On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High- D.C. Berry

Before
I opened my mouth
I noticed them sitting there
as orderly as frozen fish
in a package.

Slowly water began to fill the room
though I did not notice it
till it reached
my ears

and then I heard the sounds
of fish in a aquarium
and I knew that though I had
tried to drown them
with my words
that they had only opened up
like gills for them
and let me in.

Together we swam around the room
like thirty tails whacking words
till the bell rang
puncturing
a hole in the door

where we all leaked out
They went to another class
I suppose and I home

where Queen Elizabeth
my cat met me
and licked my fins
till they were hands again.

First Instinct
          After reading through the poem “On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High” by Berry, my first reaction to the text was that the student were being compared to fish; while the classroom was being compared to a fish tank. As the classroom begins to fill with water, the student transform into fish. One of the students tries to drown the rest of the class. However he or she does not have the ability to drown the class because they have gills like a fish. Once the final bell ring, the classroom let out and the fish were able to leave the class and return home. Once home the boy or girl allows their cat to lick their hands until they have calmed down from the events that occurred during their day.

Paraphrasing

Before
My mouth opens
I spotted them sitting nearby
As orderly as a school of fish.

Water began to fill the room gradually
I did not see it
Until it got to
My ears

Suddenly I heard sounds
Of fish in a tank
And I knew that I had
To drown them
With words
That only opened up
Like gills for them
To let me in.

Around the room we swam
Thirty tails hitting words
Until the ringing of the bell
Opening the door
Where we all left
And went to another class
And I went home

Where my cat
Queen Elizabeth greeted me
To lick my fins
Until they changed back into hands.

SWIFTT

          Syntax/Word: After reading through the poem, readers can realize that there is no specific rhythm or meter. Therefore the poem is free verse. Since Berry is comparing the classroom to a fish tank and the comparing the students to fish, he choice of words are similar to words that have to do with fish. The central image of the poem has to do with fish; Berry uses words that are related to fish. The word gills is used to describe how the students opening up and letting words in. this is significant because it flows with the rest of poem discussing things that involve fish.

          Imagery: Throughout the poem, Berry uses imagery to describe the classroom and students within it. The image of frozen fish in a package depicts a picture of the students sitting in even rows. This is significant because in a frozen fish package the fish a prefect even rows for the customer. Another image in the poem is of thirty fish swimming around the classroom whacking words at each other.

Figurative: Throughout the poem “On Reading to a Senior Class at South High”, Berry uses figurative language to describe the classroom and students. The first form of figurative language that was used in the poem was metaphors.  The subject of the classroom is compared to an aquarium. This is fitting because the classroom and an aquarium share this characteristic: both cage something in. This is significant to the poem  because this metaphor allows the readers to better understand Berry’s opinion on classrooms. Another metaphor that was in the poem was the students being compared to fish.  The student being compared to fish is fitting being they shared these common characteristics; when fish are in frozen package they look like students sitting in rows of decks and when  students are running around a classroom they kind  of look like caged in fish. The second form of figurative language Berry uses in the poem is a simile. The simile in the poem is when Berry compared the student’s mouth to gills. This is significant because it supports the students being like fish. Alliteration is the final form of figurative language used in the poem. The alliteration allows Berry to draw the reader’s attention to specific words in the poem that he believes is important.

Tone: Once the reader have fully analyzed the poem by Berry, readers can conclude that the tone of the poem is intimidated. There is an intimidated tone about the poem for plenty of reasons. First reason is the student is intimidated because he does not understand why the classroom is filling with water. Once the child get over the fact that the room has transformed into an aquarium, he is then intimidated by the other students in the classroom. He is intimidated by the other students because they are beginning to attack him with their words.

Theme: After further analyzing the poem by Berry, the readers can have a better understand of what the theme of the poem is. The theme of the poem is that individuals should not judge other. If an individual judges another individual without know the individual; their judgment could possibly be incorrect.

Conclusion

After closely analyzing the poem “On Reading to a Senior Class at South High” by Berry, I can conclude that my first reaction is similar to the actual meaning of the poem. The poem is actual meaning for the poem is to describe how one student views the classroom and other students. For example, the student says that he originally to notice the room was filling with water until it was up his ears. The students opinion on the students is that like are like a bunch of caged in fish with nowhere to swim. One way my first reaction was incorrect was that the student was not attempting to drown the other students. However, the student does try to judge the other students without getting to know them first. But his judgments do not bother the other students because they just take them. Finally, the student returns home, where he contemplates his decision to judge the other without knowing them.