[What horror to awake at night]

1. [What horror to awake at night] By: Ian Hall

2. Lorine’s background • Lorine Niedecker was born on May 12, 1903. As a child, her parents started to separate from one another and her father started to see other people. She liked poetry because of a high school English teacher, who got her into it. She continued on with college where she was in a poetry debate club until she came back to her home with her mom to care for her. Throughout her life she only had 4 books of poetry published throughout her life. She lived a quite life and eventually retired toa small apartment until she died in 1970.

3. Poem’s Structure • What horror to awake at night 3 Stanza’s • and in the dimness see the light. • Time is white 15 lines • mosquitoes bite • I’ve spent my life on nothing. • The thought that stings. How are you, Nothing, Lyric Poem • sitting around with Something’s wife. • Buzz and burn Ballad • is all I learn • I’ve spent my life on nothing. • I’m pillowed and padded, pale and puffing • lifting household stuffing— • carpets, dishes • benches, fishes • I’ve spent my life in nothing.

4. Stanza 1 What horror to awake at night A and in the dimness see the light. A Time is white B mosquitoes bite B I’ve spent my life on nothing. C • This is the first stanza’s rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme is the rhyme in the poem. This one has end rhyme, rhyme at the end of each line. This stanza has imagery, a metaphor, and rhythm.

5. Stanza 1 in depth What horror to awake at night A and in the dimness see the light. A Time is white B mosquitoes bite B I’ve spent my life on nothing. C Imagery is the line, “time is white,” and that is also a metaphor. Time isn’t really white, and the image is this, the rhythm is just with the rhyme scheme.

6. Stanza 1 cont. • What horror to awake at night A • and in the dimness see the light. A • Time is white B • mosquitoes bite B • I’ve spent my life on nothing. C • The stanza in the figurative meaning, is talking about waking up at night, and realizing that throughout your life, you’ve wasted it on nothing. The literal meaning is the speaker wakes up at night and see some light in the dark.

7. Stanza 2 The thought that stings. How are you, Nothing, D sitting around with Something’s wife. E Buzz and burn F is all I learn F I’ve spent my life on nothing. G This stanza has repetition, imagery, and a rhythm.

8. Stanza 2 in depth The thought that stings. How are you, Nothing, D sitting around with Something’s wife. E Buzz and burn F is all I learn F I’ve spent my life on nothing. G The repetition in this stanza is the word “nothing,” the imagery line is “the thought that stings,” which makes me think it looks like and the rhythm is the rhyme at the end.

9. Stanza 2 cont. The thought that stings. How are you, Nothing, D sitting around with Something’s wife. E Buzz and burn F is all I learn F I’ve spent my life on nothing. G The stanza literal meaning is that the speakers thought hurts, and all she learned is to buzz and burn, and she has spent her life on nothing. The figurative meaning is that the speaker is thinking of how she spent her life on nothing, which hurts, and she only knows how to move around.

10. Stanza 3 I’m pillowed and padded, pale and puffing H lifting household stuffing— H carpets, dishes I benches, fishes I I’ve spent my life in nothing. J • This last stanza has rhythm, alliteration, and imagery.

11. Stanza 3 in depth I’m pillowed and padded, pale and puffing H lifting household stuffing— H carpets, dishes I benches, fishes I I’ve spent my life in nothing. J The alliteration is the first line, the rhythm is with the rhyme, and the imagery is the line “pale and puffing” which makes me think of something life this

12. Stanza 3 cont. I’m pillowed and padded, pale and puffing H lifting household stuffing— H carpets, dishes I benches, fishes I I’ve spent my life in nothing. J The Literal Meaning is the person is tired and has spent there life on nothing but household work. The figurative meaning is the speaker is tired of spending their life on doing everything for others, but nothing for herself.

13. That’s All!

14. Resources • http://www.lorineniedecker.org/biog.cfm • http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/lorine-niedecker • http://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/4779.htm • http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/niedecker/ • www.amara.com • www.selectquote.com • www.runnersworld.com • 7bigspoons.com