On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High

On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High
By 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 an 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.

Initial Impression-
The story is about someone reading a poem at a high school. The person reading the poem notices that he is captivating his audience with his riveting poetry. The other students in the class are moved by the person reading the poetry. Then, once the bell rings, everything changes and the all students abruptly leave the classroom. Once the narrator, the person reading to the class, leaves to go home, his cat approaches him. The cat, it can me perceived, licks the narrator to his senses.
Paraphrase-
Before speaking, I noticed them sitting down, emotionless and orderly.
The students began to listen carefully. But, I had no idea until their reactions reached my ears.
I suddenly became aware of their enthusiasm for poetry. The students were opening up to me and enjoying the poetry.
The students in the class were slowly becoming interested in poetry. The thirty students were lively in the classroom. Then, the bell rang.
Swiftly, the students walk out of the classroom.
The students walked out from the room like water escaping from a leak
I think the students went to another class while I went home.
My cat, Queen Elizabeth, liked me, until I wasn’t a fish anymore. I became human again.

SWIFTT-
SW- The poem does not follow a strict format, for the format is very natural and standard. The author’s choice of words, however, is unique. The author’s purpose is to make a metaphorical comparison with fish and humans. The author uses words that create powerful figurative images with fish. For example, he says: “Opened up like gills for them and let me in.” By using the word “gills” when describing the students’ reactions, the author is able to effectively express his message.
I- The visual imagery created by the author of the poem provides the readers with a vivid picture of the situation, in addition to providing the readers with a tactile. One example of imagery is when the author says, “licked my fins till they were hands again.” The readers imagine a man, disguised as an exuberant fish, being excessively licked by a cat until human hands appear in place of the fins; the licking cat creates sensory image.
F- Figurative language is present in many aspects of the poem. The entire poem is an extended metaphor, or a conceit. The characters in the poem are represented as fish. In the beginning of the poem, the narrator uses the simile, “as orderly as frozen fish in a package.” The compassion to frozen fish makes the students appear apathetic towards learning. However, as the poem continues, the narrator metaphorically refers to the students as “fish in an aquarium.” The narrator continues with the fish metaphor by giving the students traits of fish. He says, “Together we swam around the room like thirty tails whacking words.” Not only does this metaphor create a powerful image, but it also effectively describes the sudden liveliness of the students.
T- As the narration of the poem progresses, the tone changes. In the first two stanzas of the poem, the narrator is neutral towards the students. However, as the students begin to slowly become interested in the narrator’s poems, the tone becomes appreciative. The narrator describes the children as being lively and open. Finally, when the poem reaches the last stanza, the author starts to take on an inward tone.
T- The students become lively when the narrator teaches about poetry in class. The students’ freely express their opinion while having a stimulating discussions with the narrator. Watching others enthusiastically embrace poetry brings joy and excitement to the narrator. The theme of the poem, therefore, is that poetry is indeed a powerful learning tool.

Conclusion-
After analyzing the poem, my appreciation for the poem has increased. Not only does the author tell a story about a specific experience, but the poem also implements various literary techniques. Initially, I assumed that the narrator was throwing around metaphors and similes into the poem to keep the readers interested. However, after discovering that poem is a conceit, the figurative language throughout the poem makes more sense. For the most, my interpretation of the poem stayed the same. The narrator is poetically telling about a time when he witnessed the enthusiasm for poetry in younger generations. The poem uses the powerful metaphor of fish swimming and whacking words to express the eagerness of the student’s to hear and learn about poetry.