AP Lit Poetry

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“There Was A Young Girl From St. Paul” by Anonymous

There was a young girl from St. Paul, Wore a newspaper-dress to a ball. The dress caught on fire And burned her entire Front page, sporting section and all.

The formal structure of this poem exists not in solitude, but in conduction with other elements to guide us towards the meaning and purpose that the anonymous author intended. 

This poem has an anapestic meter, which means that each foot has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. This type of meter is paired with the limerick form of this poem, creating a “sing song effect” within the short stanza. However, the actual meaning of the poem is far from cheery and light. The context, illustrated through phrases such as “young girl from St. Paul” and “newspaper-dress to a ball,” paints a far less picturesque image in the reader’s mind. The girl attending the ball’s dress catches on fire, burning the entire front page. This contrast between the upbeat meter and the dismal scene presented in the poem creates an ironic message that resonates within the audience, even though it is a short poem in comparison to others that we have read. But is the author even speaking about a young girl from St. Paul? While that may be possible, the speaker may also be discussing the implications of newspapers within society or how the wealthy perceive writers, as the girl is wearing a newspaper dress to a seemingly fancy ball and is thus burned. The ability to look at this short poem from a variety of different angles contributes to the effective use of formal structure. It may be brief, but it is full of information. 

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“Marks” by Linda Pastan

Linda Pastan, the former Poet Laureate of Maryland, focused her writing on topics like marriage, grief, and everyday situations. She has received many awwards and accolades for her poetry and essays, totaling a number of 12 books in all. 

My husband gives me an A for last night's supper, an incomplete for my ironing, a B plus in bed. My son says I am average, an average mother, but if I put my mind to it I could improve. My daughter believes in Pass/Fail and tells me I pass. Wait 'til they learn I'm dropping out.

The entirety of this poem functions as an extended metaphor, relating receiving grades, checklists, and pass/fail remarks to society’s tendency to judge. This notion is not initially clear to readers, however. The poem opens with the husband giving his wife “an A for last night’s supper,” which indicates a positive reward. As the poem progresses, the grades become less encouraging and more bithing. 

The woman is told she is average by her own son, which is contrary to typical societal expectations of a mother/son relationship. Most children look up to their parents, but not in this poem, which hints at the irony induced by the metaphor. The speaker uses “marks” or grades to open a discussion about her difficulties with conforming to family expectations. Although she remains in control of using diction revovling around school life, the last stanza enforces the idea that she wants out of the chains that these multiple standards of expectation have placed on her. She endures being told her ironing in “incomplete” and that she’s “a B plus in bed” in order to reach the culmination of her metaphor: “dropping out”. While in colloquial school terms this means leaving school, we can also interpret this as meaning she is quitting the system of receiving marks. 

 We often hear stories in the media about being judged result in stories of people standing up to bullies and facing their problems. Other times, it ends in children growing into adults that have the strength to endure judging since they encountered it in the past. This poem showcases the reality of most of those situations by the author’s choice to confidently and rebeliously proclaim, “What ‘til they learn/I’m dropping out,” which defies all of the preconcieved expectations she thought she was bound by. 

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“This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams

William Carlos Williams was born in New Jersey, where he became a huge influence in the Imagist and Modernist movements. He focused his writings on that of everyday people and situations. 

I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox

and which you were probably saving for breakfast

Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

This poem is much different than many we have previously studied in AP Literature thus far. Instead of being full of extended metaphors and alternative meanings, at its surface, it appears to be a poem that simply wants to say something, alluding to the title “This is Just to Say.” It is written with colloquial, direct diction that creates a casual tone within the writing. The poem feels more like a note written on a napkin or post-it to a family member, rather than an in-depth analysis of a situation.

The poem’s use of incorporating simple language into an apology to someone else for eating the plum they may have been saving for breakfast conveys the meaning to the person that the poem is intended for. The poem is not asking the readers to decode any metaphors or allusions within the context-rather, it is providing the readers with the answers already. The poem is simply there just to say “sorry.” This is made clear through the last stanza of the poem, where the author states, “Forgive me, they were delicious, so sweet, and so cold.” The structure of the poem doesn’t appear to be something the author thought about for hours before constructing. It’s a poem that could have been written much like we write in prose: by writing down what we feel, without worrying about the structure or rhyme. The author regretted eating the plums, so he wrote down his feelings in this poem. 

