First Fight. Then Fiddle.
First fight. Then fiddle. Ply the slipping string
With feathery sorcery; muzzle the note
With hurting love; the music that they wrote
Bewitch, bewilder. Qualify to sing
Threadwise. Devise no salt, no hempen thing
For the dear instrument to bear. Devote
The bow to silks and honey. Be remote
A while from malice and from murdering.
But first to arms, to armor. Carry hate
In front of you and harmony behind.
Be deaf to music and to beauty blind.
Win war. Rise bloody, maybe not too late
For having first to civilize a space
Wherein to play your violin with grace.
–Gwendolyn Brooks, 1949
Vocabulary:
Hempen - of, like, or pertaining to hemp.
Malice - desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness
Thesis:
Brooks’ choice of diction, form, and theme gives the reader an opportunity to explore the contradictory nature of music, and how it has the power to express many different emotions.
Questions:
1. The poem’s title, “First Fight. Then Fiddle.” is very straight and to the point. Do you feel that its nature matches that of the rest of the poem?
2. Comment on the poem’s sudden change in subject from line seven to line eight.
3. Brooks wrote this poem four years after the end of World War Two. Using what knowledge you have of this historical event, do you feel that it accurately represents the common emotions people felt during this time period?
4. Consider the line “Carry hate in front of you and harmony behind”. Do you notice more than one meaning for this particular line?
5. There are a few different ways to interpret this poem. After hearing it once, did you feel the poet meant for readers to take the message literally, or ironically?
Consider the line “Carry hate in front of you and harmony behind”. Do you notice more than one meaning for this particular line?
ReplyDeleteFor this particular line in the poem, i do see two meanings. I see this line relating to music and the harmony of a good violinist playing a song and the how if played properly, the tune flows. When you play a bad note, the challenge is in front of you to fix, which may seem like an enemy. The second way i see this poem is related to war. You usually have the enemy in front of you so that they can't attack your blind side, which is why harmony is behind you, so that you know the people that are on your side are behind you to help.
Good job Madison! (:
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ReplyDeleteLooking back at the poem, I also think that the change from line seven to eight is to represent the sudden oncoming of war. When there is a war, people are panicked, scared and have to give up everything in order to survive and even if they are warned ahead of time, there's no way to prepare for such a traumatic and devastating event.
ReplyDeleteAwesome job Madison! Whoo-whoo~ :D A very interesting poem.
The entire theme of this poem I believe could be summed up with the line involving putting harmony behind. In a somewhat ironic way, I believe the author is stating that the world will never have time for peace until all of the previous war and hate is sorted out.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.
Madison, you're awesome.
:)
Amazing job Madison :)
ReplyDeleteI actually really like this poem.
In reference to Mr. Pierce's comment near the end of the discussion about "First Fight. Then Fiddle", about the balance between music and war, I agree entirely and found a separation of the two topics from lines 7-8. The beginning discusses playing music, but then it seems to suddenly progress into war (like Linda said, about the onset of war). It definitely seems to balance war and art and I really like the imagery invoked with Brooks' poem. :)
Well done. I really think that the poem is intersting. I think that it talks about soliders living a normal life and then suddenly the country goes into war. But i agree with every one that talked about the poem. Especially the line "Win war. Rise bloody, maybe not too late" which someone said that they win the war and there is a distroyed city with bloody dead people. again fantastic job madison
ReplyDeleteBrandon, I'll be forever curious to hear what it is that you almost said. I'm guessing you just wanted a chance to reflect a bit more before posting. I'm looking forward to your revised thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAli, you've definitely added some worthwhile thoughts to the discussion. You seem to bring a perspective that must derive from first hand playing experience.
In general, the conversation is nicely balanced insofar as people are both contributing new ideas but also acknowledging other students ideas too.
Nah, just years of boring singing lessons!
ReplyDeleteWell, I guarantee it wasn't wasted time. Hey, it helped you see a little more in a poem. That's what we do as readers, we bring our own lived experiences to the texts we read.
ReplyDeleteThat's why some of us see bunnies and some of us see demons...