Naming of Parts is a poem in my poetry book written by Henry Reed. In this chapter we are learning about connotation and denotation. I have a simple definition for those words. Basically this entire chapter is trying to say that everything is not what it seems when it comes to poetry. At times, that is exciting; in fact that's one of my favorite things. But today I am not in the mood to read about poems that say one thing and mean another. It's a Saturday and all I really want to do is watch a football game and relax. But I am stuck reading about this irritating poem that sounds like a manager training a new employee. Apparently, according to the questions it is supposed to be about men and war. Even in my wildest dreams I couldn't make a connection like that. I am not in the mood right now to deal with this dumb poem.
Naming of Parts
Today we have naming of parts. Yesterday,
We had daily cleaning. And tomorrow morning,
We shall have what to do after firing. But today,
Today we have naming of parts. Japonica
Glistens like coral in all of the neighboring gardens,
And today we have naming of parts.
This is the lower sling swivel. And this
Is the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see,
When you are given your slings. And this is the
piling swivel,
Which in your case you have not got. The branches
Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,
Which in our case we have not got.
This is the safety-catch, which is always released
With an easy flick of the thumb. And please do not let me
See anyone using his finger. You can do it quite easy
If you have any strength in your thumb. The blossoms
Are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see
Any of them using their finger.
And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this
Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it
Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards
The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
They call it easing the Spring.
They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy
If you have any strength in your thumb: like a bolt,
And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point
of balance,
Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom
Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards
and forwards,
For today we have naming of parts.
Ok, does anyone see a connection to war here? I certainly do not. I just really don't like this poem. Yes, I'm sure with a little adjusting my receiver may enable me to understand and I may learn to like this poem, but at this moment, it doesn't bother me in the slightest that I do not understand the poem. The only thing I want to do with this poem is name its parts. In this case, at this time the sum of the parts is called annoying.
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