The significance of the opening of this poem is the imagery of the mother and daughter watching the fireflys. You can tell from the last line "I wonder how I will get through another day" that the speaker of this poem is in pain someway and during the course of the poem the reader finds out what it is that is eating her insides every day. What ends up changing by the end of the poem is that the speaker overcomes the fact taht she hates living where she does and her extreme home-sickness. She realizes that, by the end of the poem, where she is is her new home. At the end of the poem, it goes back to the fireflies. She wakes up and by the gray down she sees these bodies of light symbolizing spirits that will always be around her and she realizes no matter where she goes they will always be there.
Through the beginning of the poem I gain a sense of hopelessness from the main character. She feels lost, and like she cannot connect with this new culture. She becomes consumed with the Western teachings of individualism and self-absorbency. She is concerned with herself, and forgets to observe the beauties of nature. She is described many times as being "heavy," "tired," and "aching." We are exposed to the great difference between the two cultures, and in the end an image of nature appreciation is relayed to the audience. When she wakes up and sees the beauty of the dawn, it reminds her of and old Navajo teaching: “Go out, we were told, get your blessings for the day.” This connects back to the beginning of the poem in that the beauty of nature is still there, it’s just that in the end the speaker is able to recognize it and appreciate it for all its greatness. This is when she is able to find hope and no longer is focused on herself and the feeling that she will not be able to make it through the day.
Through the beginning of the poem I gain a sense of hopelessness from the main character. She feels lost, and like she cannot connect with this new culture. She becomes consumed with the Western teachings of individualism and self-absorbency. She is concerned with herself, and forgets to observe the beauties of nature. She is described many times as being "heavy," "tired," and "aching." We are exposed to the great difference between the two cultures, and in the end an image of nature appreciation is relayed to the audience. When she wakes up and sees the beauty of the dawn, it reminds her of and old Navajo teaching: “Go out, we were told, get your blessings for the day.” This connects back to the beginning of the poem in that the beauty of nature is still there, it’s just that in the end the speaker is able to recognize it and appreciate it for all its greatness. This is when she is able to find hope and no longer is focused on herself and the feeling that she will not be able to make it through the day. ~Ariana Alexandrescu
The opening of the poem is significant because it decribes the scene and the fireflies. The beginning paragraph tells the reader that they are on the deck and about the buzzing humming insects. The end of the poem is significant because she wakes up and doesn't feel so sad anymore, she feels happier.
By the end of the poem, her feelings have changed. The entire poem all the way up to the last two paragraphs, she is feeling pretty depressed and upset. She goes to bed feeling empty but she wakes up feeling alive and happy.
The end connects back to the beginning because in the beginning the flickers of light are the fireflies and at the end of the poem she once again sees flickers of light. These flickers are of corse not fireflies and are different kinds of flickers but the flickering lights that appear in the beginning and the end are symbolic. It also connects back to the beginning because the fireflies and nature are recognized in the begininng but the theme of nature is also recognized when she talks about going outside and recieving blessings from the spirits. -Sammi
The opening of the poem shows a scene of fireflies flickering around in the dark while a mother and a daughter look on. The mother feels lonely and homesick for the reservation she comes from. By the end of the poem, the fireflies remind her of the "blessings of the gentle spirits who gathered around our home. Go out, we were told, get your blessings for the day." The end of the poem returns to the fireflies at the beginning, only this time they satisfy the mother's aching yearning for home. -Maddy F.
The beginning the connects to end with the fireflies. The poem starts off with the two girls talking about the fireflies in the night and how "magical" they are. Then at the end the narrator talks about how the lights precede the grey dawn. Its like she is talking about how the lights or the night help her put away all her troubles behind or as she calls it, the gray dawn. Brendan El Bartò
The opening of the poem sets the tone as dark and foreboding. This is because it shows that the it shows that the narrator has lost hope. By the end of the poem, the speaker has a better outlook on life. The two tie together because the narrator regains some of their hope by thinking about their past. "Then I recall being taught to go outside in the gray dawn / before sunrise to receive the blessings of the gentle spirits / who gathered around our home. Gof out, we were told, / get your blessings for the day." (lines 34-36).
The final section of this poem is what really brings it all together. Throughout the poem the speaker overlooks the fireflies while his daughter is so fascinated by them. In this final paragraph the speaker sees the magic of the fireflies that Lori notes in the beginning. The way it the ending connects with the rest of the poem gives it a big sign of relief at the end. - Mike Ludwig
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The significance of the opening of this poem is the imagery of the mother and daughter watching the fireflys. You can tell from the last line "I wonder how I will get through another day" that the speaker of this poem is in pain someway and during the course of the poem the reader finds out what it is that is eating her insides every day.