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“To a Daughter Leaving Home” by Linda Pastan

Linda Pastan is a poet who spent most of her life living in Maryland. After college, she decided to give up writing in order to focus on her family- a huge change for someone who had just beaten Sylvia Plath in an award competition. She later returned to poetry and has written over 12 books of poetry pertaining to marriage and parenting. 

When I taught you at eight to ride a bicycle, loping along beside you as you wobbled away on two round wheels, my own mouth rounding in surprise when you pulled ahead down the curved path of the park, I kept waiting for the thud of your crash as I sprinted to catch up, while you grew smaller, more breakable with distance, pumping, pumping for your life, screaming with laughter, the hair flapping behind you like a handkerchief waving goodbye.

We grow up with clear expectations of how riding a bicycle, one of the many quintessential rites of passages for a child, should go. It should be nostalgic, whimsical, and a teaching moment merged into one cohesive fairytale of an experience. This poem by Linda Pastan does not disappoint. 

The poem opens with the speaker recalling a memory about her daughter’s first time riding a bicycle. It evolves into an experience many of us can relate to: the scary first pumps of the pedals, the wobbling away on two wheels, and finally, the confidence to ride without parents guiding us. The mother in the poem was “waiting for the thud of [her] crash as [she] sprinted to catch up,” but the fall never came, signifying the daughter’s growth into an independent person.

But this poem isn’t simply about riding a bicycle for the first time. At the surface, it may seem like it, but the last lines in particular emphasize the idea that this poem is more than a recollection of a memory. If the daughter were just riding her bicycle, there would be no need for waving goodbye. She would be returning. However, the girl’s hair flaps behind her “like a handkerchief waving goodbye.” This contributes to the more extensive context within the poem. Yes, it is about riding a bicycle, but it is also about a daughter leaving home, especially with the seemingly obvious title of “To a Daughter Leaving Home.” Instead of addressing the experience of her daughter leaving home directly, the mother uses this memory to subtly illustrate her emotions and situation without being too forward or cliche. Riding a bicycle is a relatable event that almost every child has experienced, much like the saddening goodbyes to a daughter or son leaving for college that many parents have experienced. This parallel of events creates a lasting impression on the readers, especially to the next generation of daughters (and sons) leaving home next year for college.

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“A Certain Lady” by Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker was an American poet and journalist best known for her biting wit. Later in life, she became a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table, which was an informal gathering of writers, known for its presence in witty remarks and social commentary. While she was revered for her professional career, her personal life was not as picturesque as critical reviews about her. She fought depression and anxiety throughout her life, culminating in her attempting suicide multiple times. 

Oh, I can smile for you, and tilt my head, And drink your rushing words with eager lips, And paint my mouth for you a fragrant red, And trace your brows with tutored finger-tips. When you rehearse your list of loves to me, Oh, I can laugh and marvel, rapturous-eyed. And you laugh back, nor can you ever see The thousand little deaths my heart has died. And you believe, so well I know my part, That I am gay as morning, light as snow, And all the straining things within my heart You'll never know. Oh, I can laugh and listen, when we meet, And you bring tales of fresh adventurings, -- Of ladies delicately indiscreet, Of lingering hands, and gently whispered things. And you are pleased with me, and strive anew To sing me sagas of your late delights. Thus do you want me -- marveling, gay, and true, Nor do you see my staring eyes of nights. And when, in search of novelty, you stray, Oh, I can kiss you blithely as you go .... And what goes on, my love, while you're away, You'll never know. 

The entirety of this poem is written from the perspective of a woman speaker who acts like a person attending a masquerade ball. Rather than revealing her visceral feelings to the man she speaks of in the poem, she decisively embarks on a frustrating journey of hiding “the thousand little deaths [her] heart has died.” She learns how to play the part by using expressive, flirtatious body language rather than furrowing over her heartache, cultivating an insightful look into the speaker’s theory of what romantic relationships should be like. 

As the poem progresses into the second stanza, she continues to emphasize this idea of burying her true emotions by playing the part of a good woman by encouraging the man to speak of his other female conquests and “of lingering hands, and gently whispered things.” Her ability to do this results in the man being pleased with her and thus still desiring her. However, he is not aware that her actions are not indicative of her emotions. This creates irony that would not be evident if the speaker were the man instead of the woman. By using the perspective of the woman as the speaker, Parker captures wit and irony that encompasses the meaning of the poem. Despite all of her flirtations and antics, the speaker is not able to get the man’s irrevocable attention. This serves as a social commentary for romantic relationships in general. Metaphorically and quite literally, putting on a mask in front of others will not result in happiness in the same way that not staying loyal to a partner will not result in a long-lasting bond. 

