There's this conflict immediately with dry and wet with the rat and his slimy belly. Going into fishing, into a "dull" canal". With "damp ground" contrasted with "dry garret". These bodies come alive only when the rat comes by looking for food. Immediately coming back to the introduction of this line, the bodies are alluded to as vegetation. There is an unnatural time that is only commented on by year to year, and which king is mentioned. This family seems to be plagued to death.

Here Elliot is remixing "The Tempest" by Shakespeare, immediately following with the zombie motif of being zombie like. Kind of interesting that he notes the head is empty, but the eyes are treasure. He also remixes Shakespeare's usage of "Oh", but then reduces it to the vowel, and creates a rhythm on it, referencing ragtime. Mixing poetry and music. The rest of this section continues in a different direction, I can only assume to be their desire frustrated or still to refer to being a walking dead member of society. Like changing your hair would do anything about it.

Again a reference to perception, as well as the modernist use of having people or things as a vehicle for perception. There's beauty in having this sight, but also the downfall. Again referring back to the tension of having beauty in death. Another form of hauntology with the clairvoyante.

What a weird way to introduce this concept. Again with the factor of doubling, theres beauty and grotesqueness. The language compared within itself doesn't always match up. It shows famine, but also romanticizing this cyclical form of death and then rebirth.

This is commenting on the fear of time and becoming older. Shadows are different for the surfaces that they are on. IT also shows the Modernist theme of doublng. Two versions of the self.

This indicates the shift, the reversal in the dualism. Crossing of the veil here.

Another form of dualism, having a division or another fits perfectly within the theme of Modern American Lit.

It is said that this could be a metaphor to their marriage, but the language is simple enough that multiple meanings could be attributed to it. Very modern in its vagueness following Hemmingway's rules of writing in short sentences.

Really commenting on the problematic nature of family stereotypes and american culture being destructive even when its intent is to heal. I feel Williams is speaking upon a lot of the broken systems of suppression that family's unintentionally play into.

Williams comparing nature to disability, crime, past selfs, and sensuality is interesting. It is normalizing this part of humanity, that we are imperfect, but still a part of nature.

He's assisting in his need for the "natural object" trying to articulate his point. Very meta, but also seems a bit extreme. I know he's indicating fertilizing new growth, but it seems like he's tearing things at the roots, without thinking about the impact or what potentially is being removed that still has value.

The natural object is an indication of the philosophy of the time. Especially as modernization is on the rise, people constantly were trying to make comparisons. Most of man-kind is artificial or constructed, and that isn't adequate or interesting?

This is a decent way to approach writing, but effective writing can exist outside of these. A poem does not need musical phrase to be impactful.

Great sincher that combines body with machine a bit. I feel Descartes would love this. There's a lot of double entendres in this poem, "food for thought" being one of them.

This use of the negative is very interesting as it does not always indicate what it is, but what it isn't. Creates this really cool duality of positive and negative affirmations. It doesn't confirm exactly what it is, but you get a larger scope of what it could be.

These lines are all articulated in a way that makes me thing the images are all connected. It's all delicate, and symbols of rebirth. Something beginning maybe from somethings end?

Another signifier of dualism in creating an other. Frost always continues to compare things, here it is knowledge then contrasting wisdom with truth.

Cool commentary on creating a form of dualism. Really plays with the choice and lament for the other. Yellow is a symbol for cowardice, could mean something.

Really bizarre behavior here. Catching people in the act, sulking around, not noticing someone there, who is ultimately kept upstairs in one room? It doesn't really piece together well, makes me doubt the narrator.

Adds to the contrast to the room, very prison-like. A bed is nailed down on purpose, to keep the person stable. Good metaphor, although I don't exactly know what it means. The phrase "good as gymnastics" also is lost on me, although I know it contrasts with how firm the bed is, to how flexible a person can be. Creates tension with the descriptions.

Small moment about how writing may aid to the growth or development of a person, while being seen as dangerous. I mean she is kept upstairs, for her thoughts and opinions. There is a moment of paranoia, potentially clarity, but also how writing is mentioned as a threat. Commenting on the idea that education can heal, but also potentially be an illness.

To reference a romantic period of individualism makes sense. The time sought to overthrow The Enlightenment, which I love as a comparison that art can overthrow occult thought and break those chains. Du Bois is using prose to reclaim, rationalize the system, and free himself and others from it simultaneously. Really beautiful and powerful stuff.

Having the poem introduce this educational prose is really powerful. The poem eases us into Du Bois' language. His piece help's label the endless struggle with racism in america, and the poem commenting on restlessness as an emotional spur aids his prose. Also comments on his twoness later on. Great parallel of between having your identity labeled african and american with utilizing both poetry then prose.

This reference is specific. Zeno is a major proponent in dialectics and paradoxes, and Descartes formulated dualism (relating the body as the machine, and the mind as a separate part). It helps explain the complexities between art and industrialism, thought and economy. There are problems with creating categories, and lack of acceptance of change.

Making education into a "hazard" is shows us opinion about the rapid evolution of human achievement and thought. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but changing the system and the economy. American structures are fragile, and they must develop as the people do.

Could be a commentary of the industrial age, and how technology is developing. It contrasts with the development of art and how the functions of thought differentiate, but still are relevant to the creator and the viewer. These products are considered useful, yet described as "threatening" why?

Such an empowering movement. The language also reflects this shift. The descriptions of the labor and action are more complicated and richer. It's not just a repetition of "out of" anymore, labor has blossomed. It's intense, but there is also a twisted beauty with the natural images being introduced and juxtaposed with more manmade products. Kinda neat.

Really interesting place to begin the poem with an action, "Out of burlap sacks, out of bearing butter". It acts as our first place of setting, really feels like anguish about being in the laboring class. The poem kind of acts as being an annal of civilization and how labor develops, but it was 1972 I don't exactly understand the audience yet. Especially with the rustic images of sacks and butter, juxtaposing it with "acids of rage" to "creasote, gasoline" seems to imply an evolution of society's labors and the conflict that arises with each action.