ReplyDeleteWhat ends up changing by the end of the poem is that the speaker overcomes the fact taht she hates living where she does and her extreme home-sickness. She realizes that, by the end of the poem, where she is is her new home.
At the end of the poem, it goes back to the fireflies. She wakes up and by the gray down she sees these bodies of light symbolizing spirits that will always be around her and she realizes no matter where she goes they will always be there.
-Sheanah
Through the beginning of the poem I gain a sense of hopelessness from the main character. She feels lost, and like she cannot connect with this new culture. She becomes consumed with the Western teachings of individualism and self-absorbency. She is concerned with herself, and forgets to observe the beauties of nature. She is described many times as being "heavy," "tired," and "aching." We are exposed to the great difference between the two cultures, and in the end an image of nature appreciation is relayed to the audience. When she wakes up and sees the beauty of the dawn, it reminds her of and old Navajo teaching: “Go out, we were told, get your blessings for the day.” This connects back to the beginning of the poem in that the beauty of nature is still there, it’s just that in the end the speaker is able to recognize it and appreciate it for all its greatness. This is when she is able to find hope and no longer is focused on herself and the feeling that she will not be able to make it through the day.
ReplyDelete~Ariana Alexandrescu
Through the beginning of the poem I gain a sense of hopelessness from the main character. She feels lost, and like she cannot connect with this new culture. She becomes consumed with the Western teachings of individualism and self-absorbency. She is concerned with herself, and forgets to observe the beauties of nature. She is described many times as being "heavy," "tired," and "aching." We are exposed to the great difference between the two cultures, and in the end an image of nature appreciation is relayed to the audience. When she wakes up and sees the beauty of the dawn, it reminds her of and old Navajo teaching: “Go out, we were told, get your blessings for the day.” This connects back to the beginning of the poem in that the beauty of nature is still there, it’s just that in the end the speaker is able to recognize it and appreciate it for all its greatness. This is when she is able to find hope and no longer is focused on herself and the feeling that she will not be able to make it through the day.
ReplyDelete~Ariana Alexandrescu
The opening of the poem is significant because it decribes the scene and the fireflies. The beginning paragraph tells the reader that they are on the deck and about the buzzing humming insects. The end of the poem is significant because she wakes up and doesn't feel so sad anymore, she feels happier.
ReplyDeleteBy the end of the poem, her feelings have changed. The entire poem all the way up to the last two paragraphs, she is feeling pretty depressed and upset. She goes to bed feeling empty but she wakes up feeling alive and happy.
The end connects back to the beginning because in the beginning the flickers of light are the fireflies and at the end of the poem she once again sees flickers of light. These flickers are of corse not fireflies and are different kinds of flickers but the flickering lights that appear in the beginning and the end are symbolic. It also connects back to the beginning because the fireflies and nature are recognized in the begininng but the theme of nature is also recognized when she talks about going outside and recieving blessings from the spirits.
-Sammi
The opening of the poem shows a scene of fireflies flickering around in the dark while a mother and a daughter look on. The mother feels lonely and homesick for the reservation she comes from. By the end of the poem, the fireflies remind her of the "blessings of the gentle spirits who gathered around our home. Go out, we were told, get your blessings for the day." The end of the poem returns to the fireflies at the beginning, only this time they satisfy the mother's aching yearning for home.
ReplyDelete-Maddy F.
The beginning the connects to end with the fireflies. The poem starts off with the two girls talking about the fireflies in the night and how "magical" they are. Then at the end the narrator talks about how the lights precede the grey dawn. Its like she is talking about how the lights or the night help her put away all her troubles behind or as she calls it, the gray dawn.
ReplyDeleteBrendan El Bartò
The opening of the poem sets the tone as dark and foreboding. This is because it shows that the it shows that the narrator has lost hope. By the end of the poem, the speaker has a better outlook on life. The two tie together because the narrator regains some of their hope by thinking about their past. "Then I recall being taught to go outside in the gray dawn / before sunrise to receive the blessings of the gentle spirits / who gathered around our home. Gof out, we were told, / get your blessings for the day." (lines 34-36).
ReplyDeleteEd
The final section of this poem is what really brings it all together. Throughout the poem the speaker overlooks the fireflies while his daughter is so fascinated by them. In this final paragraph the speaker sees the magic of the fireflies that Lori notes in the beginning. The way it the ending connects with the rest of the poem gives it a big sign of relief at the end.
ReplyDelete- Mike Ludwig
Especially well said Ariana
ReplyDelete