“Beautiful in the mind, Like a word we are waiting to hear”. Adrienne Rich was an amazing poet, her two poems I chose, “A Ball is for Throwing” and “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” not only captured my attention but required genuine thought while discussing them. In both of her works, Rich uses her work to show the importance of seizing the meaningful moments in your life. Both works have metaphors helping the reader understand what she truly means. In “A Ball is for Throwing” Rich uses the ball to represent one’s life, and how some may never risk throwing it, or the action required to change your life, due to the damage it may cause. Whereas, in Rich’s “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”, she reflects on the legacy left behind by her aunt. Aunt Jennifer is a
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Actions we take effect not only us, also the people around us. For Aunt Jennifer it was apparent that she died before mastering her fear, her husband. While acknowledging that fact, Rich also gave Aunt Jennifer great substance, overall giving her a proud and honorable legacy of a tiger. In “A Ball is For Throwing”, Rich explains how these actions, like mastering your fear, is the whole purpose in life. While we take a risk, in the fact that something might get broken, it is those risks that are our purpose. “That ball is construed, but lives only in a flash of flight, from the instant of release to the catch in another’s hand.” Rich shows how short life is, comparing it to a flash of flight, which represents action. In summary she is explaining how those actions, those moments, are what makes up one’s life. Also, that those flashes are quick, so one cannot waist their life waiting for a certain moment. Once you have completed your life, or your moment, it is passed on to another’s hand. The question is what will be passed on? For Aunt Jennifer she passed on a sense of fearlessness and courage, yet also a bit of disappointment. For while she is shown as a strong character Rich includes the fact that, she never took the risk of throwing the ball. In conclusion, Adrienne Rich used her magnificent talent to reflect not only the beauty in life but the true value of it. That one’s actions are what give them substance, and that same substance is what will be remembered about a
Actions we take effect not only us, also the people around us. For Aunt Jennifer it was apparent that she died before mastering her fear, her husband. While acknowledging that fact, Rich also gave Aunt Jennifer great substance, overall giving her a proud and honorable legacy of a tiger. In “A Ball is For Throwing”, Rich explains how these actions, like mastering your fear, is the whole purpose in life. While we take a risk, in the fact that something might get broken, it is those risks that are our purpose. “That ball is construed, but lives only in a flash of flight, from the instant of release to the catch in another’s hand.” Rich shows how short life is, comparing it to a flash of flight, which represents action. In summary she is explaining how those actions, those moments, are what makes up one’s life. Also, that those flashes are quick, so one cannot waist their life waiting for a certain moment. Once you have completed your life, or your moment, it is passed on to another’s hand. The question is what will be passed on? For Aunt Jennifer she passed on a sense of fearlessness and courage, yet also a bit of disappointment. For while she is shown as a strong character Rich includes the fact that, she never took the risk of throwing the ball. In conclusion, Adrienne Rich used her magnificent talent to reflect not only the beauty in life but the true value of it. That one’s actions are what give them substance, and that same substance is what will be remembered about a