Diane Wakoski "Red Bandanna"

The first stanza beautifully introduces the meaning of the poem in its entirety. It talks about the interpretations of wearing a bandanna. And that interpretation is that people wear them to make impressions of a tough and rough persona. For example the author says, "obnoxious, aggressive-you're the bull wearing your own red flag." words like "aggressive" and "obnoxious" are terms that have a negative arrogant connotation. The poem also gives sound a devilish person because the color red is symbolic to the devil but also she says "And who knows what has enraged you." Then she goes on to say "for your eyes can't see it," which can be an indication that the person doesn't see anything wrong with the negativity because they're eyes are red as well as the bandanna.
As I read more into the poem i get the sense that the poem is about maybe a guy that did the speaker wrong and took advantage of her trust. "THE AIDS QUILT," is when the disease stuck out to me and I thought to myself, AIDS can be transmitted through the blood (symbolic to the image of red). Then she says, "while I seem now only to be charging at red flags of artistic and academic deceit." The word charge has a strong and angry demeanor so she possibly upset with the "suspect". And deceit means to deceive someone, to gain they're trust to their advantage to only hurt the person. The speaker then talks about the displeasure of the guy who let her down because she says, "But today, you've left me not smiling, and even less interested than I was before I met you in bull fights,in blood sport." At the end of the poem, last stanza, seems to be smiling even through the hurt and pain. Nevertheless, she doesn't feel that that the culprit is worthy of her because she doesn't deserve to be treated wrong and dishonestly. She says "less willing to smile at you or at any young matador or new sailor with my once deductive, though never dishonest, red-bandanna smile." So i"d conclude that the themes of the poem is about "trust."

Let Amerrica Be America Again by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes approaches poetry in such a unique way. The rhythm to the poem enhances the sound as the reader reads on.
Nevertheless, the poem subject was basically about the racial inequality, specifically pertaining to the lives of African Americans. He talks about the American Dream. His standpoint is that people (such as government and ordinary people) have an idea for how and what the American Dream should be in America, unfortunately no one seems to reach that status in life. Also, if there are people actually living that Dream Life then they're the rich people that should be lending a helping hand to those in need. However, this country speaks often and is supposedly built upon freedom, equality and etc. Whereas in actuality its the total opposite. Its like this country made all of these promises that they didn't keep. Its not equal or else there wouldn't be such a large gap if any at all between the rich and the poor.
All that Blacks had to go through and they still are suffering after they have been legally free from captivity. They as a people have to try to gain these rights and privileges.

After Making Love We Hear Footsteps by Galway Kinnell

Okay so after reading the poem, I was a little confused about the characters in the text. I wasn't sure if Fergus was the son or the husband. Correct me if I'm wrong but after reading it numerous times, I assumed that Fergus was the husband because at the beginning the wife was describing how her mate is when it comes to noise. "that heavy breathing" and that "come-cry" symbolized how the husband is alert when it comes to his child's safety and care. "Wrenching himself awake" and "make for it on the run" is an action word to support the husband's speed to getting to his toddler.
The entire beginning of the poem is to introduce the significance and beauty of reproduction. Then she goes on to mention how they lay next to each other after making love. Notice the terms "making love" and not "sex." Sex has a more derogatory sound to it, an interpretation that simply means casual sex. While in contrast, "making love" has more of an intimate sound and meaning. Something shared by not just any two people but by two people that really love and care for each other.
Then eventually, she brings in her son (assuming its a boy because she said his "baseball pj's). He then flops between his parents and drifts his way to sleep. He too is very happy and satisfied with the fact that he has two loving parents that created the person he is ("his face gleaming with satisfaction at being this very child"). Them making love made a beautiful thing and that's the blessing of a child. The love they have for each other caused them to now be able to bestow it upon their seed. Thus, they are joyful at such accomplishments.

Hay for the Horses- Gary Snyder

OK< clearly this poem is about "Hay" in which horses eat. The setting is of course on a farm The young man at the beginning was setting the tone, describing the time of day and the complications, rather dangerous and long trip to the barn. The reason I say dangerous because the passage uses the word dangerous when mentioning the dangerous mountain roads. The entire second stanza are words like (stack, clean, splintery, high in the dark, hooks, ropes, whirling through)which all give the sound that they or the person was working extremely hard with unloading hay and preparing it for the horses to eat. Hay is very dirty and wild that it gets everywhere and that's why the person said "Itch of hay dust in the sweaty shirt and shoes." Which indicates that the hay dust from the hay irritates the skin. In the last stanza of the poem the person tells his life story in just a few lines. Assuming that its a male due to the masculinity of the job requirements, he says that here he is 68 years old doing the same thing he did when he was 17 years old. The whole message is that a lot of people feel that their current jobs are temporary and as life passes by they realize that it turns into something permanent. He obviously didn't plan to be doing the same thing especially because he uses the term "dammit" here I am. That term creates an unsettled frustrated tone. And most people feel that way about their jobs because its something they just settled for or just had to work with.

