This snow day make-up poetry project has taught me several things. First, praying for snow days has consequences! So while I enjoyed the snow day and spent the evening sipping a caramel machiatto and enjoying a rich moist brownie I didn't realize it would just mean more work later. But I'm not complaining because blogging is something I enjoy.

Through this project I became more aware of the legalities involved in posting which is actually considered publishing. Before this project, I wasn't aware that linking to a website that didn't have permission to quote a source was illegal. Now I am more careful to give attribution to pictures and articles when blogging, and not to link to sites that may not have permission to post the material they have.

This project has also caused me to take a more in-depth look at poetry. I have recently purchased a book of poetry and am actually enjoying it. So I guess its safe to say that this project has taught me to appreciate poetry in a way I previously didn't.

I relate to this poem in several ways. The first thing that caught my attention was the poem being about Rash's grandfather. My grandfather, or Pappy as I called him, passed away last semester. I think that caused me to be attracted to this poem because Rash's poetry, in some ways, is a tribute to his family. When you lose a close family member it becomes important to find ways to honor their memory, to pay tribute to them. Rash has done this very poetically in Eureka Mill while also sharing the history of life in a cotton mill.

Secondly, I believe that man cannot survive by bread and water alone, coffee is a necessity. Being a coffee lover, that instantly attracted me to this poem. I liked the humor Rash shares when he wrote, "No , he drank his coffee black all winter, into the spring, let it scald his bitter, stubborn tongue."

The third thing I like about "My Grandfather Swallows His Pride" is its representation of a common difference between men and women. For example, men in our society tend to be known for driving around unsure of their surroundings, yet refusing to ask for directions. Women on the other hand are more apt to stop at the nearest gas station and ask for directions. Similarly, I think if Grandma weren't sick she would have marched right down to the grocery store, tucked her pride in her pocket, and exchanged the purchase.

Salty Coffee or Coffee No Sugar?!?!

From the poem My Grandfather Swallows His Pride by Ron Rash (Eureka Mill P.32) I have learned that there's sugar at Spring's store and salt in Grandma's cupboard, Grandfathers are sometimes stubborn, money can be scarce, and that salt and sugar are not good substitutes for each other. I also learned that decisions have consequences that are often hard to calculate, that grandpas should listen to grandmas, and fine white grains can look similar yet taste very different.

In the first eight lines of the poem we learn that Grandma would normally go to the store, but she is home sick with the flu so Grandpa goes in her place to buy the needed sugar for the winter. I picture him smiling and maybe even whistling as he walks to Spring's store, proud that he is helping his sick wife with what would usually be her responsibility. Then I see him confidently unshelving what he thought was sugar and making his way to the clerk. The poem says he "countered all he held" which was the dollar in his pocket on the purchase. Then he quickly calculated the coins given back to him in exchange for the dollar.

The last six lines tell us that his wife, Grandma, tried to get him to return the salt for sugar but he refused. He thought he knew the price he would pay and opted instead to drink black and bitter coffee through the winter months to save his pride instead of exchanging the incorrect purchase. The last part of the poem tells us "he drank his coffee black all winter, into the spring, let it scald his bitter, stubborn tongue."

"Hi Story"

History - "Hi Story" - is full of stories about people, events, and places. One of the major ways people learn the stories of previous times is through reading literature. I enjoy, maybe we could even use the word love, reading a variety of books and genres. But there is one exception to that, poetry. I think of poetry as an acquired taste. It's a style of writing that if experienced multiple times can grow on a person, but initially it's not always appreciated and rarely understood. That's been my personal history with poetry, not always appreciated and rarely understood.

I first paused to take a close look at poetry in ENG 113 when Maurice Manning was the visiting author that semester at CVCC. It was then I read through his book of poetry, Lawrence Booth's Book of Visions. I also attended his reading session and listened as he answered questions. Through that I felt more of a personal connection with his poetry and I still pick his book up every now and then. Each time that I do, I feel like I understand a little more clearly what he was conveying. I may be completely off track, but at least I'm making an attempt!

I haven't taken an in-depth look at Ron Rash's Eureka Mill yet, but I anticipate that this project will open my eyes a little wider to the world of poetry and once again, my history of poetry will be changed. Maybe, just maybe, I will begin to understand poetry.