Poetic Discussion and interpretation

1. Poetic Discussion and interpretation BY: SYDNEY PERRECA

2. the survival of man By: Earl Shollenberger • What a wondrous creation is this creature man,Who denies he's related to the orangutan!After all, he alone has brains, grace and culture,Though his deeds are repugnant to a respectable vulture. • AH! Yes! Noble man, the greatest creature or all . . .Who can kill and pollute everything large and small;The animals, the forests - the very air he inhales,Then, boasts of "divine destiny" in triumphant details! • He'll nurture a calf - love it, groom it and feed it . . .And when he's hungry for veal, he'll slaughter and eat it!All foul in the heavens and all creatures on landHave no sanctuary or respite from predatory man.

3. Poem continued • Through Earth's eons of time, what beast can you nameThat created more misery than Man and his brain?What most ghastly, most gruesome, most abhorrent actWas not committed by man . . . or an ARMY, in fact? • He extols his power without shame or contrition -He ennobles wars' generals and vile politicians.Prejudice, man's bane (and his MOST vicious flaw)Belies the wisdom he espouses - his own logic and law. • He's gentle and humble during catastrophe's chaos . . .Then wages genocidal war using science to slay us!He's perplexing and vexing - an incongruous dichotomy,And can't alter his own evil without TOTAL lobotomy!

4. Poem continued • True! A few gentle souls (which only man possesses?)Left us legacies of love, and gentle, humane successes:The kindness of Christ - the wisdom of Confucius,The serenity of Buddha . . . yet, man REMAINS ruthless! • Is Nature's hope for survival man's own brilliant brain?If it destroys its own species, Earth will heal once again.But gentle gorillas and elephants are dying unmourned.What new predator would ravage Earth's beauty, reborn? • Could the "computer" survive to be Nature's salvation?Its SOLE need for power is for its own operation.It has potential for sentience, but NO need to compete -And it doesn't eat flesh or use fossil fuel heat.

5. Poem continued • Thus, "Cyber/Nature" in harmony to Earth's dim infinity;No bright laughter of children - no Art - no Divinity .Not ONE warm, gentle mortal to admire primeval beautyJust a cold, sterile Earth . . . without aesthetic acuity. • No! If man IS divine, his GOD must end this confusion,Before man kills himself with his evil profusion.Destroy EVERYTHING evil! Yes! All sinners like me!The last hope for Man is Theocracy! • And now, here's "the rub" . . . you see, I'm atheistic!Yet my conclusions above SEEM to me realistic.I DO reject God, yet yearn for His intervention.Not for me! But for those who earn his redemption!

6. Poem continued • But EACH religion claims God as its VERY own.And only ITS adherents would sit by his throne.A billion Chinese will NOT accept Christianity.But "no matter" . . . they're just "Oriental" humanity. • Five million Jews - the "chosen race" God created -Prayed to their Jehovah . . . then were cremated!The Christians of Rome just KNEW God adored them,And that He'd intervene . . . then the lions devoured them! • Doomed children with cancer await treatment - forlorn.Just slow, painful deaths . . and THEIR sin? Being BORN!!Bloated babies still die in torrid Africa's grime.How can God, their "CREATOR" keep biding His time?!

7. Poem continued • For two thousand years men have slaughtered and maimed -Christians killing Christians in Holy Wars in God's name!EVERY religion's believers are dogmatically insistent -But ANY God who ignores PAIN is to me non-existent! • But during forty years of travel, I saw a "special" breed,From all races, all religions - every nation and creed.Perhaps one in ten thousand has that "inner" serenityAnd THEIR faith in a Creator is MY hope for humanity. • They're not materialistic - 'don't pass judgement on sinners.They're sometimes brilliant - or just wives and breadwinners.They're not publically pious - just TRULY gentle and pleasant,As though they SEE the "hereafter", and aren't part of OUR present. • I envision the beauty of just those GOOD folks on Earth,And I hope they're God's "tools" to forge man's rebirth.As for self-righteous hypocrites who pose and condemn -Rather Eternity as dust than a "hellish" Heaven with them!

