Imagery in Waring Cuney’s “No Images”

Waring Cuney’s poem “No Images” is by most standards a short poem of only 12 lines that ironically packed with images. The reader may find him or herself at a bit of a loss upon the initial reading, but after some reflection there is a definite message that is delivered. The message being, that even the beautiful female in the poem is not able to see herself as she is and that is related to where she is.

In “No Images” Cuney states “She does not know / Her beauty,” (1-2), which seems absurd at first, but after some thought the reader realizes it is possible. There is no doubt that the female in the poem is told that she is beautiful. One is nearly certain that the persona (or speaker) in the poem would tell her that she is beautiful. The reader is left with the idea that she must be told otherwise by some other person or group of people, or she may have been treated poorly from an early age, in order to not believe she is truly beautiful. Next, Cuney offers “She thinks her Brown body / Has no glory.” (3-4) In these lines Cuney reveals that the female has a brown body. This allows the reader to see more clearly why she may not see herself as beautiful. She may be subject to discrimination or ridicule, and she may even feel being born brown is ugly.

            Toward the end of the first stanza Cuney reveals more about the female in the story, “If she could dance / Naked / Under palm trees / And see her image in the river, / She would know.” (5-9) In this part of the poem the reader is likely to have images of a tropical paradise, with all the trappings of a wonderful existence and no few worries. The word Naked is emphasized by being on a separate line all alone. This provides the reader of an image of a place where the beautiful female would be free to see herself as she truly is.

In the second and final stanza the reader can finally figure out what the true theme of the poem is. Cuney ends with, “But there are no palm trees / On the street, / And dish water gives back no images.” (10-12) In the closing lines much is revealed. First the reader imagines that the female lives in the city, with mention of the street. The reader is also confronted with the idea that it is a dirty place, and the street is covered in dish water. The lack of a proper sewage system implies to the reader, either a time in the past, or a poor part of the city, possibly both.

For this reader the feeling of the poem, over all, is one of sadness, but not for the beautiful female or the persona (or speaker). The sadness is for those that have spent their energy masking the truth. The truth of  “Her beauty”(2). The final image that this reader has is one of the persona and the female in a loving embrace, and they are –beautiful.

Written 10/22/2010 by Robert N. West

Metaphor and Meanings of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”

In “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, the poem’s author lays out a parable that describes the process of making life’s difficult decisions. The persona (or speaker) in the poem depicts a place where he or she is all alone, in a place that has two directions that must be decided upon.

In the first stanza the persona contemplates a choice, evidenced by the image of standing alone where two roads diverge (drift apart), and regretting that “I could not take both” (2). The use of the words yellow wood in the first line gives the reader a sense that the end of a season is at hand, which also brings about some sense of urgency (it will be colder soon). After examining the first road quite closely and thoroughly, the persona abruptly decides on the second road after little consideration. This is found in the second stanza, “Then took the other, as just as fair,” (6).

Once the choice is made the speaker appears to be trying to convince himself that he has made the correct choice. The reader will find evidence of this in “And having perhaps the better claim, /

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;” (7-8) Upon closer evaluation of these passages the reader comes to understand that “grassy” represents growth, and “wear” represents hard work.. Next the two roads are compared again “Though as for that, the passing there / Had worn them really about the same” (9-10). This leads the reader to understand that although one road is obviously less taken (because grass does on grow on a busy path) they have been worn about the same. The reader may ascertain that this is due to the heavy burden carried by those who chose the road less taken.

In the third stanza the roads are described as being more or less equal “And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black.” (11-12). This depiction also reveals that there has been no recent traveler down these paths, to give the persona a clue regarding the proper choice (the leaves are undisturbed). In the lines that follow the persona (half heartedly) lies to himself by suggesting that he will go down the other road at a later date.

In the last stanza the persona appears to be a bit disappointed with his choice, “I shall be telling this with a sigh” (16). The sigh makes the reader get a sense of some feeling of sadness, but it is more likely just nostalgia that the persona is trying to convey. The persona imagines years in the future, in another place, telling the story of the “Two roads” (18) and taking the one less traveled. The choice of words in the last line suggest that the persona will someday be pleased with his decision (although he may not be right now), “And that has made all the difference.” (20). The solitary nature of this process is further punctuated by the repetition of I, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by,”.

Frost’s poem describes the process of making major life decisions and inspires the reader to take the road less taken by presenting the possibility that it could make all the difference.

