Our Lady Peace - Mark Van Doren

x__rOCKSTAR · Post by **x__rOCKSTAR** » 3/3/2006, 7:56 pm

ok so i have to write a essay on a poem + the poem that i chose to do was "our lady peace - Mark Van Doren" i am having some difficulty finding reviews of it + trying to decide what it means it would be very much appreciated if you would help me out....tell me what you think it means...thank you!

crustine · Post by **crustine** » 3/3/2006, 9:14 pm

this might help people help you

Our Lady Peace

How far is it to peace, the piper sighed,
The solitary, sweating as he paused.
Asphalt the noon; the ravens, terrified,
Fled carrion thunder that percussion caused.

The envelope of earth was powder loud;
The taut wings shivered, driven at the sun.
The piper put his pipe away and bowed.
Not here, he said. I hunt the love-cool one,

The dancer with the clipped hair. Where is she?
We shook our heads, parting for him to pass.
Our lady was of no such trim degree,
And none of us had seen her face, alas.

She was the very ridges that we must scale,
Securing the rough top. And how she smiled
Was how our strength would issue. Not to fail
Was having her, gigantic, undefiled,

For homely goddess, big as the world that burned,
Grandmother and taskmistress, frild and town.
We let the stranger go; but when we turned
Our lady lived, fierce in each other's frown.

Mark van Doren

Random Name · Post by **Random Name** » 3/3/2006, 9:26 pm

If you want analysis, you’re probably going to have to dig deep. It’s not a very popular poem in school curriculum. I'd check out your library (I know, books are scary) or a university/college library. I just searched "Mark Van Doren" on my libraries website and got 41 responses. A lot of them are for editing and stuff like that, I'm sure you can find stuff. And that’s not including periodicals either. Which I'm sure would have a lot.

It’s admirable to pick a poem like this because of the band, but honestly, if it’s for High School I'd pick another poem.
Something you could find on Sparknotes.

Hope · Post by **Hope** » 3/3/2006, 9:30 pm

sparknotes.

Kaegan · Post by **Kaegan** » 3/4/2006, 8:59 am

Hope wrote: sparknotes.

x__rOCKSTAR · Post by **x__rOCKSTAR** » 3/4/2006, 9:46 am

yea sorry about that the poem being there might help you out a little bit eh...ok so this is the deal with it, i had to pick a not very well known poem, i decided to do this one...i have to write a 600 word essay on what i think it means how it affects someones outlook on life ect. baisically a littereary essay...i really like the poem not only because of the band but because it makes you think, to me it seams like the beginging of the poem is talking about war the part about the ravens being how they ate the dead to hide any evidence of it "thunder that percussion caused" i think is either the shells from gun shots or the "drumming" of the people involved then i think it jumps to mother mary + how in every person we see her, but are we really seeing...its more or less were looking but not really seeing....
ok so i dont know if im totally way out there with what im thinking but i have to write 600 words on that in class on monday =S...any help you guys ofer is EXTREAMLY appreciated!!! thank you again!! xox jena

Post by **xjsb125** » 3/4/2006, 5:12 pm

The poem is from the book titled Our Lady Peace and Other War Poems (1942). Published by New Directions, Norfolk, CT. It reappears in The Seven Sleepers and Other Poems (1944). In The Seven Sleepers, the order of the poems in Our Lady Peace have been re-arranged, and 9 new ones added. Our Lady Peace is a poem about war, as the other poems in that section are themed around that subject.

*hugs first printing of Seven Sleepers*

Post by **faninor** » 3/4/2006, 6:42 pm

I still use sparknotes.

In 4 weeks, I will be a senior in college.

Johnny · Post by **Johnny** » 3/4/2006, 6:44 pm

What the hell is a spark note?

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 3/4/2006, 6:44 pm

Sparknotes > actually reading

nikki4982 · Post by **nikki4982** » 3/4/2006, 8:07 pm

Johnny, you ever heard of Cliffs Notes? Same deal.

Also... squee!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6554884954

Lando · Post by **Lando** » 3/4/2006, 10:03 pm

x__rOCKSTAR wrote: yea sorry about that the poem being there might help you out a little bit eh...ok so this is the deal with it, i had to pick a not very well known poem, i decided to do this one...i have to write a 600 word essay on what i think it means how it affects someones outlook on life ect. baisically a littereary essay...i really like the poem not only because of the band but because it makes you think, to me it seams like the beginging of the poem is talking about war the part about the ravens being how they ate the dead to hide any evidence of it "thunder that percussion caused" i think is either the shells from gun shots or the "drumming" of the people involved then i think it jumps to mother mary + how in every person we see her, but are we really seeing...its more or less were looking but not really seeing....
ok so i dont know if im totally way out there with what im thinking but i have to write 600 words on that in class on monday =S...any help you guys ofer is EXTREAMLY appreciated!!! thank you again!! xox jena

I think you answered your own question in this last post. You seem to really connect with the poem and you made your reasons known. Since this essay is about what you think it's about, it's completely based on your opinion. These types of essays are perfect because there's no right or wrong answer. If everyone was assigned the same poem and they had to give their input on what they think it's about, then that's different. So I say just write about whatever you personally can take away from this poem or whatever it is you feel or connect with.

nikki4982 · Post by **nikki4982** » 3/4/2006, 10:07 pm

Well put.

x__rOCKSTAR · Post by **x__rOCKSTAR** » 3/6/2006, 8:12 am

thank you- the thing is however it is 600 words and im not entirelly sure if what im saying about it is even remotly close to how van doren intended the poem to be..=S anyways thank you all for your help it has been very much appreciated!!!!

Axtech · Post by **Axtech** » 3/6/2006, 10:47 am

Doesn't really matter how Van Doren intended it, it's all about what you can take from it. As long as you can argue for your thesis, and there's nothing in the poem to contradict it, you're good. No one really knows what Van Doren's intention was; essentially everything in literature is open to interpretation to some degree.

Also, this was published in 1942, so you can bet it has some relation to or commentary on WWII.

Kicker774 · Post by **Kicker774** » 3/6/2006, 1:17 pm

600 words?

Isn't the whole point of a poem to express your throughts without having to write up 600 words?

That's like asking to write 600 words about 'Row, Row Row your boat' and what it truley means.

beautiful liar · Post by **beautiful liar** » 3/6/2006, 3:16 pm

i could do that. it's not hard.

x__rOCKSTAR · Post by **x__rOCKSTAR** » 3/6/2006, 4:21 pm

600 words on row row row your boat, that i would like to see =)....no we have to write 600 + words on how we feel about it, something to be honnest im not looking forward too =S

beautiful liar · Post by **beautiful liar** » 3/6/2006, 4:37 pm

well if it's about how you feel, then you don't have to do much outside research really. Just respond to the poem. Answer questions - what did it make you think of? how did you respond to it? describe the emotional landscape it created for you. why do you think it was written? what does the poem sound like when read aloud? how does it pertain to religion? politics? society? to a woman? to a man? think about the time period - is it just as relevant now as it was then?

essentially, you must ask yourself: why is it meaningful?

the other thing to do is look for references: are there any themes or symbols you could relate back to other literature you've read?

i'm writing a poetry essay right now too, but i have to compare style rather than give a personal response. i'm jealous of you

x__rOCKSTAR · Post by **x__rOCKSTAR** » 3/6/2006, 5:08 pm

you are a god lol.....u just made my life so much easier half of those i didnt even think of to answer in it =) omg i totally owe you!!!!! thanx so much! xoxoxoxox

ClumsyMonkey.net

ClumsyMonkey.net

Our Lady Peace - Mark Van Doren

Our Lady Peace - Mark Van Doren