8. Poem continued • Oh! What a JOY it would be, if I could just seeA great God's "Day of Judgment" for all Humanity!The world's pompous and crafty - their hypocrisy exposed -Cast down with wretched me, and to ashes decomposed. • For each "grain" of wheat there'd be a mountain of "chaff",And the vengeance within me would enjoy God's SPECIAL wrath.For those who loved worldly pleasure, while professing Belief -And for those "shakers and movers" who created Man's grief! • I've NO fear of Hell's fire! Could a BENIGN God be so cruelAs to create a weak sinner - then eternally TORTURE the fool?I've earned but dust for my destiny, but I DO hope that God's planProvides peace for all creatures - not just survival for Man! • I'll spare you further boredom from this long, morbid story -Of a lay sinner's cynicisms - of Man's "doomsday or glory".And I'll DENY there's a God to each pompous impostor(And hope a few gentle mortals survive His (or Her) roster!)

9. Summary of Poem • The title of the poem sets the very subject matter, setting, theme and mood of the poem. Through the title the reader can make interesting and educated predictions about the poem. The title of this poem depicts the actions of man and the effects of these very actions. • The educated thought, fact and imagination in this poem is very well portrayed by the writer. • The speaker of this poem can take many forms. Every thing from a human being to the writer of the poem being in first person view as well as an animal or even god speaking. • The time and setting of the poem is over a long period of time because there is evidence of present destructions and past influences on the facts that are presented.

10. Imagery and image patterns • The whole poems depicts key imagery patterns. Every sentence summons up an image in the readers mind and is content with the image that is supposed to be brought. The reality of the poem is very much brought up by the descriptive words that are used to depict the very nature of life. As well in my opinion the facts stay constant in the readers mind.

11. Sound techniques • The poem uses a set rhyme scheme which implies the use of repetition of the same sound at the end of the lines. • There are many examples of alliteration in this poem such as: - Then boasts of “divine destiny” in triumphant details. Which repeats the initial consonant d. • There are a few examples of onomatopoeia in the poem such as the word possesses. • There are a couple of examples of allusions in the poem such as in the 14th stanza. • There are also evidence of cacophony and euphony techniques as well.

12. Theme and attitude • The central meaning of the poem is mans actions and consequences of these actions. As well, there is also evidence that the poet is trying to make sense of life in the form that he conveys social concerns such as poverty, the environment, and technology as well as religious beliefs and history. • The attitude of the poet is mainly anger and negativity towards mans actions and mans part in the destruction of the Earth and every thing in it as well as human beings. • Phrases such as: • kill and pollute every thing large and small • And when he’s hungry for veal, he’ll slaughter and eat it! Are phrases that convey this attitude of anger Words that contribute to this attitude include: • Misery, Gruesome, shame, prejudice, viscous, genocidal, war etc.

13. SHIFTS • Stanzas: The writer constantly changes to new stanzas (there are a total of 23). • Capital words: Just like the repetition of phrases or words in a poem help make these key features stay constant in the readers mind, the capital words helps to keep these words that the poet is trying to convey in the readers mind.

14. Effects of poetic devices andfigurative language • First Stanza: • Metaphor: Though his deeds are repugnant to a respectable vulture. This phrase is a metaphor because it implies is. It is saying that mans deeds are repugnant to a respectable vulture. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things. • Personification: Wondrous creation. This is an example of personification because wondrous is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, creation. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Second Stanza: • Personification and apostrophe: Then boasts of divine destiny in triumphant details! This is an example of personification because divine is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, destiny. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. This sentence is also an example of apostrophe because the inanimate object, destiny, is addressed as if it were alive. This technique of addressing inanimate or animate objects as if they were present or alive is excellent at portraying qualities of certain things. • Metaphor: AH! Yes! Noble man, the greatest creature or all…This sentence is an example of a metaphor because it implies is. It is saying that man is a noble creature. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things.

