blog #7

All of these works had a theme of either desire or of the feeling of loneliness. In both the poem “This is Just to Say” and the story “Love Medicine” both deal with this idea of desire and giving into our temptations. In E.E. Cummings poem “1(a”, the idea of loneliness is personified through its structure and theme, which it conveys.
In the poem “1(a”, when you first look at the poem the structure is lonely with some lines only including only one letter. After reading it, the image of a single falling leaf floating alone to the ground. But the image is made even lonelier because it is also separated from the rest of the poem by parenthesis and is surrounded by the number one. All aspects of this poem invoke the feeling of loneliness.
In the poem “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams, the idea of temptation is explored. After the first reading of the poem, the first image that struck my mind was that of Adam and Eve. This original sin that is in us all, the temptations that all humans have within them and the fulfilling of them even when you know it is wrong. This poem is like an apology note. This man at the plums that he knew he should not, but although he knew it was bad, it made that that more delicious. The last stanza of this poem is the most important I believe in demonstrating the feeling of giving into our temptations. “Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold,” this stanza show that although he know what he did was wrong it was worth it. With all temptations, they are bad because of how much you want them and how amazing you know they will be or because of how they will make you feel.
In the last work that we had to read, the story “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich, this theme of temptation is presented again. The grandfather in this story is slowly growing older and with his growing age his mind diminished as well. What was left of the grandfathers’ mind was no longer with his family. His temptations had led him elsewhere. In a despite attempt to bring his love and mind back to his wife and the main and grandson and the narrator of the story. To do this they decide to take the hearts of two geese, which mate for life, and have the grandmother eat the male heart while the grandmother would eat the females. But the plan proved harder than they anticipated. They ended up buying two turkey hearts, but instead of bringing the grandfather closer it led to his demise. The hearts, which they wanted to bring the grandfather back into their arms, ended up taking him away forever. This story brings together both elements of temptation and the idea of loneliness.
All these works explore these themes of loneliness and desire. All of them incorporate them in different ways but the ideas and endings all connect to show the effects of both emotions.