too! Will email what I've got... not much, just exam prep. I think I gave up on trying to do weekly topic notes early on. I've got other exam prep notes and assignment prep notes if you want them (although I only got a pass on that assignment - it was my first essay ever for uni, and stupidly I let my mum proof read it and make suggestions... never again!)...
Jen :)
Thanks Jen, very insightful. Would love to see any notes you have. Ever the optimist, I did not see death as such, I saw breastfeeding issues LOL!! (animals that must eat or die...) and maybe in the middle of the night she tried to shush the baby by putting her hand over it's mouth in a sleep deprived state.
Hopefully it will all become clear at Res school. I need all the help I can get!!
Good luck Jo - you are a braver women than I! I did not even consider English at Uni. Your son look very cute in his new glasses.
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