On the subway sharon olds annotation. What does the poem "On the Subway" by Sharon Olds mean from a historical point of view? 2022-10-16

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"On the Subway" by Sharon Olds is a poem that explores the concept of identity and the way it is shaped by societal expectations and norms. The poem is written in the first person, with the speaker recounting their experience of riding the subway and observing the diverse group of people around them.

One of the main themes of the poem is the idea that people often feel the need to conform to certain roles or expectations in order to fit in with society. The speaker notes that the people on the subway "seem to know their places," suggesting that they are aware of the societal roles they are expected to play and are doing their best to fulfill them. This is particularly evident in the description of the young woman who is "trying to look like a woman" and the man who is "trying to look like a man." Both individuals are attempting to present a specific image of themselves that conforms to societal expectations of what a woman or a man should look like.

Another theme in the poem is the idea that people's identities are often shaped by the things they own or the jobs they have. The speaker mentions the "polished shoes" of the businessmen, which symbolize their wealth and status, as well as the "tool belt" of the worker, which signifies their profession. These material possessions serve as markers of identity, helping to define who these people are in the eyes of others.

The speaker's own identity is also explored in the poem. The speaker mentions feeling "strange" and "out of place" on the subway, suggesting that they do not fully fit in with the other passengers. This may be because the speaker does not conform to traditional gender roles or because they do not have the same material possessions as the other people on the subway.

In conclusion, "On the Subway" by Sharon Olds is a thought-provoking poem that delves into the complex issue of identity and the ways in which it is shaped by societal expectations and norms. Through the speaker's observations of the diverse group of people on the subway, the poem highlights the ways in which people's identities are often defined by the roles they play and the possessions they have.

Sharon Olds

on the subway sharon olds annotation

Closing the poem demonstrates human isolation resulting in loneliness and cruelty to each other. For American society to flourish, black and. However, she uses the segregation that was going around in the American culture at the time as the races come to be "stuck on opposite sides". Their loss is unimaginable, these guardians of the Chagos Archipelago. Sharon attempts this by using literary techniques like imagery, simile, and tone.

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Poem Analysis: Sharon Olds On The Subway

on the subway sharon olds annotation

The contrast of the image is embodied in contradiction of black to white, in shoes, clothes, cars and power. When the train arrives to the station I get nervous and I turn around to avoid seeing it because for a reason that I do not know the train makes me feel uncomfortable and I get anxious. The curfew law was put into place after the complaints and the youth became outraged. When he was little, Richard has faced terrors a young child should never interfere with. He lived fighting for what he wanted and he acted a certain way to white's, just to assure them that he knew his place in life. On the other hand, despite being shameful, she is also quite fearful of the male too.

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On The Subway

on the subway sharon olds annotation

In this way is comes to form, alongside other poems of Howe's a study about a certain kind of loss and the recuperative efforts of memory, alongside the certainty of the failure of this recuperation. By doing that she uses imagery by describing the appearance of both characters. Join author of Poetry Should Ride the Bus, Ruth Forman in making poetry an everyday thing. Consequently, women still did not receive equal rights. I will compare and contrast George Tooker's The Subway, and Cyril E. The use of the adjective " intentional" denotes that Analysis Of Poem Analysing 1483 Words 6 Pages The essay will consider the poem 'Practising' by the poet Mary Howe. Have you ever encountered a stranger and wondered how different their life may be from yours? Saying that the male could take her fur coat, briefcase, and her life easily.


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On The Subway Sharon Olds Summary

on the subway sharon olds annotation

Her work provided a strong, militant yet African-American feel that was manifested through her writing. He was exposed to only upper-class blacks and mostly benevolent whites. Police were at these riots and many people were handcuffed and hauled off to jail. The final lines of the poem are the reflection of contemporary feelings of black people suffering prejudices throughout the world. As for the narrator's thoughts, the organization outlines whats going on inside her head. They seem to reflect the thoughts and emotions of the poem and the author. It is the depiction of a subway station and features: a policeman and another figure next to a figure in a ticket booth and some turnstiles; two figures passing each other on some stairs descending to a lower level; a figure just entering into view via steps to the back left.

