Monday, February 6, 2012
DIscussion due February 11 at Midnight
This week let's discuss : What the Living Do" by Marie Howe on page 67 of our poetry text. Use the questions that follow it to give you ideas about what to discuss. In addition, think about these things. Howe says about this poem: "My brother had died. He was my dearest friend. He was 28 years old. He was 11 years younger than I was." With this in mind, what does this poem say to you about death, dealing with death, the speaker's reaction to her brother's death? How do the images, the word choices, convey these insights, the ideas you see within the poem? As you discuss the poem, don't forget to give "evidence" for what you say about the poem. To give "evidence" quote from the poem as you discuss it.
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I like this poem very much because of how straight forward the language is. Although the poem is about such a sad remembrance, I like how the poem does not have an ominous or depressing tone like most poems about death have. With knowing what Marie Howe said about her poem, "My brother had died, He was my dearest friend. He was 28 years old. He was 11 years younger than I was." I believe she viewed her brother's death was sudden and unfair because of how young he was. In the poem though, I don't really see her speaking of exactly how she feels about when he died, but of how she feels now that she has realized that live just goes on, which I think makes "What the Living Do" a very good title.
ReplyDeleteThis poem says that although someone dies, the living still go on living. She has come to terms with that as she speaks about common everyday things like "the kitchen sink [being] clogged...",(line 1) "driving, or dropping a bag of groceries..." (line 7), or "Parking." (line 10). These simple words allow the reader to easily understand what the speaker is saying. There is not so much of a deeper meaning to each word since they are so simplistic and mean exactly what they are defined as in our everyday life. It also makes the conversation with her brother realistic since she uses these common words.
She uses many present participles like "Driving," "hurrying," and "walking". It makes the actions present tense. I think this helps add to the fact that she is speak about what the living do, because living is present tense. The present participles make the conversation seem as if it is going on as we read it.
I really like the 6th stanza were she speaks of how "We [the living] want the spring to come... whoever to call or not to, a letter, a kiss-we want more and more and then more of it." I believe the living just live and we want more and more of what living is, which is just everyday things. She realizes it is "that yearning." (line 11) which her brother gave up. It is here in the 6th stanza, I believe, where she finally comprehends"What the Living Do".
Awesome, I agree with you highlighting the present tense of "living" because living is to be. It is not in the past or the future. I understood the poem better by the collective "ing" and how this was a style expressing daily actions; in unison create a greater meaning.
DeleteI also like the poems straight forward language and like how such a sad remembrance is talked about so ordinary. I feel though that it does have some sad tone to it. Did you notice that when she talks about everyday things there all negative encounters in life. Such as the drainer being clogged, the heats to high and I can not turn it off, dropping a bag of groceries, and spilling my coffee down my wrist and sleeve. She does not really say too many positive things and I feel that the fact that her brother is gone she can not go on as the living do. I think that because of the closeness they had, perhaps a piece of her has died with her brother.
ReplyDeleteIn the 6th stanza I feel that she wants more and more of the love that her brother had to offer. Why would she want more of life if it is being negative right now. I think that this poem is not about living but loving. The Title “What The Living Do” is not so much about the living but the Do, which is Love
I did not notice that most of what she spoke of doing was negative but now I see that. I think that is a good observation.
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ReplyDeleteWhen reading "What the Living Do" by Marie Howe, I got the sense that I was in the moment with the speaker. The speaker's voice had an effect on inflicting the present upon the audience.
ReplyDeleteKeeping in mind the death of her brother, this poem gives me a feeling of embracing death during the sometimes harsh reminders of everyday actions. The speaker is going about the day however theres a difference because the speaker is aware of the littlest things one wouldn't normally be keen about. Perhaps death played a part in this acknowledgement of what the living do day to day.
The last line that reads, "I am living, I remember you," hit home with me. I feel it is a bold yet nostalgic statement, basically saying "this is how I go about my day, I am alive, you are not, but I go about my day with you in mind,". As harsh as that may come across I dont feel Marie Howe has a depressing mindset coming into writing this poem. It's very subtle but factual nonetheless.
