"You Can Have It," "They Feed They Lion" by Philip Levine

In this poem, Philip Levine is writing about being out there and looking for a job. In the line that says, "No we're not hiring today," it talks about rejection. It's not only work looking for a job, but one also has to put up with rejection. It reminds me of the times that I was looking for a job, and I filled out so may applications, and I went to so many interviews until finally I got hired somewhere. I can relate to this and see myself doing this. In the lines, "Works eight hours a night so he can sing...How long has it been since you told him you loved him," it's saying to appreciate those who work hard because it's no piece of cake. I suspect that Levine wrote this poem in order for the reader to appreciate work and those who work hard. I can definitely relate to this.

On My Own

I'm a little confused about this poem. Because if the seven year old kid lived in that house obviously since it mentions that he went to his room, why did he get there miraculously. I suspect that he went to a brand new home, sort of like a foster home maybe. In the line, "I found my room and spread my things on the sagging." Because if it was his room before, why did he had to find it? So it might have been a shelter that he was going into. Maybe his parents died. Since also in the poem it mentions "sagging bed." Also, I don't understand what he means by "drinking companions," but I really like this line, it sounds cool.

Animals are Passing from our lives

I really liked this poem because it made me imagine the pig talking and being so defenseless. The pig says that people think of him as a beast, and kill him to eat him. But he's not at all like that. He's a poor defenseless pig. This poem really makes me feel sorry for the pig. It was so sad at the end, "No, not his pig." This line says everything and it generates emotion. It makes me wonder how we think about animals, as being wild and beasts. It made me think that animals are more afraid of us than us of them. It also makes me think that we are taking advantage of animals not considering their feelings at all.

You can have it

In this poem, the speaker talks about his brother that died and wants him back. He remembers the last time he saw him. In the last lines, "Give me back my brother...," he's asking God, that it would be nice and so easy to say to give him back his brother, and that God would respond, "You can have it." The speaker realizes that is not possible, but he's kind of fantasizing, and wishes it would happen just like that--ask and he'll have him. I like the way this poem ends with the same words that the speaker remembers his brother saying, "You can have it."

They feed they lion

Levine is saying that industrialization has become like a beast, "Of industrial barns, out of rain, out of bus ride...They lion grow." There's a lot of energy throughout the poem. Levine's use of repetition gives a lot of energy to the poem, "Out of burlap sacks, out of bearing butter/Out of black bean.../Out of the acids of rage." The speaker here sounds really upset, which adds to the energy of the poem, "West Virginia to Kiss My Ass." During Levine's time, industrialization was booming, taking over nature, almost threatening, "Earth is eating trees, fence posts," and that's what he wrote about. He has vivid images, which also add to the energy of the poem, "Out of creosote, gasoline, drive shafts, wooden dollies/They lion grow." Wow!