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"On the Subway" Poem by Sharon Olds

on the subway sharon olds annotation

Power's The Tube Train. The enjambments, although simple, give the poem a much more powerful meaning, by showing the harshness of the reality for blacks during this time period. While some readers of these pieces of literature may believe that character interaction shows no relation to theme relativity; a closer inquiry demonstrates that through characters such as Stella and Stanley, Mama and Dee, and Gene and Finny, an… Subway Secondary Research It divides the market into six principle categories by type of food: sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fish and chips, chicken, and other fast food or takeaway. The poet says how the man's shoes are "laced with white". Through imagery, poetic devices, and organization, the author takes readers on a journey with the narrator.

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"On the Subway" by Sharon Olds

on the subway sharon olds annotation

The author highlights the altering views held by the father and the son through the use of shifting points of view and the intended structure. The daughter thinks of herself as white. Therefore, it could be seen as mirroring the Park's incident by placing the poem in a similar setting. Society should be able to use poetry as a benefit to their lives on a regular basis. Using these modes of rhetoric both writers are able to communicate a common theme of being or fearful of what the future holds for them. Stereotypes By Brent Staples 193 Words 1 Pages The main idea of this entry is about the stereotypes that come along with racism.

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Sharon Olds

on the subway sharon olds annotation

He also uses organization to reveal how the white woman changed her mind from the beginning of the poem to the end. The white laces of the black man's shoes make a pattern like "intentional scars," a reference to the beatings and whippings that blacks were subjected to during slavery and in the Jim Crow south. Learn More Main Text Sharon Olds highlighted the theme of racial inequalities by contrasting the characters of the poem, their origin, apparent disparities and culture. First of all, the title of the poem On the Subway hints the readers what to expect. Integrating parataxis at the opening of the story lets McKnight arrange fragments that play off of each other and also be direct and declarative; additionally, the transparent nature of this emphasizes that McKnight is not going to beat around the bush about the important subject of race that he expands upon with this piece of literature. There, Keats could concentrate on his poems without disturbance yet also watch and listen. Olds uses imagery for the readers to imagine two different worlds and how one reacts to the other.

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On The Subway Poem Analysis

on the subway sharon olds annotation

The burning logs correlates to the life within her partner, that as long as they burn, he will be kept alive. Here, it is clear that the speaker is trying to gain an understanding of the relationship between the white world and that of the black boy. She realizes how her feed affects everything she does and how without it, she would be incapable. Poetry should be familiar to everyone and looked at as a mundane concept. In these both stories, color line issue is clear because each protagonist has light-skinned mulatto weather man or woman. Sharon attempts this by using literary techniques like imagery, simile, and tone.


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On The Subway Sharon Olds

on the subway sharon olds annotation

Thus, the poem effectively depicts the way less powerful females are in the society. The only difference between the poem and both the past and today is that the speaker is able to put herself in the shoes of the young man. By using literature techniques such as tone, poetic devices, imagery, and organization, she paints a contrast between a white woman and the black male. At the same time however, Poetry and painting are also similar. Knowledge And Experience In Richard Wright's Black Boy 1588 Words 7 Pages One day Richard sees his boss and the son are beating a black woman because of her loan. This technique portrays the somewhat negative mood of the short story but also highlights the first matter at hand, racism. Pauline Tolentino English 20 AP Mrs.

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On The Subway Sharon Olds Analysis

on the subway sharon olds annotation

. This first How Does Sharon Olds Use Symbols In On The Subway Edson Mata "On the Subway" In "On the Subway," Sharon Olds shows the distinctions of two people using artistic gadgets, for example, analogies, symbolism, and imagery. I am wearing dark fur, the whole skin of an animal taken and used. The Ex-Colored man living in an all black community discovered three classes of blacks; the desperate class, the domestic…. The storyteller's musings give more top to bottom comprehension to how society treat the general population that are "comparable" to the kid. A character is a caricature. In the poem"On the Subway", Sharon Olds uses Caucasians and African-Americans.

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