15. Continued… • Third Stanza: • Apostrophe: All foul in the heavens. This is an example of apostrophe because the inanimate object, heavens, is addressed as if it were alive. This technique of addressing inanimate or animate objects as if they were present or alive is excellent at portraying qualities of certain things. • Fifth Stanza: • Personification: Vicious flaw. This is an example of personification because vicious is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, flaw. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence.

16. Continued… • Sixth Stanza: • Personification and apostrophe: Catastrophe’s chaos. This is an example of personification because chaos is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, catastrophe. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. This phrase could also be considered an apostrophe because catastrophe is addressed as if it were alive. • Personification: Incongruous dichotomy. This is an example of personification because incongruous is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, dichotomy. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Apostrophe: Science to slay us. This is an example of apostrophe because the inanimate object, science, is addressed as if it were alive. This technique of addressing inanimate or animate objects as if they were present or alive is excellent at portraying qualities of certain things. • Metaphor: He’s perplexing and vexing – an incongruous dichotomy. This is an example of a metaphor because it implies is. It is saying that man is an incongruous dichotomy. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things.

17. Continued… • Seventh Stanza: • Personification: Gentle souls. This is an example of personification because gentle is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, souls. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Personification: Gentle, humane, successes. This is an example of personification because gentle and humane are like characteristics attributed to the inanimate object, successes. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Apostrophe: Legacies of love. This is an example of apostrophe because the inanimate object, love, is addressed as if it were alive. This technique of addressing inanimate or animate objects as if they were present or alive is excellent at portraying qualities of certain things. • Apostrophe: Wisdom of Confucius. This is an example of apostrophe because the inanimate object, Confucius, is addressed as if it were alive. This technique of addressing inanimate or animate objects as if they were present or alive is excellent at portraying qualities of certain things.

18. Continued… • Eighth Stanza: • Personification: Brilliant brain. This is an example of personification because brilliant is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, brain. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Tenth Stanza: • Personification: Bright laughter. This is an example of personification because bright is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, brain. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Personification: Primeval beauty. This is an example of personification because primeval is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, beauty. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence.

19. Continued… • Eleventh Stanza: • Metaphor: Man is divine. This is an example of a metaphor because it uses is. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things. • Personification: Evil profusion. This is an example of personification because evil is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, profusion. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Twelve Stanza: • Personification: Realistic conclusions. This is an example of personification because realistic is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, conclusions. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence.

20. Continued… • Thirteenth Stanza: • Personification: Oriental humanity. This is an example of personification because Oriental is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, humanity. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Metaphor: A billion Chinese will NOT accept Christianity. But “no matter” … they’re just “Oriental” humanity. This is an example of a metaphor because it implies is. This sentence is saying that the Chinese is oriental humanity. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things.

21. Continued… • Sixteenth Stanza: • Personification: Dogmatically insistent. This is an example of personification because dogmatically is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, insistent. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Metaphor: EVERY religion’s believers are dogmatically insistent. This is an example of a metaphor because the sentence implies is. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things. • Nineteenth Stanza: • Simile: Eternity as dust. This is an example of a simile because it is a direct comparison between two thing using as. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things. • Personification: Hellish heaven. This is an example of personification because hellish is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, heaven. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence.

22. Continued… • Twentieth Stanza: • Metaphor: The world’s pompous and crafty. This is an example of a metaphor because the phrase implies is. The world is pompous and crafty. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things. • Twenty first Stanza: • Metaphor: For each “grain” of wheat there’d be a mountain of “chaff”. This is an example of a metaphor because it implies is. One grain of wheat is a mountain of chaff. The effect of this phrase is very significant considering that it helps form an image in the readers mind by comparing two things. • Personification: Worldly pleasure. This is an example of personification because worldly is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, pleasure. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence.

