Praising Manners by Robert Bly

This poem, was an interesting one. We always see in society that people do not use there manners. They always say "I want" or "Give me" instead of please and thank you. From this poem, I believe that everybody could have learned a valuable lesson, which is to start using your manners or the door will close. "The moment that foolish angel felt insolent, he heard the door close." Bly teaches us to praise, and he tells us if we don't then the door will close. Teaching us to praise, Bly tells us if we don't the door will close.

In this poem, this is stated. "The sun became full of light when it got hold of itself." The light in this statement is saying that the light is the goodness which is equal to using manners and being polite to everyone. Bly teaches and tells us to praise. When we praise, we can keep the door open between God and us. Bly thinks that praise is necessary to keep the door open.

In stanza 3, the shoplifter is a metaphor to when you praise is a payment from God. A payment could be a talent or a special gift that God gives you when you are born. Throughout the poem, the angel is refered to God. In today's society, many people want to offer help to others who are in need, whether it be volunteering or giving up some time you offer help. For many of them who really do not want the help, they are being insolence to God and the world around them.

Bypass by Susuan Kelly-Dewit

In this poem, I felt as though I was listening to a newlywed going through a surgury which happened only a few weeks after there marrige. This poem described the procedure of the man while the wife waited for the results. Waiting in the lobby, the woman was nervous. Throughout the poem, the wife was praying to God for a very successive surgury on the love of her life, especially to the fact that they just have got married.

In this poem, distinctive images are given. They are there to represent what the wife had to go through as she saw her husband getting torn apart. "Craked open your chest, sawing through your ribs, stopped your heart beating, your torso swabbed a hideous antiseptic yellow around a raw black ladder of stiches, you did the death rattle." These images might be disturbing, but yet they really do have important meaning. Imagine seeing your love one in this position. This really happens everyday. At the end, we notice the husband passed away.

"I had not yet kissed into memory those places they raided to save your life." This quote from the poem has significant meaning. The wife did not get to live a long enough life to where she could spend time with her husaband. They had only been married for five weeks and come to find out that he had to have surgury, which he died. The wife did not get to do things that they probably planned for them to do in the future. The wife did not get to enjoy the many memories that were going to come in the future. This just go to show you that you should not take life or time for granted because the next second you might be in a life changing situation. The wife I am sure was not expecting for this to happen to there relationship within such a short time. Many people take life for granted but you never know when it is going to end, so we should all enjoy what we have.

After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes by Emily Dickenson

In this poem, Dickenson describes death. In the first stanza, we get the image of a funeral. A funeral where "the nerves sit ceremonious like tombs." The nerves is represented by the family that has just lost a loved one. They sit there and do not move as a tomb as they feel a sense of lost. We see an image of a stiffened heart. This shows us that we can see a cold heart that is no longer here with us any more.

In the second stanza, Dickenson talks about mechanical feet that go around. This describe the wake, when people can go to the coffin and say there goodbyes, for the last time. The mechanical feet is the procession of people. This usually takes place at a funeral home where many people gather to show there love for the decest.

In the last stanza, Dickenson summarizes everything. She talks about a feeling after pain. She explains, and she discusses an emotion we have to break the habit of. We all have to someway, somehow to break from the attachment. Dickenson talks about winter. When you are cold, you get a sense of numbness. Eventually the numbness goes away whether by sitting in a warm house, or having a warm drink. This is a metaphor for saying when something bad happens, it will eventually get better. The pain and suffering will go away. Yes, it may take some time, but it will happen when it needs to happen.