Publication Date by Franz Wright

Franz Wright's "Publication Date" emphasizes the stress in putting oneself out in the public eye through antithesis, using an apprehensive yet cheerful tone. He often contrasts cheery and saddening words. He mentions that the day his book comes out is "National I Hate Myself and Want to Die Day" and the next day, where he will love his life. He brings in examples to show how the days will be the exact same naturally, but different at heart: "They say tomorrow will be just like today, but different." Nothing will have changed except his reputation amongst book readers. Those who love his book are also contrasted with others, as he hopes his book is "in the hands of a kind-hearted / intelligent person somewhere." This is shown against nature, in the image of a sparrow, who ultimately drives home the point that regardless of how things go, life will continue on, as Wright shows the stress will ultimately fadeaway and the world will keep turning.

Modern Prometheus Poetry

Silent–In the Light,

The speaker emits its common cries.

He stands up from his cyan chair uncomfortable, unhappily unified,

Today, he will rise.

Silent-In the Light,

Thoughts abound on defying the fools,

How to build upon his brethren's rights?

His mind is set against the unruly rules.

Silent-In the dark,

For the fluorescent light above has now been taken away,

He tries and tries to make his mark.

But today he'll stand suppressed, feelings kept at bay.

Empowered-In the Dark,

He rises up to get back on the ground,

Today he's sure in ultimate stark, 

Colin stands by sitting down.

"Poetry" by Don Paterson

Don Paterson exercises a pleading tone in "Poetry," as he remarks of the importance of free literature and poetry, unobstructed by forced verses or thoughts not purely original. He does so by using simile in the midst of a metaphor. Paterson contrasts pure and forced poetry. When describing non-flowing and unnatural verse, he likens its voice to: "a bar room's singer – boastful / with his own huge feeling, drowned by violins." Unnatural poetry does not sit well with the reader and is weaker than literature written normally off the tip of the pen, unencumbered by deadlines or rushing. Poetry that is pure and worthwhile is "like a mountain spring, anonymous and serene." Extending this simile, the last lines speak of the spring's water, as it "sings of nothing." It is not owned by any one person, but rather simply conveys ideas and human experience. Paterson delivers this message of the necessity of natural poetry through his similes and metaphor, as he signifies the importance of allowing words to flow through the writer.

"American Cheese" by Jim Daniels

Jim Daniels uses a nostalgic tone in his poem "American Cheese," proving the importance of staying grounded and connected to one's past. He uses imagery of various cheeses and extended metaphor to bring this idea to life. Daniels begins that today, he eats "cheeses / my parents never heard of–gooey / pale cheeses speaking garbled tongues." He paints this picture of foreign cheese to show that later in life, he has great opportunity and ability. He has allowed himself to "[acquire] a taste" for nuance and originality, despite this being different than his past. Daniels pictures his past house to be "built like a square of sixty-four / American singles," each piece requiring "[digging nails] in to separate them." Although he appreciates his current life, he can never forget his roots, writing, "I crave–more than any home / cooking–those thin slices in the fridge." Daniels refuses to let the present and delicacies of his new lifestyle hinder him from remembering his past, as he uses metaphor and imagery to convey this important practice.

"Remora, Remora" by Thomas Lux

Thomas Lux deploys a disappointed and disapproving tone in "Remora, Remora," complaining about social immobility and severe reliance on individuals higher up in the social scene. Lux utilizes metaphor and syndeton to further this message. He builds on an extended metaphor throughout the poem, as he compares the remora fish to a common individual in modern society, reliant upon government and powerful lawmakers and businessman to push the tide of the world. Lux's syndeton constructs this message, as seemingly-infinite conjunctions build this metaphorical hierarchy of aquatic social structure: "and feeding off its crumbs...and on top of that one...until on top of that." The extended metaphor becomes increasingly evident; a common person "rides along in the blue current," waiting for higher-ups to make a move and control their lives. Lux calls for an end to this reliance and greater power to the people, as he uses syndeton and an extended metaphor to hammer in this message of a social hierarchy that needs to be taken down.

"Wheels" by Jim Daniels

Jim Daniels, in his poem "Wheels," believes that life flies by quickly and, if not appreciated, will go by the wayside. He exercises a regretful, sorrowful tone along with asyndeton and repetitive imagery to convince the reader of this pervasive belief. He begins by iterating the imagery of his brother's wall, skipping conjunctions to add this repetitive, endless effect: "every motorcycle, car, truck." Further on, Daniels neglects to add conjunctions (or proper syntax) between lines to achieve a timeless element to the poem that shows how quickly life goes by. He also repeats "waving" every three lines in order to convey a changing picture and life, but without having time pass on. Finally, his brother is "waving waving," as there is "no camera to save him" from his destiny as a forgotten individual with a life completed. Daniels utilizes asyndeton and repetitive imagery to have the images of his brother's life change but time to continue on mercilessly, as he proves that life can go by without anyone being there to capture it, for sometimes it is necessary to simply take a second to snap a picture.

"Farewell" by Edward Field

In Edward Field's "Farewell," stanza breaks and extended metaphor are used with an anxious and cold tone to illustrate the issues of trust and what mistrust can cause. Field uses the metaphor of an individual cluelessly venturing into an icy ocean, knowing that he will not survive but trusting nonetheless. There is a paragraph break after "stepping out on it," as Field realizes that his trust was misplaced, but now he has no option to go back. He is forced to "carry on cooly," continuing in a calm manner because he has gone in too deep. The metaphor continues with the use of a "captain's helmet," representing the incredible leadership he requires to continue on to his metaphorical death without breaking a sweat. He waves goodbye to his loved ones, showing just how much inconvenience this mistrust has caused. The "ice meets again over [his] head with a click," as Field's fate is determined and he has now suffered. The metaphor and the break help Field show how the mistrust occurs and how it can be used for negative aspects that serve only to hurt.