Mixed Signals

                “My daughter, writer, sits and floats” (Niedecker 13).  Lorine Niedecker uses her mother’s perspective to describe herself.  Her mother was deaf, and Niedecker made sure her audience knew that when they read many of her poems.  The works from Niedecker include many feelings and emotions.  However, in some of her work, Niedecker makes it difficult for her reader’s to capture the mood of the poem.  With some negative and some positive, the poems from Niedecker can be somewhat confusing for the readers and can raise many questions.

                As I read more and more of Niedecker’s work, I come across many intriguing questions.  For example, did Niedecker even like poetry?  Why did she choose poetry?  What inspires her writing?  Is the tone positive or negative?  In much of her work, I find that Niedecker uses mixed emotions.  Some poems feature such detail and beauty.  The scene it creates can be captured and it is riveting.  However, some of Niedecker’s words hold a negative connotation, and it can be hard to interpret her feelings throughout the poem.  One poem in particular, “Poet’s Work,” features somewhat of a confusing scene and, in turn, raises many questions for me.

                In this particular poem, Niedecker talks about how her grandfather told her to learn a trade.  The trade Niedecker chose was to, “sit at a desk and condense,” (Niedecker 60).  However, the next lines of the poem make it seem as if Niedecker was not happy with her choice to write poetry.  As Niedecker wrote, “No layoff from this condensery” (Niedecker 60).  This particular part of the poem has me drawn to those same four questions.  Looking at one view, it would seem as if she is unhappy with her choice, but doesn’t know what else to do.  In another view, it seems as though Niedecker doesn’t get a break because there is too much to write about.  Therefore, this piece of work from Niedecker features many mixed signals.

                While Niedecker used many different emotions, scenes, and techniques to make her poetry stand out, I find them to be confusing.  Her work did not stand out to me because I had a hard time interpreting her feelings.  She seemed to use mixed emotions, and that raised many questions for me.  Though I was able to answer most of the questions by reading, I have one unanswered question.  Although she continued to write it, did Niedecker actually like poetry?

The Objectification of Women in a Society Dominated by Men

               

                As Women, we are expected to cater to the male species and wait on them hand and foot.  Cook, clean, take care of the kids, do the shopping, these are all typical stereotypes of women in America.  However, after recently taking a look at Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt, it seems that women are being used in another way. 

                Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt has several examples of ads that are quite provocative and revealing.  The women in these ads are presented as helpless individuals asking for attention.  However, the attention they are asking for is disturbing.  They are shown as either naked or in a compromising position with a man in which he has control of the situation.  One ad in particular, Fetish Scent, made it clear that the men who dominate our society make women into objects.

                In this ad, the woman is using a product that she will put on to attract the attention of the man, which tells the audience that the woman is clearly trying too hard.  However, the creators of these ads make the women look like they are always asking for the male attention.   This particular ad shows the woman in a bikini, which makes is seem like she is putting her body up for grabs.  When men see these kinds of ads, they don’t think about the woman herself.  They tend think about how her body is presented and the ways they can use that to their advantage.  A man may not actually act upon his feelings, but those feelings themselves make the woman and her body an object.

                As objects, women are expected to please the man and all his needs.  He has control of the situation and if the situation goes wrong, it is the woman’s fault.  Many men don’t actually want anything to do the woman they are using as an object, they just need someone to fulfill their needs.   If the ads are representing the women this way, then it is clear that the male species has the dominance in our society.

                Men dominate our society.  They use a woman and make sure that she feels at fault for her actions when things go wrong.  It’s a shame that the female species has let this go on so long.  However, with all the male dominance, women really have no other choice but to abide by the rules that society has put in place.  Clearly, one of those rules is that a man should think of a woman as an object.  With little power, it is hard for a woman to go against society.  Maybe with a little back up, women can change how they are portrayed through the eyes of the male species.