DDCPoetry

Original poem reprinted online here:  "The Wife-Woman" by Anne Spencer Originally read: March 16, 2013 More information about the Poet:  Anne Spencer For a poem that is so focused with the idea of seven, it's kind of ironic that the form is in octaves.  I hope I am using "ironic" correctly.  In any case the use of allusion punctuates the reoccurring number of seven and I feel this poem is an exercise that pushes the idea of allusion, numbers, stream-of-consciousness in more of a riff jazz style Yes, I'm adding this in because I read that Anne Spencer was part of the Harlem Renaissance.  But the poem makes more sense to me with more context.  Such is the problem with historical context and allusion.  I do want to add though that the poem interested me enough to look up the allusions and see how they relate to one each other. The poem starts off with the allusion to "Maker of Sevens in the scheme of things / From earth to star;"  Here there's a c...

Original poem reprinted online here: "Boy at the Window" by Richard Wilbur Originally read: March 6, 2013 More information about the Poet:  Richard Wilbur Alternating rhyme scheme in an octave form.  There's a loose iamb and meter, but it's mostly iambic pentameter.  And when I see a form like this, I think that both stanza work similarly like the first part of the Italian sonnet -- the questioning part, rather than the sestet -- the answering part.  And I think most importantly there shouldn't be a volta, that sharp turn which changes the subject or gets to a point. I'm not writing that this poem doesn't have a point -- rather the question is the point, right? However, the first part of the poem borders on the sentimental (I keep writing borders, but one day I'll actually state that 'this is sentimental') because the whole scene in the couple of lines is a boy weeping seeing his creation -- a snow man -- melt in the rain.  Also there are techn...