Great Regulars: The speaker finally reports that

although he remained in Baltimore for the next eight months, from May to December, and had many experiences there, all he can now recall from that visit is the ugly face of the little bigot who poked out his tongue and called the speaker that deplorable epithet.

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Countée Cullen's 'Incident'

~~~~~~~~~~~

Instead of undergoing the discipline of spirituality that keeps these saintly women thin, the speaker asserts that she will be found "lolling in the garden/munching on the apples."

The "apple" is a symbol of the fall of Adam and Eve after engaging in sexual experience, and literally the apple, as part of the human diet, is not notorious as a culprit in keeping the human frame covered with excess flesh.

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Huff's 'The Hymn of a Fat Woman'

~~~~~~~~~~~

The speaker then uses a twisted kind of reasoning, saying that their blood mingling in the flea's body is not considered "a sin, nor shame" and not loss of virginity. Yet if they had intercourse, they would also cause bodily fluids to "mingle" and that is less than the mingling of blood in the flea.

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: John Donne's 'The Flea'

~~~~~~~~~~~

Those skeptical friends do not become enthused about this new poet, whose poems "grow in splayed rows/down the whole length of the page." The new poet's work looks unusual to the others, but to the speaker they bring forth much interest. The new poet's work brings back to the speaker her own experiences: "the very page smells of spilled// red wine."

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Linda Pastan's 'A New Poet'

~~~~~~~~~~~

He also realizes that the brooks that appear in songs and poems never appear in this form.

However, to the speaker his love of this brook is just a strong as when it flows with waters and boasts those Hyla frog whose croaking sounds remind him of "ghost of sleigh-bells in a ghost of snow." He then makes his profound observance, framing it philosophically, "We love the things we love for what they are."

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Robert Frost's 'Hyla Brook'

~~~~~~~~~~~

He thus demonstrates the unity of the muse and his own creative self, even as he has separated them, merely for the purpose of examining them. Again, the speaker displays his humility by claiming, "I am a worthless boat," at the same time averring, "He (his self that functions as the muse) appears "of tall building and of goodly pride."

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Shakespeare Sonnet 80

~~~~~~~~~~~

And he then indicates that it is being written for "eyes not yet created." The speaker often projects his thoughts far into the future.

Not only will eyes play lovingly over his "gentle verse," but also "tongues to be your being shall rehearse."

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Shakespeare Sonnet 81

~~~~~~~~~~~

In the couplet, "And their gross painting might be better used/Where cheeks need blood; in thee it is abus'd," he compares his sonnet to a painting, which has to use gross physical forms, where the painter must put blood in the cheek of his subject.

But such grossness is not required for the written word, and this speaker avers that in the sonnet "it is abus'd."

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Shakespeare Sonnet 82

~~~~~~~~~~~

The "modern" way always brings with it some shallow writers who depend on disingenuousness and cosmetic touches to make their poetry appear original, even as it merely shows pretension and conformity. Such a situation can be seen in poets who become critics in order to make a case for their own poetry.

These artists behave like adolescents, who must change their style out of an ignorant rebellion and an immature attempt to belong to something they do not completely understand.

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Shakespeare Sonnet 83

~~~~~~~~~~~

After taking out her glasses, "there/in the bookstore," she samples a few poems, but then chooses not to buy the book. She simply returns the book to the shelf.

The speaker does not allow himself the audacity of having her actually buy the book. And if she did buy the book, his little drama could not end with the punch he has in store.

from Linda Sue Grimes: Suite101.com: Ted Kooser's 'Selecting a Reader'

~~~~~~~~~~~