The knockout bomb from the feed and grain exchange was featured as merci. The knockout bomb from the feed and grain exchangewas featured as merciful quick at the bone. In this poem woodchucks, maxine kumin sketches a canvas of a situation where a frustrated farmer is trying to get rid of the woodchucks. Woodchucks by maxine kumin poems academy of american poets. Imagery is used in woodchucks to show the death and course hero. See all books authored by maxine kumin, including the microscope, and selected poems 19601990, and more on. She attended catholic and public schools before earning a ba and ma from radcliffe college and married victor kumin.
Where is the irony in the poem woodchucks by maxine kumin. Clare wrote in his about sympathy, fear, and victories or not. Essay about woodchucks by maxine kumin analysis 1118. Born in 1925, kumin was an american poet who just died on thursday 2614 woodchucks was written in 1972 and stirred controversy note the last 2 lines. Maxine kumin june 6, 1925 february 6, 2014 was an american poet and author. What can you do to make literature matter to others.
October 1971 geoffrey grigson, daniel hoffman, patricia hooper, maxine kumin, douglas le pan, w. Her characters ranged from human boys and girls exploring the natural world, intelligent dogs in search. She began writing childrens books in 1960, with sebastian and the dragon, about a boy who wins a prize for capturing the most unusual animal for a new zoo. She attended catholic and public schools before earning a ba and ma from radcliffe college and married victor kumin in 1946 while still a student, and she would have two daughters and a son. Woodchucks analysis by ryder simmons by ryder simmons on prezi. What is the central theme of poem the microscope by maxine kumin. Feb 27, 20 our series of poets reading favourite works continues with john burnside picking the retrieval system by maxine kumin, a poem whose study of doubling is mirrored by an intricate rhyme scheme. She has won a pulitzer prize in 1973 for her work in up country.
And when students learn to analyze and argue for how literature engages such issues and exerts such power, they develop and hone their critical. Feb 09, 2016 maxine kumin reads woodchucks as part of a reading at the elliston poetry room, the university of cincinnati, on march 5, 1977. Maxine kumin nee winokur was born to a reform jewish family in germantown, pennsylvania. Maxine kumin admirably conveys the thought process behind this oppressive outlook through the seemingly simplistic poem woodchucks. The author of numerous collections of poetry, maxine kumin received the pulitzer prize for her. She was born on june 6, 1925 and recently died on february 6, 2014. Click the image below to watch susannah colt s biographical video. Maxine kumin kyewmuhn is best known for her work as a poet and received the pulitzer prize in poetry in 1973 for her volume up country. Does it ful ll all kumin by of analysis literary woodchucks maxine expectations. Maxine kumin, recording by mary kuechenmeister for the story preservation initiative in 2012. Human nature in maxine kumin s woodchucks maxine s kumin s woodchucks is a literal description a sort of woodchuck hunt in her garden. For this by woodchucks of analysis literary maxine kumin paragraph taken from.
Kumin, who wrote more than three dozen books, including a memoir, novels and childrens literature, died of natural causes thursday at. Both are using animals to describe humans and the way they act toward each other. At the beginning of the poem, seems to be more of a tom chasing jerry type of story but as. She introduces the narrator as a fed up, quickturnedmerciless murderer, thus revealing the authors attitude towards mass extermination, and the effect hatred has on an individuals soul. Woodchucks by maxine kumin gassing the woodchucks didnt turn out right. However, after reading the poem closely and analyzing the various poetic tools that kumin employs, it is. Sharon olds, summer solstice, new york city poem applying the strategies. Maxine kumins poems are at their best when they are the most earthy. The knockout bomb from the feed and grain exchange was featured as merciful, quick at the bone. Essay about woodchucks by maxine kumin analysis 1118 words.
Maxine kumin is a prominent female writer and her writings have left a mark on the hearts of feminists. In the poem, the speaker starts off attempting to get rid of a rodent problem as humanely as possible. Or are just a historical documentary series could do better tomorrow. Merchant, howard nemerov, charles north, andrew oerke, phoebe. Title alan dugan and maxine kumin reading and discussing their poems in the coolidge auditorium, oct. The purpose of the poem is to align the readers with the narrators apparently reasonable yet somewhat sociopathic view of the woodchucks as an inferior life form while building an show more content. Woodchucks analysis by ryder simmons by ryder simmons on. Much has been written about maxine kumins remarkable poetry and prose. Confessionalist poets tend to focus their poetry on personal matters that took place in their lives.
There was nothing in the argument against current american foreign 437 conclusion policy, it was 47 from idea to first draft but if you have no communications with them. It was written in 1972, and it it werent attributed to maxine kumin, it could have been mistaken for carl spacklers lone literary achievement. An enduring presence in american poetry, maxine kumins career spanned over half a century. Maxine kumin was born maxine winokur on june 6, 1925 in philadelphia, the daughter of jewish parents, and attended a catholic kindergarten and primary school. Woodchucks by maxine kumin by dominic brancato on prezi. Imagery is used in woodchucks to show the death and pain. Kumin speaks of fear, hatred, obsession, and killing of these pests. Students respond powerfully to literature when it explores issues that matter to them, such as how love can be compromised by the demands of tradition, how authoritarian injustice can be resisted, and how popular culture influences behavior.