23. Continued… • Twenty second Stanza: • Apostrophe: Fear of hell’s fire. This is an example of apostrophe because the inanimate object, hell, is addressed as if it were alive. This technique of addressing inanimate or animate objects as if they were present or alive is excellent at portraying qualities of certain things. • Twenty third Stanza: • Personification: Long morbid Story. This is an example of personification because long and morbid are life like characteristics attributed to the inanimate object, story. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence. • Personification: Pompous impostor. This is an example of personification because pompous is a life like characteristic attributed to the inanimate object, impostor. The technique of giving inanimate objects life like characteristics help give the reader a three dimensional image of the sentence.

24. MY opinion of the poem • I thought this poem presented great opinion and facts from the writer and that the writer felt very strongly about some of the issues presented in the poem such as technology, environmental concerns and poverty as well as religious beliefs and history. In effect, I choose the poem because I thought it would be interesting to interpret and present although it was overly long.

25. questions • 1. What does the title tell us about the subject matter of the poem? • 2. The mood of the poem is the feeling and emotions that the poem evokes. What is the mood in this poem and what words or phrases evoke the mood for you? • 3. Find three examples of personification in the poem. • 4. Find an example of alliteration in the poem. • 5. What is the theme of the poem? • 6. Why might have the poet choose to put some of the words in capital letters? What is the effect of this action? • 7. What does Theocracy mean and what is the effect of this word? (Stanza 11, line 44)

26. Dictionary • Repugnant: Highly distasteful; offensive; objectionable; contrary, as is character; standing or being in opposition. • Respite: A temporary intermission of labour or suffering; a time or relief or rest; delay; postponement. • Abhorrent: Struck with abhorrence; hating; detesting. • Extols: To raise up, to endure, to tolerate. To praise; to laud; to applaud; to eulogize; to magnify; to glorify. • Contrition: The condition of being contrite; sincere; Sorrow for and detestation of sin with a true purpose of amendment. • Ennobles: To make noble; to raise to nobility; to dignify; to elevate in degree, qualities or excellence. • Vile: Wicked; evil; offensive; very bad. • Genocidal: Deliberate mass murder of race, people or minority groups.

27. Continued… • Perplexing: To confuse mentally; to cause to be bewildered over what is not understood or certain. • Vexing: To be annoying, To puzzle or confuse. • Incongruous: Inharmonious in character; inconsonant; inconsistent; out of place; inappropriate; unbecoming; lacking harmony. • Dichotomy: Division into two parts or categories, classification by division, or by successive sub division, into two mutually exclusive groups or sections. • Lobotomy: A treatment for some psychic disorders involving cutting of certain nerve fibers in the brain. • Sentience: The state of being sentient; the capability for perceiving or feeling; consciousness without involving though. • Divinity: The state of being divine; divineness; deity; god head; divine element; divine nature; a celestial being; awe-inspiring character or influence; sacredness. • Aesthetic: Pertaining to the study of taste or beauty; pertaining to the sense of the beautiful.

28. Continued… • Acuity: Sharpness; acuteness; a keen sense of perception. • Profusion: Rich abundance; great amount. • Theocracy: Government of a state claimed to be by the immediate direction of God or another deity; government by priests or by an ecclesiastical institution claiming to be divinely directed. • Atheistic: One who professes atheism or disbelief in god. • Adherents: One who adheres; one who follows a leader, a party, cause or profession; a follower or partisan. • Forlorn: Abandoned; bereft; unhappy; miserable; wretched, as in feeling, condition or appearance. • Torrid: Subject to parching or burning heat of the sun; Torrid deserts; parching or burning; oppressively hot as in climate. • Maimed: To deprive of the use of a limb; to mutilate, cripple, or disable; to render defective.

29. Continued… • Pious: Having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest regard for religious obligations; sacred; devout; religious. • Hypocrites: One who practices hypocrisy. • Hypocrisy: The act or practice of simulating or feigning feelings or beliefs, the false appearance of piety or virtue; dissimulation; insincerity. • Morbid: Affected by or characteristic of disease. • Cynicisms: The practice of a cynic; a morose contempt of the pleasures and arts of life. • Pompous: Exhibiting an exaggerated sense of dignity.