Cummings

1. I really enjoy reading Cummings because of the descriptive words he uses to describe things, such as the woman’s body in “i like my body when it is with your.” While reading all of Cummings’ poems I can visualize what he is writing about and can feel the emotion that was poured into the poem. Sometimes the form of how the poem is written makes it difficult to read straight through. I also really enjoy reading Cummings’ poetry because it is very pleasurable.

2. Cummings uses a lot of content about sexual pleasures and experiences in “since feeling is first” and “i like my body when it is with your.” He merges his content with his form by using a very unique style. He uses capitalization, punctuation, gaps, and line breaks throughout his poems in unusual places. He does not use traditional techniques, and he experiments with the form of his work. Cummings form is meant to emphasis something, to be used for a pause break, or another way that does not even make sense to the reader. While reading Cummings some of his sentences are even harder to read and interrupted by his form of writing. However, Cummings uses his form for a certain reason and if his form was changed, then the reader could interpret it the wrong way. His form and organization of the poem, although odd, has a purpose behind it. I think that Cummings’ form of writing is very hard to understand and interpret in the right context for many readers. His capitalization, punctuation, and other types of form are put and placed in spots to create meaning and emphasize parts of his poems. In certain parts of his poems you can see why he uses the style he does, where as other parts it is difficult to read.

"Dream Deferred"

1. Hughes’s “Dream Deferred” was the type of poem that clearly got a message across to the reader. It was not hard to understand what Hughes was implying in the poem. “Dream Deferred” really made me think about my own life and dreams while I was reading it. The poem affected me in a positive way because it gave me more encouragement to work harder towards fulfilling my dreams.

2. Hughes’s “Dream Deferred” describes what happens to dreams when people let them go or give up on their dreams. Hughes uses all negative and unpleasant similes to get his message across to the reader. He uses these descriptive similes to show that nothing positive happens to a lost dream. The author is telling the audience that dreams should be held onto for a positive outcome. He compares a dream put to the side like a raisin dried up in the sun to describe that both become distorted. Our dreams will not come true if we put them to the side. A dream put to the side will turn into something different then what the original dream was of the reader. The last line of Hughes’s “Dream Deferred” puts emphasis on what will happen to a lost dream. The author is using the word explode to put emphasis on something completely being destroyed. He leaves us off with this line to emphasis and summarizes the poem at the very end. The last line leaves us a feeling with nothing left, and that is what happens when people let their dreams go.