The knockout bomb from the feed and grain exchange was featured as merciful, quick at the bone and the case we had against them was airtight, both exits shoehorned shut with puddingstone, but they had a subsubbasement out of range. Except the symbolism that the poet uses in the poem what other literary techniques does maxine kumin uses. Kumin has written a narrative poem that tells the story of killing the woodchucks in her garden, using an extended metaphor to compare this killing to warfareand, at the end, to genocide. Maxine kumin reads woodchucks as part of a reading at the elliston poetry room, the university of cincinnati, on march 5, 1977. Imagery is used in woodchucks to show the death and pain the speaker causes the animals. She has been compared to anne sexton, who was a fellow american confessionalist poet. Born maxine winokur, kumin attended radcliffe college b. Woodchucks close reading updated during an initial read of maxine kumin s poem, woodchucks, a reader can infer that the poem is about a farmer who is trying to kill woodchucks that are infiltrating his garden and destroying his crops. Audio recording alan dugan and maxine kumin reading and discussing their. From our ground time here will be brief, by maxine kumin, published by penguin books. An enduring presence in american poetry, maxine kumins career spanned. Kumins descriptive language provides the reader with.
She was appointed poet laureate consultant in poetry to the library of congress in 19811982. Maxine kumin is the author of 25 books for children. Topic sentence 2 maxine kumins helps reinforce her statement that there is a killer inside every human being is reinforced by portraying woodchucks are inferior to humans. Written over 100 years part humans and their actions have. The imagery used shows a merciless death that is fueled by anger and hate. This statement is particularly significant for what it implies about kumins jewish background and the role it has played in her worka role frequently overlooked by readers and critics.
Full recording may be found at the biographical interviews page of this website. Woodchucks by maxine kumin the food from our mouths, i said, righteously thrilling to the feel of the. Read this terribly autobiographical poem by maxine kumin, and listen to a recording of her introducing and reading it. Maxine kumin is considered one of the best jewish american poets of her time. What begins as a seemingly humorous cat and mouse hunt, reminiscent of such movie classics as caddyshack, soon develops into an insatiable lust for blood. Title the meaning of the title is about woodchucks theme the theme of the poem is to give a description of the killings of jews in the holocaust and concentration camps. Andrea callejas ap english literature december 1, 2015 tpcastt. Before she passed away, kumin actively voiced her strong support of women accomplishing their goals and performing their desired careers.
At the beginning of the poem, seems to be more of a tom chasing jerry type of story but as it progresses it turns into something more serious. The academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. An evening with pulitzer prize winning poet and writer. She is the author of several collections of poetry, including up country 1972, for which she won a pulitzer prize, and, most recently, nurture 1989, looking for luck. Oct 21, 2016 highly acclaimed author, maxine kumin has written 15 books of poetry and several collections of essays, short stories and novels. What is the tone of this poem, the sound of night by maxine kumin. A, 1948, and has lectured at many universities, including princeton, tufts, and brandeis. The poem has been subject to much analysis and for many reasons, would make. Ppt maxine kumin powerpoint presentation free to view. Jun 07, 2014 after analyzing the poem, i think that the story portrayed in woodchucks by maxine kumin acts as an extended metaphor for the potential for evil in all of us. Poetic devices metaphor maxine kumin uses metaphor to compare woodchucks to jews during the holocaust. Song for seven parts of the body by maxine kumin poetry.
Maxine kumin books list of books by author maxine kumin. On first reading, woodchucks is an almost cartoonish tale of farmer vs. What begins as a seemingly humorous cat and mouse hunt, reminiscent of such movie classics as caddyshack, soon develops into an insatiable. Maxine kumin wrote woodchucks and john clare wrote the badger. May 04, 2018 woodchucks by maxine kumin gassing the woodchucks didnt turn out right, the knockout bomb from the feed and grain exchange was featured as merciful, quick at the bone and the case we had against them was airtight, both exits had a subsub basement out of range. After analyzing the poem, i think that the story portrayed in woodchucks by maxine kumin acts as an extended metaphor for the potential for evil in all of us. Woodchucks by maxine kumin gassing the woodchucks didnt turn out right, the knockout bomb from the feed and grain exchange was featured as merciful, quick at the bone and the case we had against them was airtight, both exits had a subsub basement out of range. In her poem woodchucks, maxine kumin introduces an alternative way to view the seemingly innocent forest creatures. Alan dugan and maxine kumin reading and discussing their. Maxine kumin won the 1972 pulitzer prize for poetry and was the library of congress poet laureate in 198182. Woodchucks by maxine kumin poems academy of american. I have to do an analysis essay about the poem woodchucks by maxine kumin. The poem has been subject to much analysis and for many reasons, would make for good discussion in an english class and more. Alan dugan and maxine kumin reading and discussing their poems.
With her use of tone, the reader can observe a change in her dem. By earthy, i mean of the earth, rather than as a mocking term for a liberal hippie. When the speaker kills the mother he says she flipflopped in the air and fell kumin 20. With a cleareyed vision of life, including mortality, kumin became one of the countrys most honored poets. Woodchucks by maxine kumin essay 872 words bartleby. Dugan reads a short poem and a long poem on riding the long island railroad as a kid and thirteen poems from poem 4. Get an answer for what is the poem woodchucks by maxine kumin about. Maxine kumin reads looking back in my eightyfirst year from the book still to mow via. The book features a collection of simply worded poems, each written in the voice. Our series of poets reading favourite works continues with john burnside picking the retrieval system by maxine kumin, a poem whose study of. Literary analysis of woodchucks by maxine kumin for top. Woodchucks by maxine kumin essay in this poem woodchucks, maxine kumin sketches a canvas of a situation where a frustrated farmer is trying to get rid of the woodchucks.