I would choose “Winter in the Summer House” by Robert N. Watson. I could relate to the poem the most because my dad’s side of the family owns a summer house on Long Island, New York and we go up there for two weeks every summer. It’s a place where I would “play with wonderful expression” as a kid (Wilde 1). I have a lot of good memories of the house and the poem seems to evoke the old man’s memories of his house as well, although his have more of a melancholic tone to them. Nowadays our summerhouse in New York “seems to be the proper sphere for the man” (Wilde 35). We enjoy going boating, kayaking, throwing the baseball around and shooting our pellet rifles on the dock. Similarly, the manly old man in the poem “[keeps] his tools / In pegboard tracings” and drives an “old Dodge” (Watson 9-10, 13). The poem also brought up memories of the house itself. Built in 1941, the house is pretty old and has “cracks in the hardwood floors” and “the walls [are] painted but not covered” (Watson 4, 6). “I cannot deny it,” the charm of living in a somewhat older house for two weeks really makes the experience great (Wilde 39). Watson poem really brought out some memories of my families house on Long Island, thus making it my favorite of all the poems we have read this year.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
If I had to Choose One...
I would choose “Winter in the Summer House” by Robert N. Watson. I could relate to the poem the most because my dad’s side of the family owns a summer house on Long Island, New York and we go up there for two weeks every summer. It’s a place where I would “play with wonderful expression” as a kid (Wilde 1). I have a lot of good memories of the house and the poem seems to evoke the old man’s memories of his house as well, although his have more of a melancholic tone to them. Nowadays our summerhouse in New York “seems to be the proper sphere for the man” (Wilde 35). We enjoy going boating, kayaking, throwing the baseball around and shooting our pellet rifles on the dock. Similarly, the manly old man in the poem “[keeps] his tools / In pegboard tracings” and drives an “old Dodge” (Watson 9-10, 13). The poem also brought up memories of the house itself. Built in 1941, the house is pretty old and has “cracks in the hardwood floors” and “the walls [are] painted but not covered” (Watson 4, 6). “I cannot deny it,” the charm of living in a somewhat older house for two weeks really makes the experience great (Wilde 39). Watson poem really brought out some memories of my families house on Long Island, thus making it my favorite of all the poems we have read this year.
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Jimmy, I have a similar home where I acquire some of my favorite childhood memories. It is also in New York at Sackets Harbor. Here we swim, enjoy time with friends, and make memories that remain with us forever. I agree that having a place to escape to always leaves something to look forward to during our long winter months.
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