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Crystal
What I think the poem “Moose” means is that Elizabeth is on
a bus with a bunch of people on a cold wintery evening. It’s a soothing poem that relaxes you as if you were reading
a book or something. I like the way Elizabeth describes a woman who entered the bus, and the noises on the bus to the noises
outside of her window. In the second part of the stanza there is some rhyming words, and also towards the end of the poem
as well. The tone of this poem to me is that she is talking in a low, but calm voice as if she was talking to herself. Towards
the end of the stanza she talks about a moose that could be walking or running by, and staking out the bus because the moose
don’t know what it is. The last four parts of the stanza is a little confusing because it goes from the bus to talking
about a man who possibly was an alcoholic or something, and then he died. Some of the poems that I have already read from
Elizabeth Bishop are interesting and some are confusing because she describes everything she sees or does in her own way.
Elizabeth could also be talking about herself or family because she had to travel to place to place to get to her grandparents
houses.
Jesse
In the poem “The Moose” by Elizabeth Bishop, Elizabeth
is in a pure observation mode. She describes everything she sees around her, first a beauty of the nature around her, the
problems normal humans emotions express to the troubles in life and the quiet sincerity as a moment can seem to give joy to
those who can see.
The Poem was dedicated to her aunt Grace Bulmer Bowers, who died before the poem could be finished.
It was considered by critics to be one of her finest. Elizabeth rhymes throughout the poem as well, making reading a bit easier
to me.
“Where if the river enters or retreats in a wall of brown foam” Elizabeth describes the place she is
at, not just at nature itself but “where” they are. In the first four stanzas Elizabeth seems to set in, or hint
at where the poem takes place, from the emotion of the bay to where the sea turn red if the sun is right. Elizabeth talks
as if the sea itself is a person, how the bay is “coming in” or “not at home” bringing me to even
see that she is linked to these areas, the land to even the soul.
We then see she is on a bus, looking around at all
the different types of passengers on board, not by what they look like but what they say. The concept or tone of death in
administered into this later section of the poem. As she listens to the conversation, none of them are quite alive but very
quiet and grim. This section could mean to contrast the first half of the poem, showing how beautiful nature can look, while
now we listen to human nature.
One part I came across was “Talking, in Eternity:”that is the first part
to the many lists of problems that are mentioned within the rest of the poem. It could mean a conversation that is timeless,
the time era is not significant and all generations can relate to one or the other. Elizabeth could be viewing what human
nature is all together, in the very real literal ways of it being death and life.
The appearance of the moose is quite
interesting. I think the use of the animal was because of its mighty stature and grace for such a giant of an animal. All
the passengers stare at the animal, being quiet to not startle the creature. The moose breaks the human aspect of life, just
for a moment for everybody just to observe the moose and the moment.
“Why, why do we feel (we all feel) this
sweet sensation of joy?” Elizabeth asks the question, but it is already answered; we all have human problems that result
in human emotions that can set off a chain reaction of human conclusions and mistakes, the moose is a symbol of sincerity
or even hope that we all can capture the moment and give us joy.
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Our Favorite Poems
Jesse
 This poem is short, yet has
the same meaning universally to anybody who listens to music. The poem expresses Elizabeth’s desire to hear music or
play it, relating the calm, healing ways of music to that of water.
“I am in the need of music
that flows” is already hinting at what music does; flows like water. Elizabeth continues her lust for music with how
her body starts to react; “fretful, feeling fingertips” and “bitter-tainted, trembling lips” she is
getting anxious just thinking about it. The music is like healing to her to maybe help her with old wounds of the past, or
even to help her rest as she says “a song sung for the tired dead” helping her dream and mend. The last part of
the first section said that the music is like “water on her head” to help her “quivering limbs, dream flushed
to glow” that could mean either she wants to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated as her limbs are healed and her
body renewed.
I loved the first part due to
how it relates to me so much. I love music, I like all sorts and no matter my mood, there is music for every type of mood.
It can heal; it can calm your soul and make you feel even a sense of accomplishment just by hearing a single song or stringing
a single note on a guitar.
The second half seems to me
that it deals more with the inner soul or essence of music that it has on someone. I think Elizabeth goes in a type of dream
like state and she continues to express her inner most feelings for music through the use of not only water, but such as “A
spell of rest, and quiet breath and cool”. Music is like magic to her, near the end, she digs deeper into the meaning
of her poem. “Heart, that sinks through fading colors deep” she could
be at total peace with herself, music is the only things with her, she gets lost in it. “Stillness of the sea”
is what her mood is at now, calm and relaxed. She dives deeper and deeper, as she floats; she sleeps “Held in the arms
of rhythm and sleep”.
Love the last part; it connects
to what music can really do with any sort of person. It’s magic, its stillness, its calm nature as it can dream off
a person into a bottomless sea of dream and wonder. It makes people forget their troubles, if even for a moment, and bring
calmness to the soul to heal it. The last part “Held in the arms of rhythm
and sleep” paints a perfect overall picture to what music does to us all.
Crystal
My favorite poem that I like best is the poem called, “The Weed”
because it explains everything about her, and what she has gone through in life. She lost her family at a very young age,
and now she has to defend for herself and get through life to her fullest. She has had a lot of ups and downs in her life
that she accomplished what she could without having much family support. In the part Elizabeth says, “the rooted heart
began to change”, I interpret it as she lost everything and it’s just another issue that she has to overcome in
her life. The whole stanza of the poem is good, and it explains who she is.
Another poem that I liked is called, “View
of the Capital from the Library of Congress”, because it’s talking about a happy time; maybe a parade going down
a quite street in her neighborhood, or that Elizabeth is happy about something that had happened to her. Possibly a law that
has passed so the whole town is in a good mood. In the third part of the poem there is some rhyming in the last two parts,
and the last part of the stanza in the poem “boom boom’ is what makes me think that something good is going on,
or that she is looking out the window where she can see a tall white building that has to do with the congress and that there
is a big party going on, and you can see it through the window.
Our Least Favorite
Crystal
My least favorite poem was
called, “While Someone Telephones”, because I somewhat interpret it as she is lost on what sexuality she should
go with. Should she love a man or woman? This is what I get out of reading this poem. Not only does her heart want to belong
to someone but she is not quite sure. The whole stanza of the poem is about finding love or herself.
Another least favorite
poem for me would have to be “The Unbeliever”, because it’s a little confusing; could she be talking about
an animal or a bird that is afraid. I say this because it doesn’t what to move. Elizabeth could be talking about a person
as well or even herself. In the stanza she says, “the spangled sea below wants me to fall”, I interpret it as
there’s a little devil on her shoulder, and it is telling her that she doesn’t have anyone so go ahead and jump.
On the other hand, the whole poem was okay and a little confusing.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-weed/
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/view-of-the-capitol-from-the-library-of-congress/
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/while-someone-telephones/
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-unbeliever/
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