The speaker seems to be at a loss of hope. He wants to move to the city where he can find a job however he is " caught on a snow peak between heaven and earth." I am not entirely sure what this quote means but i find it interesting that this poem that takes place during the summer of '54 is talking about snow.
Hmmmmm, yes. This is an interesting poem, and I would agree with Lindsay that the poet seems rather hopeless. I like the connection the poet makes between thinking and working when he says "No place to think or work." It says to me that thinking and working are intertwined, and in order for the mind to be at peace the body must be kept busy. Maybe this is the reason the poem seems scattered and lost. Without work, the poet's mind is not at peace.
Aaron Thomas: I agree with Lindsay that the speaker's tone of voice in hopeless. The author is drifting from place to place and sees many people out of work and also many people in poverty. Throughout the poem it is mentioned multiple times that the author needs to find work; almost as if he is becoming desperate. But, how is the author going to find work of tens of thousands have failed to do this? Even in the solitude of nature the author can not seem to find peace and quiet. These conflictions can be compared to the conflictions of the title of the poem, "Late Snow and Timber Strike of the Summber of 54'."
What I took strong note of from listening to this poem, is that while the speaker is standing atop Mt. Baker, there are lines of people in the cities below looking desperately for work. The speaker is simply an observer, having little to do with what he is so easily observing from above. While the speaker might also be in search of work, standing on top of the mountain, he does not seem to care enough to be standing in a line like others. In a way, he could either be at complete loss of any hope in finding work, or he could feel a sense of carelessness on top of Mt. Baker, as though work did not matter from above, and that standing above all the trouble made him feel as though it did not matter, and that he was truly "above" the loss everyone was suffering.
Will Cudahy: In all seriousness the speaker's tone sounded so at loss it was hard to pay attention to it. It was probably intentional, but she sounded like a single mother, who's ex-husband was an alcoholic — who stays up late at night complaining to her confused children. Though, what I did absorb was the fact that the speaker kept skipping around, almost searching for things to object.
I also have to agree with Lindsay, Will, and Arron that the speaker seems to be at a loss of hope. I think this is more of "protest" poem than anything else. It's not simply a poem about a depressed man who can't find a job, it's a poem about thousands of other likes him who have either been under-paid, poorly treated,and/or laid-off by their employers. It's bringing to the surface the the reality of unemployment, getting laid off, and having your job be either taken over by machines, or people in foreign countries.
The workers are essentially pawns in a larger scheme, they can be moved around, or "blown around like dust", they equal nothing to the people that employ them. Keep in mind that this is about a strike.
"caught on a snow peak between heaven and earth":
The narrator is possibly stuck on what to do to fix these problems, how to take action, join the picket lines?
Like other people who already commented, I also feel that the tone of the poem is depressing and hopeless. The speaker desperately needs a job, but he knows that the job competition is at its peak and he would not get employed. These thoughts and problems are beating down his mind so much that he can’t even straight in nature, where one would think that one’s mind would be clear
I've looked up "The TImber strike of 1954" but I cant find anything in google. What does the author mean by that? The author says that he is caught between heaven and earth. He must "turn and go back". I think this is part of the modernist mindset being nothing. People dont believe in god anymore but dont have goals on the earth either. THe author is criticizing the whole idea of competing for jobs and not living up to anything. He is alone on mount baker - he cant find anything in the snow that is confusing him. I believe that the snow represents the capital system that is confusing everybody's mind and hides the things of importance in life.
sorry this is not complete yet. the author says he has to go back. people need to go back and find values, something to live up to, not only work and everyday life.
As many people have mentioned, the speaker's tone is really hopeless. The tone perfectly fits into the actual contents of the poem. The desperation of a new job has expressed well. The narrator's descriptions of the images of surrounding also sound really depressing, because he pessimistically views the world due to his current situation.
The author sounds like he is utterly lost, with no hope and no job he simply wanders. The wandering only increases his desperation and feeling of futility. The speaker says that she can't even find peace, which is a tough situation to be in. What stuck out was the feeling of loneliness. When listening I felt completely isolated from everyone.
Maddie Koenig One of the biggest things that i noticed was that the way the poem is read is very monotone and every line seems to stand by itself. Each line of the poem stands by itself and yet together they make up the poem and are all related, just like the author is on top of Mt. Baker, seperated from everyone else, and yet he helps to make up part of the unemployment.
I agree with Maddie that the poem is read very monotone, which like Miso said, fits the poem, because it is very depressing. At the beginning of the poem it says "whole towns shut down," which makes you realize just how severe "the whole north-west on strike" was and just how many people were unemployed.
Some part of the tone of the poem makes me feel that it is not entirely hopeless. Perhaps it is only the speaker's voice, but the way it is recited sounds observant, but detached. I am not convinced that the character, the observer, has lost all hope. He seems to accept this life as much as any previous or future one he will live, and right now he just looks out at what's around him. Not particularly hopeful, but not without hope either.
The writer of this poem is talking about the need for a job. The poem itself has not only depressing content but also has a tone which deprives the reader of any hope almost. The writer brings the reader into the wretched life he was living in. The person who reads the poem adds an aspect of gloom to the poem, maybe if read in a brighter voice it could produce a more lively and possibly hopeful feel. -Jake
The poem seems to highlight not despair that he's not in work, but the sudden stop of life as he knows it. It's about surreality. He is fascinated by the silence, the stillness of modern technological society that simply stops in the middle of everything. He sees another kind of world, in the line 'heaven and earth' but must return to his more earthly side in order to find work. So although it's about him seeing this other path, it's only for a brief period of time and he must return to life as was before.
