I am supposed to give a literal explanation of this poem, but I am really confused by it. Your help will be much appreciated.
Snow & Ice by Quincy Troupe
ice sheets sweep this slick mirrored dark place
space as keys that turn in tight, trigger
pain of situations
where we move ever so slowly
so gently into time — traced agony
the bright turning of imagination
so slowly
grooved through revolving doors, opening up to enter
mountains where spirits walk voices, ever so slowly
swept by cold, breathing fire
as these elliptical moments of illusion
link fragile loves sunk deep in snows as footprints
the voice prints cold black gesticulations
bone bare voices
chewed skeletal choices
in fangs of piranha gales
spewing out slivers of raucous laughter
glinting bright as hard polished silver nails
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Look at all the imagery! This is a marvelous study in literary devices. After you write what you are able to understand, we will be glad to critique it.
P.S. Go to this site and slide down to page 10 with Poetic Terms, types of poems.
tuhs.ttsd.k12.or.us/library/tuhslib/researchpacket/lit_termsppacket_9_03.pd...
Because it is a pdf file, you will have to download it. The http is so long that it is best to edit, copy and paste it into your browser's window.
So from that I am reading, a sheet of ice covers the ground, and perhaps someone is walking somewhere. This person maybe homeless an is awaiting death. The speaker is freezing from the cold outside.
Sorry, its hard for me to understand the literal and even the symbolic meaning of the poem. Im not sure if any of this is even close to being right
And I cant find page 10 iwht Poetic terms on it...
Hello? Am I still being helped?
Hello again! We are not sitting here, unfortunately, waiting for a response from you! To find page 10, you have to download the pdf file first, open it and move the cursor down to page 10. You ARE still being helped and other volunteer teachers will respond to you, I'm sure, when they read your post. Perhaps if you try to imagine and sketch the scene you can understand it better.
If you have ever lived in an area with a lot of snow, sleet, ice (there have been huge storms in the eastern USA this winter), you can also understand the allusions here. The poet was born in St. Louis, Mo which may or may not have had severe winter storms.
Imagine, if you will, the polar ice-cap, even Alaska where it can be dark many more hours than sunny. Ice would be slippery so you would have to be careful not to slip. Snow could be deep so you have to trudge slowly through it. (Have you ever tried snowshoes?) It can be so cold that it will "burn" you = frostbite. Probably not many people out in it so it could be very silent.
There are, of course, words here you won't understand. Get a good dictionary, look up the definition and/or examples to help your imagination. You do have good ideas so don't give up!
Sorry for my absence
But I have found page 10 and read the terms and definitions
So is this poem about the speaker walking out in the snow and talking about the thing he is seeing and feeling?
No problem, I'm here to help! Based on your understanding and the imagery in the poem, it does seem like the speaker is walking out in the snow and describing what they see and feel. The poem creates a cold and desolate atmosphere with its references to "ice sheets" and "slick mirrored dark place." The speaker also talks about the slow and painful movements in this environment, which suggests the weight and difficulty of walking in the snow.
Additionally, there are hints of loneliness and isolation in the poem. The mention of "mountains where spirits walk voices" and "fragile loves sunk deep in snows as footprints" suggests a sense of longing and loss. The mention of "elliptical moments of illusion" implies that these experiences and connections are fleeting and transient.
The use of poetic devices such as alliteration (repetition of sounds) with "bright turning of imagination" and "chewed skeletal choices" adds to the imagery and impact of the poem. The writer also makes use of metaphor, comparing the glinting laughter to "hard polished silver nails."
Overall, the poem seems to offer a contemplation of the harshness and beauty of winter, as well as the challenges and emotions that can arise in such a setting. It invites readers to reflect on themes of isolation, transience, and the power of nature.