Originally Written October 22, 2010

My House

When we (a family of three) first moved into the house, it was like an old condemned factory: broken, dirty, and abandoned. The previous owners scratched and scraped but still had trouble paying the mortgage; then they disappeared out of sight, as if someone flipped a switch. The Gypsies left nothing behind except marks on the walls and stains in the carpet. In a panic to leave our predecessors left the door unlocked. What once was a smooth, green carpet in the front yard became a shaggy sign of emptiness. It wasn’t long until scrappers came and took whatever metal they could pry loose with their grubby fingers and a flat head screw driver. Not long after we moved in we received the news; a new addition to our brood was on the way. Another baby girl was coming. The hurricane of tasks came – never wavering – for duration equal to a summer Monarchs lifetime. Evidence of the chaos can be seen as we carefully make our way through the living room, kitchen and garage.

First, as one enters the house and passes the narrow threshold, a pile of junk mail that has yet to be dispatched to its ultimate destination teeters on a ledge like an enormous stack of mismatched playing cards.  The sound of the children playing is sweet but once combined with the toy orchestra that lay on the floor trumpeting away, it is the ultimate distraction. A cool mustiness takes over ones senses as one continues to move toward the fireplace. To some it may smell like a pumpkin pie but it is just a combination of the candles ushered away from the toddlers reach and the spilled juice from earlier that morning. Out of  toddlers reach means, the other side of the crotch high plastic fence, that divides the living area into two parts the baby owning the larger. I once attempted to leap the fence. Missing by a fraction of an inch I was deterred from further attempts to fly as I fell to the ground like a sack of rocks. The level of activity in this room demands you stay on your toes otherwise you may get lost in the madness that is quite literally the – living – room.

Moving past the living room is the kitchen. The kitchen is in a continual state of flux due to the relentless cycle of meals and various other feeding and snacks that are prepared daily. The aroma of the last meal lingers in the air¸ waiting for its replacement. It is a guard on watch, ever vigilant and never tiring. It may be the smell of a roast or chicken. On occasion it could be the enchantingly delicious smell of an apple pie that fills the air so thick you can taste the tartness on the middle of your tongue. A little further into the room you will find the island; originally intended to be a workspace that is now like a purgatory for all things that need to be put away. Under the random mountains of groceries, snacks and coupons one can easily detect there are spots that are greasy or sticky. To the left of the island there is the pile of dishes that grows magically like rabbits from a hat! Next to the sink there are various different cleaning supplies and towels that must be kept on hand in order for the lady of the house to perform her one handed juggling act. The kitchen is very much like the circus but less structured.

Moving through the kitchen we pass through a plain door and arrive at our final destination, the garage. At first glance it appears to be a torture chamber of sorts. This is where many household items have met their demise after great struggle. A large round tub contains the skeletons of light fixtures. Another box contains the odd bits of other once fully functioning appliances and electronics. The smell of stale cigar smoke and gasoline loom heavy over the rickety particle board wall units, with shelves stuffed full of leftover paints, whose colors include the full spectrum of a rainbow. One can almost taste the salty tears that were shed in battle to replace all of the amenities stolen by the scrappers: lights, faucets, ceiling fans, shower heads, dishwasher, and garbage disposal. The battle continues with tools scattered about, along with dirty rags and opened packages of hardware which now lay still like fallen soldiers. There have been many lost in this arena, this coliseum, but the resident gladiator must continue moving at all times lest he allow himself to be cornered by the lions.

The rewards for surviving in this time of turmoil are great. The heights of happiness easily match the depths of despair. The chaos will continue at least for another year or two. We have just received news. A baby girl is (once again) on the way.

(This story was originally written July 21, 2010) 

My First Baby

Late one evening Dawn (my wife) and I were sorting through the spare room selecting seldom used items that I would move to storage later that night. We had about a week before our new baby was to arrive. We had been living with my father for about a year at this point. I had previously gone financially belly up during the telecom crash of 2001 and spent two years in a job that paid about half of what I had previously made. When we first found out the baby was coming we had ran out of money so we moved in with Dad temporarily in order to pay for midwife services and a natural birth at the local birth center.

As I worked, slowly unloading the closet, Dawn pointed at a box of old records and asked “Do we really need these?”

