Poem - "January" by John Updike

January

The days are short,
The sun a spark,
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.

Fat snowy footsteps
Track the floor.
Milk bottles burst
Outside the door.

The river is
A frozen place
Held still beneath
The trees of lace.

The sky is low.
The wind is gray.
The radiator
Purrs all day.

--John Updike

In his poem, John Updike uses vivid imagery to help readers imagine the sights and sounds of January. Imagery consists of words and phrases that appeal to any of the five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. To create vivid imagery, writers often use specific adjectives, nouns, and verbs. They may also use figurative language such as simile, metaphor, and personification. John Updike creates a metaphor with “trees of lace.” Can your explain what he means by this? How can trees be lace? Also, what does he mean by the final sentence, “The radiator/Purrs all day”?

Now it’s your turn. Create a line or two of vivid imagery describing a specific detail about a month. (Notice that you do not need to express the image in a complete sentence here.) Read the examples:

July – A yellow drink with an orange straw.
July – The lightening quilts the sky.
April – Like medicine droppers, the branch tips squeeze out glossy green buds.

Grammar - Conditional Verb Use

We use conditional verbs when we begin sentences with “if.” There are several different kinds of conditionals, but we will look only at one. Read the following examples:

1. If we had studied for the science test, we would have passed the test.
2. If they had saved room, they would have ordered dessert.
3. If Julian and Katya had not traveled to New York, they never would have met.
4. If it had not been raining, the game would have been played outside.

Notice that each sentence has two different sets of verbs. Notice also that
the helping verb phrase “would have” occurs only in the second part of the sentence (after the comma). Too often, students use “would have” in both parts of the sentence, which makes if very clumsy and awkward.

Incorrect: If we would have studied last night, we would have passed the test.

That’s too many “would haves”!

Now it’s your turn:
Write a sentence that starts with “if” like the examples above. Make both parts of the sentence about the past. Write about an event that could have happened but didn’t (or that did happen but would not have under different circumstances). Use “would have” only in the second part of the sentence.

Example:
If he had trained for more hours every day, he would have won the race.

Point of View

Point of view refers to the relationship between the narrator and the story. It is the voice that presents and interprets events for readers. The types of details readers receive as well as their understanding of them depend upon who is reporting them. Think about it. Would your best friend describe you in exactly the same way your parents would?

Now, it’s your turn. Describe a tree from a unique point of view. Imagine that you are an ant, termite, poison ivy, woodpecker, owl, robin, squirrel, mole, bear, cat, dog, carpenter, ax, sculptor, chair, kite, airplane, wind, apple, acorn, sidewalk,—anything that has a relationship with a tree. In 120 words or less, describe a tree from your unique point of view. Write what you see, hear, smell, feel, taste, or think about the tree.

Longfellow Quotation

"If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it:

Every arrow that flies feels the attraction of the earth. "

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I don't understand what Longfellow means here. Can you explain it? Who cares about arrows anyway? Very few people use them anymore.