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“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy

Marge Piercy, a Michigan native, is known for her emotionally charged writing that exemplifies her desire to mend social and environmental problems. She was the first person in her family to attend college and comes from a working class background. Her childhood experiences and struggles may contribute to her ability to understand human nature through poems like “Barbie Doll”. 

This girlchild was born as usual and presented dolls that did pee-pee and miniature GE stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy. Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs.

She was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back, abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity. She went to and fro apologizing. Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.

She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle. Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up.

In the casket displayed on satin she lay with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on, a turned-up putty nose, dressed in a pink and white nightie. Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said. Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending.

Barbie dolls become the quintessential image of perfection for many young girls as modern society dictates that physical appearance trumps the character inside. Children everywhere, who subconsciously desire her facade of perfection, idolize the archetype of Barbie: the cascading hair, the chic outfits, and the lavish lifestyle. Through this commentary on society’s values, Piercy provides insight about the division between genuine people and the elusive figure of Barbie. 

The first stanza of the poem closes with the derogatory remark of a girl having “a great big nose and fat legs.” While not verbatim, this comment may very well resonate within many readers who have experienced the plague of insecurity. As the poem progresses, it becomes clear that the girl has a catalog of qualities worth wanting: good health, intelligence, and dexterity. However, people only saw her nose and legs, which were only a piece of the totality of what she had to offer. Through the use of dismissive descriptions such as, “She was advised to play coy,” Piercy manipulates her tone effectively to convey the constructs that society has placed on females. Rather than fighting against the values society deems important, the girl offers up her nose and legs, falling to the standards she once defied. 

The last stanza of the poem captures the critical tone. The poem ends with, “Doesn’t she look pretty? Everyone said...To every woman a happy ending.” While it may seem as if Piercy affirms society’s twisted beliefs at first glance, it becomes clear she is not being sincere in her justification and is rather using it to prove her point. The girl in the poem gave up her good nature, nose, and legs-all intrinsic qualities that once set her apart-to become just like the rest of society. Piercy ends the poem with this choice of diction not to agree with society, but to condescendingly emphasize the idea that Barbie dolls may not be the perfect figures we once glorified as children. 

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“Constantly Risking Absurdity (#15)” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Lawrence Ferlinghetti was more than just a poet. He was a strong social activist who helped to spark the “Beat” Movement. Ferlinghetti felt that all people mattered and subsequently that art should be accesible to the masses, rather than just the highly intellectual. 

“Constantly Risking Absurdity (#15)”

Constantly risking absurdity                                             and death            whenever he performs                                        above the heads                                                            of his audience   the poet like an acrobat                                 climbs on rime                                          to a high wire of his own making and balancing on eyebeams                                     above a sea of faces             paces his way                               to the other side of day    performing entrechats                               and sleight-of-foot tricks and other high theatrics                               and all without mistaking                     any thing                               for what it may not be

      For he's the super realist                                     who must perforce perceive                   taut truth                                 before the taking of each stance or step in his supposed advance                                  toward that still higher perch where Beauty stands and waits                                     with gravity                                                to start her death-defying leap

     And he             a little charleychaplin man                                           who may or may not catch               her fair eternal form                                     spreadeagled in the empty air                  of existence

Why is poetry art? Many poets have shared their theories, but none of them have answered like Lawrence Ferlinghetti did. To provide his response, he constructs an extended metaphor comparing poetry to a circus act. While many have not experienced poetry on an analytical level, most people have memories of visiting the circus as a child. Through connecting the familar tightrope walking acts of acrobats to the mysterious art of poetry, Ferlinghetti creates an effect to help reienforce his message.

As the poem continues to develop, Ferlinghetti hits readers with reality. Instead of portraying a tightrope act that is “sleight-of-foot tricks / and other high theatrics,” he presents the case that the “super realist...must perceive / taut truth / before the taking of each stance or step / in his supposed advance.” This  shows the readers that poetry is more than just a beautiful journey of composition. It entails the ability to know what to write at each step in the poem and how to convey the information. 

The final lines of the poem conclude the extended metaphor. Ferlinghetti implies that the goal of poetry is to reach the “fair eternal form” of Beauty, personified as being “spreadeagled in the empty air / of existence.” By using this description of poetry to close the poem, he creates a stark juxtaposition between the desirable beauty and the “little charleychaplin man.” While the acrobat and poet may not reach their goals, their ability to constantly risk absurdity will set them apart.