Sure Thing

It took me awhile to realize what was going on, and I still do not fully understand. At first, I thought the guy could travel back in time to have a redo until he gets it right. Although now I think, the author was trying to show all the possible scenarios, until he got to the ‘sure thing’. I thought the play was cute and simple. Simple but longer than I thought, I kept thinking this is the end. I think it was kind of a mockery of all the romantic movies out there, especially the end when they vow to love each other forever. That never happens in real life. It is entertaining to watch, but completely fictitious. She just met him and said she would love and cherish him forever. The response after each bell was better than the last. Each one less truthful than the last. The first being closest to what would have happened in real life. The ending confuses me a little; I cannot tell if the actors would say the lines seriously or jokingly. I am know thinking they would say it jokingly, sarcastically. I would like to see it performed; I think reading it definitely hurts the integrity of the play. Overall, I really liked it. It was interesting and sarcastic.

First, I did not know a poem could be that short; it is only sixteen words long. I like the sarcasm of the poem. Also, the simple delivery is nice. It starts out as thought the two were made for each other. Then it reveals the true feelings. It quickly turns to mockery, adding another level to the poem. It is the well known trick of setting someone up then letting them fall. It happens in movies a lot, bad movies. It reminds me of a saying that I thought was the most hilarious thing ever when I was younger: your pretty, pretty ugly! It did not take much to make me laugh. I really like this poem, mainly because I like sarcasm. The dryness of the delivery is nice too. It is written as though it is no big deal. There are no fluffy surroundings to cushion the blow. There is also a bit of humor to the poem as well. This person, I am assuming it is a woman, clearly does not like the guy she is talking about or to. Hopefully not actually to that person, that seems a little rude. It still boggles my mind that this little collection of words is considered a poem. It sounds like she is just talking to a friend about a guy she knows. Like she is saying what she wishes she could say to him face to face but cannot. It also sounds painful, “a fish hook an open eye.”

Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter

I like the simplicity of this poem. It is short, sweet and to the point. It paints a picture of complete solitude and comfort. The snow brings peace that is unusual for any town of any city. Now that it has snowed here, I see how the snow covers up everything and laces it with its own beauty. It brings a calming effect that the narrator enjoys and wants to bask in it longer than he or she has to. It is the type of loneliness that carries a sense of comfort with it. Being an only child, I can relate to the calming effects of isolation. There is serenity in having no one around and being able to enjoy it. Serenity Now! (Seinfeld reference, sorry I couldn’t resist)In a fast pace world it is nice to just stop and live in a moment of complete solitude. I think we sometimes are too caught up with the stresses of everyday life. Constantly having papers due or having to work an extra shift or having three tests in one week (like next week), it takes it eventually takes its toll. The author is able to identify with the internal want of many to be able to forget about everything and relax. It sounds easy to relax, but at times, it seems impossible.

White Lies

I liked this poem. It is probably one of the few poems I could easily read without being confused. It is about a little girl who tells white lies about almost everything. She can tell them quite easily without anyone knowing the difference. She was a black girl who had a light, white complexion and would lead people to believe she was something that she was not. I think she secretly wished the lies she was telling were true. She wanted to be able to live in a better neighborhood, in a nice house and have nice clothes. She even “kept quiet” when one little girl in her class assumed she was white too. However, whenever her mom found out she would always get in trouble. It says her mom would wash her mouth out with soap, “Ivory soap.” I thought it was interesting the author purposely included the color of the soap and made it ivory. In addition, having the mother say it would purify the girl and the girl believing her “swallowed the suds thinking they’d work from the inside out.” I thought this alluded to the girl wishing she were truly ivory like the soap. Although at the same time, I think it could mean she wished she could tell the truth and be proud of who she is. The beginning paragraph, I assumed the list of names were something she was called being that she was so light skinned. Probably the reason why she wished she were something that she was not. Even thought the poem was written in 2000, it felt like it was written in the forties. It had an old feel to it, as if it were written in completely different time and place.