Why I Am Not A Painter?
In this poem, the narrator describes the difference in perspective a painter and a poet have. He starts the poem by mentioning how he is a poet but would like to be a painter.
The poem contains a conversation between the narrator and a painter, Mike Goldberg. The narrator visits the painter while he is working and asks various questions about the piece he is working on. One day, the narrator sees Mike Goldberg working on a piece which has sardines in it and at first he is confused about why someone would chose to paint sardines. The painters answers by telling the narrator that there "needs to be something there’’ and thus the sardines are a good subject just like any other. When the narrator comes again, he sees that the sardines are gone and they are replaced by something else.
The second stanza is used to show how the poem is unable to understand the painter. The poet does not see the value in the subject chosen by the painter and does not understand the change in the subject either. The idea transmitted here is that the narrator does not see the artistic value in the subject chosen by the painter but does not criticizes him.
The last stanza is used to present the perspective of the painter. In these lines, the narrator talks about his creative process and how an idea, a poem about a color, can turn into a whole collection of poems that have nothing to do with the initial idea.
In this sense, the creative process is similar with that of the painter, who gave up the initial subject and chose to portray something else entirely.
Thus, while in the first two stanzas the general idea was that there was a big difference between a painter and a poet, the end of the poem proves this not to be true.
Poem (Lana Turner has collapsed!)
(For an in-depth summary and analysis, see our ClassicNote to this poem)
In this poem, the action is set in New York and the narrator is rushing to meet with an unnamed person. The weather takes a turn for the worst and suddenly it is raining and snowing which makes it difficult for the narrator to walk.
During this walk, the narrator sees a headline about Lana Turner, claiming she collapsed. It is implied that the reason why she collapsed is because she was partying and drinking too much but the narrator refuses to believe this was the case since he also has a similar lifestyle and he was never on the verge of collapsing.
This poem thus transmits the idea that a chaotic lifestyle can eventually lead to the fall from grace of a person. It also transmits the idea that many are reluctant to believe that their lifestyle if to blame for their end and chose to blame something else entirely. This lack of responsibility is what causes for many to go down a path they can never return from ever again.
Lana may also be a symbol for the American dream and her fall from grace thus may symbolize the inability to reach it.
Walking to work
The poem takes place on a morning, when the narrator is walking on the streets of New York. Like in other poems, he addresses an unknown person, asking him or her questions. The walk described here is a symbolic one and is presented as being the crossing from darkness into the light. The narrator passes into the light at the end of the poem, leaving the other side behind. While it is not explained what the dark side represent, it could stand for the lack of innovation and literary talent or inspiration.
Augusts
The poem entitled "Augusts’’ may be centered around the Roman ruler Augusts who took Cesar’s place after he was killed. In the first stanza of the poem, Augusts is described sitting in a castle, the sun blazing above him. The castle is described as being ‘’drafty’’ and yet homely and warm, a description which contrasts with Augusts, who has icy fingers and created shadows through the vines he sends in the castle. This description transmits the idea that Augusts’ rule brought forth a dark period for the people, an era which replaced the warmth that existed until then.
In the second stanza it is described the "night of Augusts’’, a time filled with screams and pain. The waterfalls stilled before him and gave their crowns to Augusts. The waterfalls may be used here as a symbol for the powerful people of the time who suffered under the rule of Augusts and who had to give up their crowns or their possessions for the new ruler.
The last stanza describes the way in which Augusts was influenced by the people around him and their counsel. The advices the people gave Augusts are compared with daggers which found their way into the soul of Augusts. These words influenced him so much that he became one with his crown, or rather one with the people who advised him to do one thing or another.
Homosexuality
The first stanza of the poem is a question addressed by the narrator to other people who are similar to him. The narrator asks them if they are going to take their masks off and yet refuse to speak up. This shows that even though the people in the poem are ready to come out, they are not yet prepared to do it fully and are still afraid.
The people who take down their masks have to face the cries of ‘’old cows’’ that is the judgment of the rest of the world. The men in the poem try to ignore the sounds but are unable to and they turn to ice, or rather they become insensitive to everything that is happening around them.
The end of the poem is important because the narrator uses the last two lines as a conclusions and also the reveal the reason why so many would willingly expose themselves. The reason why they do this is because they "want to be wanted more than anything else in the world.’’ In this sense, the subjects in the poem are similar to the rest of the world because all they want from life is to find their place and feel loved.
