"Sonatina"

When I read Ruben Dario’s “Sonatina,” I was instantly reminded of my childhood when I would spend countless hours watching Disney movies. I remember I was wanted to be one of the beautiful princesses that the movies depicted. They depicted these princesses as beautiful and melodious, but the most important thing (in my five-year-old-self’s opinion) was that in the end of the movie her prince charming would come and they would have true love’s first kiss and she would always end the movie happy. I wanted that happy ending then, but now that I am older, I see that happy ending for what it is: sexist. Disney depicted these women as weak and dependent upon men for a happy and safe ending (not all Disney movies do this, just the ones that I loved the most). People never really question Disney’s methods when movies such as these are made, they just let it be and negatively influence their children; however, Dario did question the formation for how most fairytales are constructed, or he sort of did at least.  In “Sonatina,” the princess is described as the typical fairytale-princess. That is, she is unhappy with her surroundings, so she weeps, and people try to console her, but she is under the impression that only her prince charming can come and save her from her misery. In the end, however, Dario writes, “‘Hush, Princess, hush,’ says her fairy godmother; / ‘the joyous knight who adores you unseen / is riding this way on his winged horse, /  a sword at his waist and a hawk on his wrist, / and comes from far off, having conquered Death, / to kindle your lips with a kiss of true love!’” (43-48). These lines may appear to be the happy ending that Sonatina would wish to hear, but the way it sounds in the context of the poem is almost mocking and patronizing. Thus, mocking the typical fairytale formation of writing. I like this poem because even though I loved Disney movies as a little girl, I wish (now that I am older) that they would have created a few more movies like Mulan, in which the heroine is not dependent on a prince to complete her happiness, and I think that Dario does a good job at making this notion almost seen absurd and ridiculous to expect in the first place.

"Jerusalem"

Another poem that I really enjoyed reading in World Classics was “Jerusalem” by Yehuda Amichai. I enjoyed this one because it had a theme of things that are different can be the same. This is a theme because the poem depicts Jerusalem and the outside city. He describes the two cities as being enemies and hating the other, but he also uses the same images to describe their hatred. He does not only uses similar images between the two to depict the animosity between the two cities, but he also uses similar images to depict the similarity between the two (such as youth). Amichai states, “On a roof in the Old City / laundry hanging in the late afternoon sunlight: / the white sheet of a woman who is my enemy, / the towel of a man who is my enemy, / to wipe of his brow” (1-5). This stanza shows symbols used to explain the hatred between the two cities, but what’s interesting about the symbols of sheets and towels is that they are both items that people in both of the cities would use. He also states, “In the sky of the Old City / a kite. / At the other end of the string, / a child / I can’t see / because of the wall” (6-11). This stanza shows that in both cities there are children who do not understand the reasoning behind the hatred between the two cities because they are young, innocent, and naïve. And because of all of these traits, they enjoy the same things in life as other children: freedom and adventure, much like the freedom and adventure that can come from a kite. The last stanza really shows a similarity between the two cities because Amichai states, “We have put up many flags, / they have put up many flags. / To make us think that they‘re happy. / To make us think that we‘re happy” (12-15).  This stanza shows the similarity between the two cities because it shows that both cities want the other to see the pride being emitted from each other their cities, and to make a statement for what they believe in, but they both aren’t really that happy. How could they be? They are immersed in a surrounding filled with hatred and animosity.

"God Has Pity on Kindergarten Children"

Yehuda Amichai compares the maturity that comes with growing up to the God’s pity for humans in his poem “God Has Pity on Kindergarten Children.” The poem basically states that only those who are most absolute in their innocence (or the naïve) and those who are true lovers (people who love others and show others mercy, compassion, and protection just as God himself would) will receive pity from him. The poem states, “God has pity on kindergarten children. / He has less pity on school children. / And on grownups he has no pity at all,” (Amichai 1-3). These lines indicated that those who are innocent and naïve are pure, and purity of soul and actions receives mercy. The poem also states, “But perhaps he will watch over true lovers / and have mercy on them and shelter them / like a tree over the old man / sleeping on a public bench” (Amichai 9-12). The last two lines in this stanza are both funny and powerful. They are both of these things because most would think that a homeless man with such misfortune would usually exemplify the image of a person that God has forgotten, but the image of the protective tree shows that God hasn’t forgotten him. The last stanza in this poem states, “Perhaps we too will give them / the last rare coins of compassion / that Mother handed down to us, / so that their happiness will protect us / now and in other days” (Amichai 13-17). This is the stanza that implies that as humans with wisdom and understanding, we have an obligation to follow God’s example and act as he would toward those who need it the most. I really liked this poem because I was raised to live my life to help those who need it the most, and I liked seeing the general concept of my upbringing so beautifully worded.

"If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem"

In his poem, “If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem,” Yeruda Amichai compares the heavenly city of Jerusalem. Understanding that Amichai was raised Jewish helps one understand the loving commitment that he feels for Jerusalem, thus the creation of such a powerful and emotional comparison. I really liked this poem because even though I am no Jewish (I am a Christian), I see Jerusalem as a very influential city because that is where The Bible describes the birth of Jesus Christ. So because I feel very strongly about God and Jesus, I had a very emotional response when I read this poem because if there is one thing in this world that I love more than God, it is my mother.

"Squares and Angles" Vs. "Little Boxes"

We have read many poems in World Classics, and of all of them, my favorite is has been "Squares and Angles" by Alfonsina Storni. “Squares and Angles” is a poem about conformity and the sadness, or perhaps shock, that it caused Storni. We can maybe think that it caused her sadness and shock because she said, “Yesterday I myself cried a tear, / My God- square” (8-9). Her use of “My God” (9) makes me think that she is shocked to be square, like the rest of the people living in her neighborhood, but it also makes me think that it feels her with dread because why else would she have cried a tear? Maybe it’s because she already knew that she was square, or maybe it is because the shock truly alarmed her.
While I was reading “Squares and Angles” it actually reminded me a lot of “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds. I first heard the song “Squares and Angles” on Showtime’s television series, Weeds. The song is very similar to the poem because they both refer to all the immediate-surrounding houses as being similar to each other. Storni wrote, “Houses in a row, houses in a row, / Houses in a row. / Squares, squares, squares. / Houses in a row” (1-4), and Reynolds wrote, “Little boxes on the hillside, / Little boxes made of ticky tacky, / Little boxes on the hillside, / Little boxes all the same” (1-4). The similarity between the two pieces is very apparent, and it helped me like and understand the poem a little better because I love the song.

And if you're interested, here is a link to "Little Boxes." :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8StRAJCork