anthology

Student 1

Literature Student

Professor Kimberly Carter

LIT2000

12/14/20

Introduction

This anthology will provide a summary of different poems by different authors to help facilitate understanding of the relationship between parents or guardian and their children. These are all poems and the concept of family ties them together.Family is a vital component of our society and as such, it is worth noting that proper conservation of family must be done. Family is important to any individual because it helps molds them to an outstanding citizen and human. This will help them decide what decisions to make in life and what path to choose when in a difficult situation. Family has a plays a heavy role in someone’s life. In the poems that are summarized below, it is shown that family goes through whatever obstacle to help and connect with family. There may be some problems and fights, but at the end of the day everything that is learned is through our parents and family members.

Anthology of Family Poems

Baca, Jimmy Santiago. "Green Chile." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J.

Mays. 13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.850-851.

In this poem, Baca narrates how his grandmother cooked green chile. The poem focuses on memories and Baca uses this to rekindle the memories of his grandmother cooking green chile, in appreciation of his cultural background. The chile is used to show maturity. Baca's parents abandoned him at the age of two, and therefore, he lived with his grandparents until he was thirteen. This means that his grandparents acted more or less like parents to him. This poem is relevant to my anthology because it describes family life problems and the relationship between children and foster parents or guardians. Baca compares the youth in this poem with the unripe green chile. The red chile represents maters of maturity and the author also highlights the significance of the age difference between red and green chile.

Student 2

Collins, Martha. "Lies." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J. Mays. 13th ed.

New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.855.

In this poem, Martha employs wordplay and diction to illustrate that it is better, to tell the truth than a lie. This poem is relevant to my anthology because it helps to instill moral beliefs in the individuals. The art of telling the truth originates from primary to secondary and tertiary institutions and is normally linked to the role of parents and their relationship to the children. She depicts the story of an affair between a man and a woman. For instance, in the line “ but it is a lie for her to say she laid him when we know he wouldn’t lie still long enough” (p.855). There is a play of words with “lie” in that line, but it all originates from how the individual was taught to carry out such actions.

Espada, Martin. "Of the Threads That Connect the Stars." The Norton Introduction to Literature.

Edited by Kelly J. Mays. 13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.848.

In this poem, Espada gives an account of how three generations of his family finally got what provides meaning to their lives. The poem is relevant to my anthropology because it focuses on family and the interactions between the lives of the three men who have a common origin. The poem celebrates the three men and their different ways in which they visualize and interact with the world. The poem also highlights the changes in our lives which occur without even being realized. The speaker notes that they “never saw the stars” which had been asked by his father, probably because “the sky in Brooklyn was full of some.”

Grosholz, Emily. "Eden." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J. Mays. 13th

ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.848-849.

In this poem, Grosholz describes a situational relationship that normally exists between a teen growing up and a mother. Normally, teenagers believe that their mothers can fix everything that has gone wrong and this is evident by the repetitive remarks of the narrator that “his mommy going to fix it.” This also shows the youthful optimism in teenagers over their parents. This poem is important and relevant to my anthology because it illustrates the relationship between parents and children especially child-mother relationships. The mother, however, adopts an apologetic tone explaining to the child that she is “powerless,” although she may appear to be omnipotent like God and fix any minor problems arising with band-aids, masking tape, and pills. The mother explains that in this world “full of fabulous great and curious small inhabitants,” there is also some pain, corruption, and evil that not even she could protect him from.

Student 3

Hayden, Robert. "Those Winter Sundays." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by

Kelly J. Mays. 13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.846.

This poem by Robert Hayden focuses on memory and the relationship between a father and his son, which makes it relevant to my anthology. The father is concerned about the welfare of his son and therefore wakes up early every Sunday to dutifully make fire and polish the good shoes for his son, before making his way to church. Later in life, the child becomes aware of the hardships and sacrifices his father made for him to shape his future. The speaker unveils to us just how typical his Sundays were those days and it is evident that his father made a lot of sacrifices to shape his future. The farther bears a cross. The phrase “then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather” (p. 846), demonstrates how enduring the farther was and how he strived to make ends meet.

Hudgins, Andrew. "Begotten." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J. Mays.

13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.853.

In the poem “Begotten” by Andrew Hudgins, Hudgins describes how best he knows he belongs to his family. In the poem, he says “I saw my face in cousin’s faces” (p.853). In this context, Hudgins reaffirms to us that he hails from the right family. He further expresses that he can see a resemblance between him and his cousins. The author further reaffirms his membership to the family when he says, “as in a myth or novel, return and claim me” (p.853). This is to means that there would be nobody looking for him because he is where he belongs.It shows how good family can make us feel. In the poem he accepts that this is “family”. This poem is included in the anthology because it shows that a relationship and/or a connection amongst family is important. It makes us feel wanted and helps us in the future with our own family.

Larkin, Philip. "This Be the Verse." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J.

Mays. 13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.849.

The poem “This Be the Verse,” was published in 1971 and highlights the avenues through which parents pass their shortcomings and emotional complications to their children who again pass their misery and problems to their filial generations. This poem is relevant to my anthology since it tackles the very complex life scenarios in relationships between parents and their siblings. The narrator suggests that the only safer way to get out of the circle is by “failing to give birth”. However, parents only pass it down to the generation because they had been

Student 4

emotionally damaged during their childhood by their parents and as such cannot own up to the blame.

Ortiz, Simon J. "My Father's Song." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J.

Mays. 13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.845-846.

In this poem, Ortiz gives us a glimpse of a world that is far from our own. The father’s song in the poem refers to his vast knowledge in the cornfield and the care of life as a whole. This poem illustrates the relationship between a father and a son. It is focused on the idea of the value of all living creatures and the responsibility when growing up. The father is teaching his son how to survive by gaining experience in working on cornfields. Additionally, the poem highlights the importance of the life of other creatures to a man. This is shown by the care taken by the father as he moves the mice to a safer place. The phrase “and my father saying things…” (Ortiz,2019, p. 846) shows how the father talks to and educates his son on the things that he must know as a man when he grows up. This poem is relevant to my anthology because it talks about family relationships between parents and their children. This poem shows how the son remembers his father’s actions and words.

Smith, Charlie. "The Business." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J. Mays.

13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.852.

In this poem, Smith narrates the shaky relationship between his father and his uncle. The narrator notes that the two did not get along easily and this went on for decades. The phrase “for years, they kept at it.” shows how persistent these misunderstandings had lasted. This poem is vital and important to my anthology in that it addresses the relationship situation between two siblings who should come together in accord. The author notes that it is her grandfather who caused more problems between the two brothers. In this poem it states that this feud seemed to be more important than living life itself. The only thing that helped was family trying to make them realize what they are doing. Family can be tricky to get along with, but the memories last a lifetime.

Voigt, Ellen Bryant. "My Mother." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Edited by Kelly J.

Mays. 13th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2019. p.846-847.

This poem is also based on memory. The narrator showcases how her mother struggled and endured hardships to provide for the children. This poem is relevant to my anthropology in that it focuses on family relationships between a mother and her children. In this poem the theme

Student 5

of resistance and female power is strong. It shows that the mother would do anything to get to her goal and that was a great example for the kids to watch.This poem also shows all the events a mother would do on a daily basis. It shows the relationship between mother and child. The mother could do anything and so she did. Anything to help her family.