I reread it trying to find new meaning, but the fact is, this poem is one some may not relate to. The death of a loved one, the loss of someone dear to you, is an experience all your own together. That journey is no one else's to completely relate to. However this poem evoked a feeling of gratitude within me. After reading it, I began to notice the simple things that occurs within my days, the chores, the habits, the moments, that all tie in with recollections of my past.
The living go on about their day, but the dead are still embraced within us, in their own unquie and beautiful way.
To reverse the order in which the poem is discussed, I would like to speak about the last line of the whole poem. She says “I am living, I remember you.” This line made me re-read the entire poem once more, because I believe this sums up all of what she is saying in the poem. The speaker is now, that one she loved dearly is not “living”, sees all that she does in a slightly different, ‘things won’t quite be the same ever again’ kind of way. And as inferred by the title, this is “What the Living Do”, and she misses him whom does not do these things anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe use of the ‘common’ and ‘ordinary’ language, words and phrases like “the plumber I still haven’t called”, the “crusty dishes”, and “slamming the car door shut” all bring about happenings in life common to all. Things we do, see, and hear, that go unnoticed, ignored and forgotten. But the simple fact she points these things out, causes them to become significant, and significant because this is what we all experience. These are things we all know and are very familiar with, and now he whom she misses though, does not share these common experiences with anymore.
Like Jonah and Yasmin both pointed out, the 6th stanza, a shift in the poem happens, and a longing that is deep and left unaddressed until now is brought up to the surface. She says “when you finally gave up. We want … more and more and then more of it”. Those things commonplace will forever be changed for her, because she sees how they are not t be taken granted for. This is an emotion that is hard to put onto paper with mere words. This longing for more of what we do have, but looking forward to it and appreciating the details and small joys of life that we do have. Because it will eventually be gone, and finally given up.
And lastly I appreciate this poem because it is in honor of the person she misses, but not about the person she misses. Many poems are stories of memory and longing for what used to be are allusions and metaphors of life with that person missed, and thoughts of what one did with them, thought of how that person was like. This poem is very different indeed from that style. Instead she brings him into her life, and what she does is then in honor and memory of him. Now what she does is what reminds her of him, not necessarily doing what he did reminds her of him. She remembers him, always, as she states, “I am living. I remember you.”
I agree with the poem being straight forward. I think this poem has an empty feeling. The author is telling her story of the process of grieving the dead. She lists examples of grief towards her brother dying. She refers the dishes in the sink as a reference of her reflection towards her brother death; the feeling of grief makes life stagnate. The comparison to the open living-room windows in my mind would be the feeling of suffocation. During the winter, one would want the feeling of warmth. Having the "sunlights pours through the open living-room windows… heat's on too high," the sense of something is too much to handle could be the process of having to deal with death is overwhelming. Howe describes a depressed environment by constantly describing surroundings that are "piled up", "bag breaking". I personally don't think the poem is great because it is too vague, there is no direct evidence to form a conclusion as to what's going on. Reading this poem one, two and even three times, death would not have been my first guess as to what the poem is about. The poem seems like a list of what depression is and the things they go through. The main thing in the poem that hints out death would be "I am living. I remember you."
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "What the Living Do" by Marie Howe I was also left with somewhat of an empty feeling. The style of writing is very simplistic and straightforward until you read the last sentence "I am living, I remember you." This for me is what tied the entire poem together and gave a less simplistic meaning to the poem as a whole. I believe the poem starts off by her doubting the quality of life the way she describes how "..the kitchen sink gas been clogged for days....waiting for the plumber i still havent called...dropping a bag of groceries in the street" she also states "What you finally gave up" all of her everyday descriptions are very gray and vague and i think this is how she views life after the death of her brother.
ReplyDeleteBut in the 13th to the final stanza she says "But there are moments, walking, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the window glass.....im gripped by a cherishing so deep for my own blowing hair, chapped face and unbuttoned coat that i'm speechless: I am living, i remember you." I think she is saying that from time to time she realizes that she is living and that she cherishes the fact that she can remember him.
