English 3R - American Literature

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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Extra Credit - Poetry Pairings

Do you like winter? Consider connecting this poem by Billy Collins and article from the NY Times. Click the link here and enjoy.

2 comments:

  1. The poem and the article talks about how some people risk their lives to fulfill a goal. In the poem there is a person who decides to risk his life rather than do what everyone else is doing, he risk his life maybe because he wants to feel freedom. The article shows how this group of adventurers go to seek out new adventures no matter how dangerous it can be. These two readings represent the strength of these men will have to reach to the end. They see theirs life's in a different perspective because at the top of the mountain everything is different. Both the poem and the article inspire people to keep on their goals and don't scared with things that look impossible to do.

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  2. The poem and the article go hand and hand. Both pieces of literature end with a final prize or goal they have achieved. In the article, the narrator is traveling through winds and “scraggly pines” to reach a final destination. The poems meaning on the surface is about a traveler going on a journey in harsh cold conditions, which similar to the article. Moreover, the poem symbolically talks about the adventure of writing. The author compares a person walking through a blizzard to the start of the writing process, where you are lost and have to make your way to the end. In addition, I believe the repetitive reference to snow represents the blank piece of paper, waiting to be filled with “boot prints” or words. The theme of both pieces deal with the beauty of accomplishment. Whether it’s making it to the top of a mountain to get a “glimpses of frosty, windswept peaks” or finishing a piece of writing, the final sense of achievement is thrilling.

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