How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
SEEDS in a dry pod, tick, tick, tick,
Tick, tick, tick, like mites in a quarrel— (1-2)
In this corner, weighing in at .000002 ounces: Mitchell "the Mighty" Mite. Even the mites are on edge in this poem, fighting amongst themselves. Pretty quickly, the poem sets forth a tone of dissatisfaction, both with this simile as well as with the irritating sound of dried seeds rubbing against each other. We'll take nails on the chalkboard instead, thank you very much.
Quote #2
The snows and the roses of yesterday are vanished;
And what is love but a rose that fades? (7-8)
Man, that is one darn dissatisfying rose. It pops up everywhere in poetry, so much so that it's become an utterly meaningless cliché (sorry Seal). These tired old ways and forms of expression have got our speaker in a funk. And the only cure is more cowbell… er, scratch that—the only cure is more original poetry that stems from an authentic connection to life.
Quote #3
Woodlands, meadows, streams and rivers—
Blind to all of it all my life long. (13-14)
Regrets: Petit's had a few. He realizes now, too late (being dead and all), that he missed too much of the world around him. He's dissatisfied by that realization, but at least now he understands that tuning in to your surroundings is the best way to write good poetry. Um, better late than never (even if you're dead)?