Like "the kitchen sink" left "clogged" and "waiting for the plumper" she hasn't "called" she has yet to face her emotions that are buried and is waiting for her them to be set free, knowing she has to do the work. The speaker intends her sentimental epiphany to a loved one that has passed away, who we know to be her brother.
ReplyDelete"What you called that yearning. What you finally gave up", leaves me under the impression the speaker is reflecting over her brother's departing wisdom. The whole poem has the motif of taking mundane moments, during daily commotion; that carries into an entirely altered pace. She pauses and acknowledges all the little things her brother "gave up" and the possibilities of his life.
There are some actions mentioned on the poem that make ou think about, what is going on it is not normal. Because as Marie Howe says on the poem that the kitchen's sink was clogged, the enviroment inside the living room was to hot and she could not turn of the heater, she dropped a grocery bag while she was driving and it broke, also she was walking on the sidewalk and she spilled the coffe. This is where she relize that what is happening is not good.
ReplyDeletethe tone of the author is very sad and she is kind of depressed about her brother's death. On the poem she mentioned that it was winter. which means that it was really cold and the cold represent sadness or lonely, and this sensation could represent sadness which they wanted to pass as soon as possible. I consider that Marie Howe used those activities on the poem to let knoew that she was passsing through a hard time and after her bothers death she feel sad. Where in her everyday life it is presented some mishaps or accidents, such as the ones mentioned at the beginnig.
Referring to the title's poem. I believe that it is an excellent tittle for it and it fits really good with the topic of the poem. because she expresseing on the title that when we lost a damily member or someone special in our lives, there is nothing but go ahead with our lives, although we know that we never forget about them.
In the poem “What the living do” by Marie Howe, lists some activities of what as humans do on a day to day basis. Such activities include “open living room windows because the heat’s on too high in here” and “slamming the car door shut in the cold”.
ReplyDeleteThis poem says that she was very close to her brother and she writes him a story about what is currently occurring in her life. She is not dealing with the fact that her brother is gone very well because in each stanza shows some sign of reminiscing and deep thinking. “I thought it again, and again later, when buying a hairbrush: This is it” which tells us that she is giving something heavy thought and she can’t seem to stop. “Whoever call or not call, a letter a kiss – we want more and more and then more of it” could very well be showing us that she is yearning for something that cannot become her reality because that is a cause and effect of what death does to people.
The messages of the poem convey a sense of heartbreak and missing of the individual. The choice of words illustrate a mood of each passing day and season, she will still miss her brother no matter what because she was that close to him.
In this poem, “What the Living Do,” Marie Howe talks about the blessing of being alive. The speaker talks about many things that the living take for granted, but that we do very often. For example: driving, buying a hair brush, and parking, and wanting a letter or a kiss. These things are all minor things that we don’t even make a big deal of because they seem so insignificant. But the readers fail to notice that everything we can do is a blessing because it means we are living. I feel that the shorter sentences mean simplicity. As compared to the longer ones, which have more detail and actions. It also demonstrates, in my opinion, how not difficult life is. The tone helps the reader feel that emotion of discovering this and realizing that it is true. It helps put the readers in a reflective mode where they will want to go back and think of all the wonderful things they can still do. If this poem was set in the past, we would only think about the things that we have done in the past because we are lucky to be alive. The reader would not really think ahead about how we can still travel and see many beautiful places or how we can still make new friends and change to be better, even. Setting this poem in the present gives me that sense of opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAll these actions named in the poem by Howe are her trying to tell us that we can still do that and so much more, to go out there and do everything that you have planned and wished to do. The ones that are no longer with us have run out of that opportunity. They can no longer try to fulfill their dreams, or even just enjoy the sun while they go out and do the everyday things that they used to do. The theme of this poem is to just simply be thankful that you are still among the living, and to not take time for granted, for it will run out when you least expect it.