Reading Rite

Reading Rite

Interpret: “Young Bean Farmer” really stood out to me at first because of the pure format of the work. I love when poetries form tells or adds to the story and this is exactly what is happening in this poem. This poem is about a young man who lives on a farm with his brothers and who doesn't quite feel like he fits. I understood this from the description within the first couple of stanzas but, especially from the section written in a diagonal downturn. The line goes, “A farmhouse doesn't make a farmer the way that wood doesn't make a fence” with “me” written in the middle off to the side. It was obvious to me as a reader at this point that the author feels as if he doesn't belong which is really powerful. I interpreted it that he also gets this message across by writing the line in a downward diagonal which also doesn't fit within the norm of the rest of the poem. 

Evaluate: I think the biggest idea within this poem is the notion of not belonging or feeling lost. From the stanza that is going downwards on, I am able to really feel this emotion from the poet. One thing I find a bit confusing whilst evaluating this poem is whether the man doesn't feel like he belongs within his family or within his role as a farmer or both. I can’t quite distinguish which would be worse for the poet. The line, “I feel the blaze of soil on my brothers’ heads” makes me believe that he truly honors his brothers relationships and feels like he is letting them down by not wanting to be a farmer.  However, he also alludes to the fact that he wants to leave the farm at the very last line of the poem. Therefore, I believe that the author is distraught about not fitting in on both the farm and with his brothers. 

Connect: One way in which I can connect to this text is the feeling of not fitting in or belonging in certain spaces. Sometimes, even with my family, I feel like I don't truly fit in. This can really connect to the poem because the author alludes to not fitting in with his family, especially his brothers. Sometimes my family has different view points than I do on certain issues and I stay quiet, like the author, and feel like I don't belong. 

Questions: 

1. What do y’all think of the format of this poem? Why do you think that the author added the abstract stanza?
2. Can you connect to this poem on any level?
3. What do you think of the last line? I was stumped on this.

Artistic Process 

1. The video I watched on youtube by “Democracy Now” titled “Meet the Irish Photographer Documenting Women in Ireland Who Must Travel Abroad for Safe Abortion” helped me think about my artistic process because I became very interested in woman rights in Ireland. 
2. This class has informed my artistic process by inspiring me through all the workshops we've completed and through just being in Ireland and getting to see the beautiful sites. As a photographer this truly inspires me. 
3. My vulnerabilities as a photographer are doing portrait work.
4. I am addressing them through my final project.
5. My project is going to be taking portrait photos of women in Cork and asking them to say a few words about what it is like to be a women. 
6. My aims are to inspire women and to empower them through my photos.
7. I will accomplish these aims through working my hardest on my project and working on fostering meaningful conversations with these women. 
8. I will seek support through my teachers and peers.