Unfinished Poem- Kaufman

Kaufam's poem, "Unfinished Poem," is an interesting short poem. Beginning with the title of the poem, I'm assuming that the title means that the subject of the poem can never be finished with his/her thoughts because of the simple fact that there's a host of unending perspectives on religion. OK, now the reason I propose religion is because the passage mentioned words like (holy, prophets, Jewish). But after reading the poem over and over again, I realized that the poem wasn't about religion. The poem is about a subject that lives on or near a "mountains" with a friend. Again, I'm assuming that the subject is probably homeless and lacks hope according to the line, "We live on a holy mountain where the crows and the Crown Plaza rise higher than our expectations." They don't expect much or anything positive being that they describe the clouds calling "doom doom." The term "doom" is associated with damnation. The poem states that "Our lives are wrapped up in newsprint," in other words their lives are bland and dull because newsprint is black and white. Towards the end, the friend wishes to cut her head off to allow all of the memories run out. This is referring to the terrible lives that Jewish lived in ancient history, so the friend wishes that the memories can be told the exact way they were experienced. The weights being lifted in the third to last line are symbolic to baggage and burdens that they have to endure.

"Each time I go outside" by Ted Kooser

Although this poem is short, it has a lot of meaning to it. The speaker is trying to exemplify the idea of daily life being routine. The twist to this concept is that even though life is routine, each day is a different day. Life for the speaker is obviously predictable until 5:30. Work all day and at 5:30, the person goes on and do whatever it is they want to do for the remainder of the day. "What I would do for wisdom, I cried out as a young man. Evidently not much." This piece from the exert sounds like a cry for help, a cry for hope more so. "Even on walks I follow the dog," sounds as if the person just gave up and goes with the flow. In other words, whatever happens just happens. The last sentence sounds the same. Lets just be who we are living an ordinary simple life.

"Launa Turner has collasped" by Frank O' Hara

Frank O' Hara, I believe was trying to tell the poem from a first and third person's point of view. Before I actually get into the perspectives, I think the poem is generally and simply about a young girl who's experiencing an episode of a "bad night out." Possibly Launa couldn't quite remember everything that happened on her way home from the party. As the story is being told, she's only telling what she recollects. For example, Launa says "LANA TURNER HAS COLLAPSED!
there is no snow in Hollywood
there is no rain in California." In other words, she realized that she was most likely hallucinating on what happened on the way home and eventually came to the realization that it's not normal for it to snow or rain in Hollywood, California. The term "collapsed" is defined, to fall or to fall unconscious. Clearly, Launa passed out from no doubt being drunk. The reason I mention party is because O'Hara writes, "I have been to lots of parties and acted perfectly disgraceful." This is all new to Launa because she says "but i never actually collapsed." I'm assuming that she has gotten drunk before but have never experienced passing out or forgetting things that happened and seeing mirages. Mirages because she said she saw the rain and snow but then contradicted herself and said that there is no rain or snow in Hollywood.

Early in the Morning by Li Young Lee

I personally believe that Lee was trying to show the beauty in "normal routine." Normally when something is done repeatedly, it's eventually perfected. Idealistically, the term "perfect" has the meaning of something being amazing and flawless. The husband in the poem loved the mother and liked how she kept her hair neat and perfect. It was so straight and soft. Lee said, "my mother glides an ivory comb through her hair," and the word glide has a soft swift sound to it. The poem also mentions their longevity through the parents togetherness. The parents have been together for 50 years and the husband still likes what the mother does to her hair, as if it was the first time. That's the significance of the poem because it exemplifies love and the love that they have for one another over a long period of time. In addition, I believe the last stanza of the poem is saying that although the mother is so "routine" when it comes to her ponytail, she lets her hair down sometimes. In this case, when she lets her hair down, it becomes almost like an extra treat for the father's sight to see. That "extra treat" is like spunk added to a relationship, although it's already good, there are those times that are better than others.

"The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop

It's as if the fish just "went with flow," referring to the words of the poet, "he didn’t fight. He hadn’t fought at all. He hung a grunting weight." In reading the poem, the fish appeared to be tired and just living; not ethusiastically happy to have life, "figuratively" speaking. Now that their time is coming to an end, it's appropriate and traditional to now celebrate the previous years of life through relaxation. It almost appeared that the fish was symbolic to the life of a senior citizen; someone well experienced who has served their time and is successfully retiring.

"The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams

The literal setting of the poem is simply discussing the purpose of a wheel barrow. The color red is used to captivate the mind of the reader with a bold blunt color. On the other hand, the poet could’ve used the color red to exemplify the thought of something being "common." The general setting can possible be on a farm in a suburban community in reference to the term "white chickens."
The purpose that the red wheelbarrow services is to carry and hold things. The wheelbarrow is always described as being newly polished. The way the poet said, "so much depends upon," gives way to the interpretation of things being dependent on the wheelbarrow. The figurative language brings out the idea of the poem painting an image representing artwork. The concept is to basically acknowledge the beauty of everyday life and everyday materials (objects). From the reading of the poem, I believe the poet was trying to convey the idea of something simple or a person being admired for it's everyday beauty. However, beauty is classified depending on the subject as being a piece of artwork.