I stared blankly at the box thinking to myself that the layer of dirt atop the mound of 45 rpm records could probably support plant life and I replied, “No but they have sentimental value.”

Dawn leaned over, despite her now cartoonish tummy, and she attempted to lift another box in order to reveal the treasure within and suddenly let out a groan, Oooohhhhhhhff!” Then she looked me in the eye with a laser focus and said, “We are not doing this tonight.”

“What do you mean?” I queried.

“This!” Dawn exclaimed, “All this, it’s not going to happen!”

“Why not?” I asked once again, with a puzzled expression.

“The baby is coming.” Dawn replied, no longer in pain.

At this point I was pretty rattled but everything was OK.  I knew what to do. I had been educated and I had practiced the steps in my head many times. I must: Call the midwife, keep track of contractions, and pack a bag.

“Robert please start a bath for me; it will help me relax, and warm up a baked potato; if the labor is long I want to have energy,” Dawn requested, as she dialed the midwifes pager.

“Right away!” I replied, and I left her straight away to start the bath. Then, I headed to the kitchen to prepare the potato. Dawn had already called the midwife and I thought to myself, great one less thing for me to do.

I had heated the potato and passed by Dad while leaving the kitchen, he asked “What’s going on?”

“We are having a baby”, I replied. Dad seemed unmoved as I zipped by.

Neither Dawn nor I were in much hurry since we had been told that first time deliveries always take many hours. I went back to the kitchen picked up the hot potato and delivered it triumphantly to my loving wife. She took one look at the tuber covered with cheese and sour cream and stated, “There is no way I can eat that! Take it away!”

I took the potato back to the kitchen and ran back to my lovely bride. I was a bit nervous at this point but tried my best to mask it. “Let’s get you into that bath,” I said calmly.

    Before I could move her, she once again let out a long moan, “Oooooooooooohhhhhph!”
    After the pain passed, we made our way to the bath. We finally got her into the bath, and Dawn reminded me that I needed to pack a bag. I ran around the house collecting things for the bag when the midwife returned our call and asked to speak to Dawn. I handed Dawn the phone. “How far apart are the contractions?” Dawn asked me from inside the bathtub.
    “How should I know?” I asked, “I haven’t been here for two in a row yet!”  
“Oooooooooooohhhhhph!” Dawn strained again.

At this point I was handed the phone and the ensuing conversation went as follows. “Do you have your kit?” asked the midwife.

“What kit?” I replied.

“Your home birth kit,” volleyed the voice on the other end.

“Who is having a home birth?” I asked.

“You are” she replied.

“Nobody ever said anything about a kit or any home birth stuff –at all—!” I protested.

“It’s going to happen, the baby is coming” she said just as calmly as if she had asked someone to pass the salt.

“OK, what do I need to do?” I asked.

“Put your shower curtain on top of your mattress but under the sheets. I will be there shortly,” she said.

“We have sliding glass doors,” I rebutted.

“That won’t work,” she stated. “Try to find something to protect the mattress.”

“OK, got it, protect the mattress!” I replied. Then, I ran for some duct tape and extra large tall leaf and grass bags.

At this point I wondered why I wasn’t simply instructed to boil water like in the movies. Although, I had never confirmed it to be fact, I suspected the purpose of that maneuver was to get a person (who would otherwise be in the way) busy to do something away from the real work. Since I was the only one there to do the work; I was not allowed the luxury of relaxing in the kitchen while water boiled.

When I passed by Dad for about the fourth time holding the leaf bags and duct tape he inquired, “What’s going on?”

“We are having a baby!” I exclaimed.

“Here? Didn’t you plan to do that at the birth center?” Dad calmly asked while he leaned restfully in his recliner and slowly puffed on his pipe.

“Yes Dad that was the plan!” I snorted, obviously rattled at this point.

“Do you have a backup plan?” he asked, un-phased by my crazed look.

I held up the roll of duct tape in one hand and the bail of leaf bags in the other and strangled them above my head and growled, “This is it Dad, – this – is– it!”

“Oh man,” he replied in a concerned yet relaxed way. Then, he settled back further into his chair like he was a balloon and someone had let a little bit of air out of him. After that, he went back to whatever he was watching on the television and slowly puffed his pipe.

There is much more to the story of that joyous night but I will save that for another time. We all made it through OK. We even had another baby at home since then. It seemed to be a relatively stress-free birth the second time. I suppose it was so much better because I learned one very important thing that night. A person can make all the plans they want, but the baby doesn’t follow any plan. She will come, when –she– is ready.

