Project 1
Where the Rainbow Goes → Michiko Dead by Jack Gilbert
He lives as if he is riding the train to
where the rainbow lands. When the dark clouds
are over him, he looks beyond and into the light
of the colorful road that awaits. He kept his head
high never losing sight, he believed in what
was right. Afterward, high in the sky where the rainbow
lies, in the sky so blue, reminding him to keep
praying through. He does not let sadness take over
as it is gray. His heart beat will start to fade, but
God is on his side and he prays as his problems
turn to shade. But now when he looks in the sky, he
feels the rainbows because a rainbow only
comes after rain.
Vote → The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams
With the country on the line
Vote
A paper ballot is your
Voice
Votes counted no matter the
Choice
Do your duty and share your
Voice
Artist Statement
- I chose to emulate both these poems, The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams and Michiko Dead by Jack Gilbert in attempt to challenge myself in something new. The main obstacle was trying to portray my message with literature that is so short because often times I write and speak in extremely literal term in attempt to make sure the reader understands my point. Although thats the beauty in poetry it is so short but holds a powerful message behind it. It can be hard to understand at first glance/read although once you grapse it, you capture the meaning.
- Mimesis is a vital strategy that allowed me to expand my approach as a writer. I learned mimesis allowed me to gain an appreciation and knowledge of other authors by emulating their style and adapting to their style. I have learned that mimesis is a difficult process and it requires that you follow the style of the author, the dialogue, the diction, and the description of certain objects closely. Both of the poems, I emulated the authors work through similar sentence structures, dialogue, diction, and dramatic arc. Although at the beginning of this project, I was stuck — writers block. Selecting a topic that would be attention grabbing and able to deliver a profound message in such little amount of words. In both poems, the Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams and Michiko Dead by Jack Gilbert, I had to reread multiple times to fully understand the message and why he chose that topic with that theme and then emulate something that portrays the authors format. After online research and reading and finding inspiration from other writers and poems, I was able to develop my own story through poetry and emulate both authors writing.
- I chose to emulate the poem Michiko Dead by Jack Gilbert. Their is something so special with the words he uses to convey his message. Not to mention, the use of repetition throughout his poem building on the meaning and emphasizes the message as a whole. The entire poem was an extended metaphor telling his story and how he grieved a loved one. Though it does not expicitly say this, after doing research, I was able to learn more about his background. Jack Gilbert poem Michiko Dead is his story and he uses lines in the poem like “he can go on” to demonstrate the idea that grief is survivable, but only at the price of making it perpetual portrayed with the line “without ever putting the box down.” The poem is plain as can be, yet Gilbert captures all the evolving complexity of mourning in such a short poem. This poem inspired me which led me to write my emulated poem about rainbows because rainbows introduce us to reflections of different beautiful possibilities so we never forget that pain and grief are not the final options in life. It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel although the storm will pass and you will be left with a rainbow. In my emulation, the lines “afterward, high in the sky where the rainbow lies, in the sky so blue, reminding him to keep praying through” portrays the idea that he will get through this hard time. I used Jack Gilberts poem as an inspiration to write a poem emulating his style but also going off his poems theme.
- I chose to emulate The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams as the layout of the poem is unique and is essentially one sentence. The poem’s form — stretching a single sentence over several lines — reinforces its calm, meditative tone. It pushed me to slow down, to linger over the wheelbarrow in the same way the speaker does. The fact that the poem lacks punctuation and capitalization further suggests that the speaker is in a thoughtful and reflective state. After rereading, I reflected on the poem and I was able to depict the meaning of the poem and the author was able to use short phrase to describe the importance of laborers in our society as they depend of the red wheelbarrow. In the poem, the wheelbarrow is not simply wet, but “glazed” with “water.” It is not just outside, but “beside the white chickens.” The continuous re-framing of the wheelbarrow suggests that the speaker is encouraging the reader to look closer at the image at hand, and that there is more than meets the eye even when regarding something as mundane as a wheelbarrow. That being said, this is what led me to chose my topic that emulates this poem. Voting is an essential part of our world. It is our responsibility to share our voice and have an impact on our country. So much depends on who are President is meaning that much more depends on voicing your opinions and casting your vote. The hardest part for me when emulating this poem was the simplicity and length of the poem. However, I overcame this challenge by carefully lookingover and reflecting on The Red Wheelbarrow, and I tried to emulate the style, diction, and symbolism as closely as possible while portraying my message.