The speaker seems to be at a loss of hope. He wants to move to the city where he can find a job however he is " caught on a snow peak between heaven and earth." I am not entirely sure what this quote means but i find it interesting that this poem that takes place during the summer of '54 is talking about snow.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm, yes. This is an interesting poem, and I would agree with Lindsay that the poet seems rather hopeless. I like the connection the poet makes between thinking and working when he says "No place to think or work." It says to me that thinking and working are intertwined, and in order for the mind to be at peace the body must be kept busy. Maybe this is the reason the poem seems scattered and lost. Without work, the poet's mind is not at peace.
ReplyDeleteAaron Thomas:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lindsay that the speaker's tone of voice in hopeless. The author is drifting from place to place and sees many people out of work and also many people in poverty. Throughout the poem it is mentioned multiple times that the author needs to find work; almost as if he is becoming desperate. But, how is the author going to find work of tens of thousands have failed to do this? Even in the solitude of nature the author can not seem to find peace and quiet. These conflictions can be compared to the conflictions of the title of the poem, "Late Snow and Timber Strike of the Summber of 54'."
What I took strong note of from listening to this poem, is that while the speaker is standing atop Mt. Baker, there are lines of people in the cities below looking desperately for work. The speaker is simply an observer, having little to do with what he is so easily observing from above. While the speaker might also be in search of work, standing on top of the mountain, he does not seem to care enough to be standing in a line like others. In a way, he could either be at complete loss of any hope in finding work, or he could feel a sense of carelessness on top of Mt. Baker, as though work did not matter from above, and that standing above all the trouble made him feel as though it did not matter, and that he was truly "above" the loss everyone was suffering.
ReplyDeleteWill Cudahy:
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness the speaker's tone sounded so at loss it was hard to pay attention to it. It was probably intentional, but she sounded like a single mother, who's ex-husband was an alcoholic — who stays up late at night complaining to her confused children. Though, what I did absorb was the fact that the speaker kept skipping around, almost searching for things to object.
Colin Nevins:
ReplyDeleteI also have to agree with Lindsay, Will, and Arron that the speaker seems to be at a loss of hope. I think this is more of "protest" poem than anything else. It's not simply a poem about a depressed man who can't find a job, it's a poem about thousands of other likes him who have either been under-paid, poorly treated,and/or laid-off by their employers. It's bringing to the surface the the reality of unemployment, getting laid off, and having your job be either taken over by machines, or people in foreign countries.
The workers are essentially pawns in a larger scheme, they can be moved around, or "blown around like dust", they equal nothing to the people that employ them. Keep in mind that this is about a strike.
"caught on a snow peak between heaven and earth":
The narrator is possibly stuck on what to do to fix these problems, how to take action, join the picket lines?
Like other people who already commented, I also feel that the tone of the poem is depressing and hopeless. The speaker desperately needs a job, but he knows that the job competition is at its peak and he would not get employed. These thoughts and problems are beating down his mind so much that he can’t even straight in nature, where one would think that one’s mind would be clear
ReplyDeleteI've looked up "The TImber strike of 1954" but I cant find anything in google. What does the author mean by that? The author says that he is caught between heaven and earth. He must "turn and go back". I think this is part of the modernist mindset being nothing. People dont believe in god anymore but dont have goals on the earth either. THe author is criticizing the whole idea of competing for jobs and not living up to anything. He is alone on mount baker - he cant find anything in the snow that is confusing him. I believe that the snow represents the capital system that is confusing everybody's mind and hides the things of importance in life.
ReplyDeletesorry this is not complete yet.
ReplyDeletethe author says he has to go back.
people need to go back and find values, something to live up to, not only work and everyday life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs many people have mentioned, the speaker's tone is really hopeless. The tone perfectly fits into the actual contents of the poem. The desperation of a new job has expressed well. The narrator's descriptions of the images of surrounding also sound really depressing, because he pessimistically views the world due to his current situation.
ReplyDeleteThe author sounds like he is utterly lost, with no hope and no job he simply wanders. The wandering only increases his desperation and feeling of futility. The speaker says that she can't even find peace, which is a tough situation to be in. What stuck out was the feeling of loneliness. When listening I felt completely isolated from everyone.
ReplyDeleteMaddie Koenig
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest things that i noticed was that the way the poem is read is very monotone and every line seems to stand by itself. Each line of the poem stands by itself and yet together they make up the poem and are all related, just like the author is on top of Mt. Baker, seperated from everyone else, and yet he helps to make up part of the unemployment.
I agree with Maddie that the poem is read very monotone, which like Miso said, fits the poem, because it is very depressing. At the beginning of the poem it says "whole towns shut down," which makes you realize just how severe "the whole north-west on strike" was and just how many people were unemployed.
ReplyDeleteSome part of the tone of the poem makes me feel that it is not entirely hopeless. Perhaps it is only the speaker's voice, but the way it is recited sounds observant, but detached. I am not convinced that the character, the observer, has lost all hope. He seems to accept this life as much as any previous or future one he will live, and right now he just looks out at what's around him. Not particularly hopeful, but not without hope either.
ReplyDeleteThe writer of this poem is talking about the need for a job. The poem itself has not only depressing content but also has a tone which deprives the reader of any hope almost. The writer brings the reader into the wretched life he was living in. The person who reads the poem adds an aspect of gloom to the poem, maybe if read in a brighter voice it could produce a more lively and possibly hopeful feel.
ReplyDelete-Jake
The poem seems to highlight not despair that he's not in work, but the sudden stop of life as he knows it. It's about surreality. He is fascinated by the silence, the stillness of modern technological society that simply stops in the middle of everything. He sees another kind of world, in the line 'heaven and earth' but must return to his more earthly side in order to find work. So although it's about him seeing this other path, it's only for a brief period of time and he must return to life as was before.
ReplyDelete