How to Create a Powerpoint Presentation

      I have both good and bad memories of meetings that were centered on a speaker and his or her presentation.  People from all walks of life use PowerPoint presentations because they are the best method of delivering information to a group of people. One must take the appropriate steps to develop a presentation that is interesting and to the point. Having this skill is crucial when a situation arises that requires this tool.
      PowerPoint has been a favorite method of delivering information in boardrooms and schools for many years. If one is in school or has a job, the skill of developing one of these presentations will come in handy sooner or later. PowerPoint is often used in schools by teachers to deliver information to students. Also, there are times when a teacher will request that each student deliver a report or other information using one of these presentations. Most modern classrooms are equipped with a projector with this purpose in mind.
      PowerPoint is used to deliver information in businesses of all sizes and the information that is delivered ranges from safety training to reviewing the quarterly numbers. Once developed, this skill will continue to be utilized throughout ones productive life, so we will describe the general process below, and it will serve as a guide to a successful presentation.
      First, gather the material that is needed for producing the presentation. The information one presents is the most important part of the PowerPoint presentation; it can be gathered from many sources. The internet is a valuable resource for finding information. Searching for information, using an optimized search engine (such as Google) can provide numerous sources quickly. More great sources are books, magazines and newspapers. Gathering information from text sources can be quite time consuming, so it is crucial to start as soon as possible. Depending on the topic that is being presented, one may find what he or she needs at a local library. Another great source of information is people. When trying to determine what information is most critical, asking an expert about a particular subject can save time. After the information has been gathered, it is time to gather some images. The images help hold the attention of the people viewing the presentation. Gather images together in a folder on the computer (don’t forget to back up). Don’t worry about the images being just right. One doesn’t need to have a specific purpose in mind for each image. Most of them will not be used in the finished presentation.  Keep the process to moving forward quickly. Don’t spend a lot of time thinking about each image or photo. Some clipart is included with Microsoft Office. Use the –HELP- feature found in the menu bar to learn how to access these images. Many images can be found on the internet. However, they may be copyrighted. If this is the case, one may be able to ask the owner of the image for permission to use it, but it is simpler to use images that are not copyrighted.
      Next, assemble the information and images into the slides. Begin with the content (or information) that is to be delivered. Group relevant information together on a slide. Keep adding slides until all of the information has been included. Once the slides have been created, it is a good idea to go through and arrange them in an order that makes sense, however the order doesn’t need to be perfect. Having the basic structure of the presentation in place is helpful to prevent repeating information. Now, the presentation has its basic shape, and it is time to add the graphics. Images are very simple to add to a slide. Simply copy and paste images into the slides. It is important to add graphics that will emphasize the message of a particular slide. For example, if a particular slide is focused on sales, a dollar sign may be a suitable graphic. It also important to use graphics that are relevant, or the audience may get confused. Don’t inadvertently mislead the audience with an inappropriate image either. If a slide is intended to propose the solution to a problem, and it has a photo of an angry mob in the background, the solution may not be well received.
      Finally, review the presentation, and practice speaking about what is on each slide. It is very important that the PowerPoint presentation assist the speaker in several ways. It should serve the purpose of: keeping the speaker on message, helping with time management, and ensuring that all of the important facts are presented. Also, special attention must be given to spelling and grammar.  If the presentation is riddled with misspelled words and poor grammar, the audience may disregard the information. They may be so distracted by the errors that they lose focus on the message. Another key aspect of a great presentation is clarity. Fine tune the wording to ensure the meaning of each slide is clear.  Next, check the message being conveyed. Is it to the point? Remove any extra information that does not contribute to the main point of the presentation. It is very embarrassing to be giving a presentation and find that the slides repeat information. Even worse, the presenter may get confused and say the same thing again and again. Take a trial run speaking about each slide. Anticipate what questions may arise about each topic. Write notes and keep track of what slide they are associated with. Make certain any relative facts and figures are close at hand. Many people (myself included) find it difficult to remember figures, especially when speaking in front of a large audience. Having facts and figures on hand will increase anyone’s confidence level.
      In conclusion, it is likely that one will find a need to deliver a PowerPoint presentation to a group of people, because it is used so extensively in our society, so always remember to gather, assemble, and review for a successful presentation.