Uh... Why don't you tell me?

Question

The Hand Represents Man

You cry on a pillow,
Of self woven threads,
The needle the bearer,
Of the hope’s of the dead,
You whisper a story,
Of a time not long past,
And speak of a person,
Made out of glass.
Fragile and frail,
She breaks in your hand,
The reason the difference,
The hand represents man.

Ok, this is a poem I wrote ok... and for some reason my damn english teacher wants me to tell him what it means. The whole point of poetry is that the meaning lies within correct? Well i've read it, and I still don't know the full meaning, don't answey if your gonna act as if it's a nuisance or once more contradict my thoughts. Please! I really have no idea what to say and I have to turn it in today... HELP!

Answer 1

I would probably interpret this differently than you. The symbolism might represent one thing to you, the Author, and something completely different to Me.
Your Teacher wants to know what this poem means to you, What inspired you to write it. What the symbols represent of your experience. Being in touch with all those things is an important part of being a poet. You have to be able to express those emotions, not only lyrically, but to be in touch with them enough to be able to explain them. It may also be the teacher's way of assuring himself that the piece was indeed written by you.

Answer 2

Well, it's a lovely poem & you are entirely correct in your opinion about the English instructor.

How about working the angle between the feel & pliability of the cloth (representing you) & the glass (representing others or some specific other or some concept).

You are soft pliable beautiful & can be added to in beautiful colors, and the glass person (or concept) is brittle can be seen through & is now broken. This disappoints you so you are crying, but you will continue to add more colorful threads and do well.

I'd be interested to hear what you do come up with!

I remember in school once I had an English instructor that was a serious & real pervert. Every single thing we read had to do with sex, everything. Even a short poem about two little lambs in the summer sun frolicking on a hill on a bucolic landscape. He looked like Austin Powers with dark hair & wore those clip-over galoshes that firemen used to wear. Used to sit on the edge of the desk & swing his legs & move his neck back and forth like pigeons do & go hee-hee-hee real low & slow. Creepy.

One day I showed up at class for every student's nightmare, an in class essay you are not prepared for. Fortunately, by coincidence I'd read the piece we needed to write on. I figured, well what have I got to loose, and wrote a ridiculous essay where I drew absurd connections between characters and secret meanings, all having to do with sex.

I got an A+.

Answer 3

I don't know if "the whole point of poetry is that the meaning lies within," but that's an interesting idea. I think you could speak of it along the lines that you describe in your question here. It sounds like you didn't have a specific idea that you "translated" into poetry, but rather that the words of the poem came to you first, to some extent. I think if you described a little bit of how you wrote the poem, and maybe analyze or speculate on why certain parts might have occurred to you, that might satisfy your teacher pretty well.

(BTW, I think maybe you don't need an apostrophe in the word "hopes.")

Answer 4

The meaning is within the poem, but the poet has to write that poem, usually to express something. If even the poet doesn't know the meaning, then it is really just random words, and not a poem at all. What were you thinking about when you wrote it? Why did you choose the words you did? Was it to communicate something? Were you trying to create a mood or play with the words in some way?

Answer 5

Simply tell your teacher that the poem, like many others out there is different for each and every individual.

If he has a problem with that, then he shouldn't be teaching poetry. Poetry, like art (in fact poetry is art) is interpreted differently by people. You can tell your teacher what the poem means to you if you want to.

Does this help at all? He really doesn't have to understand what it means to you, i'm sure if he reads it properly then he will find the meaning for himself, no?

Answer 6

But that is precisely what poetry is all about--open to interpretations. You wrote it, you interpret it personally but some you refuse to tell. A reader reads it, then interprets it his//her own way. Then another will do the same. And yet another.

That is the beauty of poetry--look at it your way but everybody else can never be wrong (or absolutely be right)!

Answer 7

Dear friend,
Its not easy to fall in love
carry an affair & away from glow,
You got to be clear
You got to be smart
To make the connection Heart to Heart.

hve gr8 day

Answer 8

It sounds like your talking about someone that was close to you who passed away....

You wrote it and you dont know what it means?? I liked it. It is strange but grabs your curiosity. You can tell your teacher that its about about the meaning the individual creates from it when reading.....