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While reading Adrienne Rich’s “Diving Into the Wreck”, I felt a sense of calm. For some reason this reading put me at ease and was very relaxing for me. Sentences such as, “First the air is blue and then it is bluer and then green and then black I am blacking out . . .”. I am unsure if it was just the relation to the ocean and image that comes with that. It is obvious in this story that someone is scuba diving and about to go explore the remains of a wreck. In a way this short story seems to symbolize life and the journey of it. Even though one cannot see the wreck from the surface it can be much clear once you get in the water explore for yourself. This is kind of like life sometimes you just have to take the chance and go in blind. As in the poem the person goes down the ladder instead of just jumping in. That kind shows going into a situation blindly because obviously as someone goes down a ladder they cannot see what is below them. Also, in the story the message seems to me that throughout the journey of life one must learn alone. It is not clear to me what the reference about he book of myths, camera and knife is supposed to symbolize. Maybe, the book of myths is deciding for yourself what is true and false in life. The journey is not having an exact plan or map of your life but deciding as you go along what feels right.
In Adrienne Rich’s poem, Diving into the Wreck, she reveals the true story of a deep sea diver. Diving is often thought of as being an adventure full of wondrous sights of a foreign environment. While this does hold some truth Rich makes it clear that the process is more of a mission with set objectives and a careful procedure that has to be properly executed in order to ensure efficiency and safety. Underwater many elements of the day to day are changed a great degree. Air is no longer existent. New devices are necessary for the sole purpose of underwater exploration. As one travels deeper the conditions become darker, colder, and an increasing amount of pressure is exerted on the diver. If a diver moves to quickly or exerts great force under these pressures they can suffer from serious injuries. Also, when a diver travels from one depth and pressure to another they must do so slowly or else they may implode. Due to these unique conditions in the unique environment a diver must remember their training. In the poem, the diver makes mention of his knife several times. This is like his wildcard, a crutch in an unexpected situation. Having the knife could be his only hope of survival if a freak accident or unplanned encounter alters the planned order of events. A diver must always be on his toes. There is a general conception that scuba diving is a fun activity that people could enjoy while on a vacation in some warm climate. Even in such a case some training is required. People do not generally realize how diving can quickly become extremely dangerous.
“Diving into the wreck” struck me as a poem that is very fantasy-like. I read the poem slowly, it seemed fit for a poem that took place deep under water where the author felt like he “breathed differently” and compared himself to a mermaid. I think that the fantasy-like quality of the poem was filled with the visual images and the reader was able to see exactly what the author wanted. For example, “swaying their crenellated fans” and “I stroke the beam of my lamp slowly along the flank of something more permanent than fish or weed” gives the reader the image of a sunken ship that is filled with buried treasure and we are able to see the fantasy through the author’s eyes. The author makes it seem magical, but not in a light, little mermaid kind of way. He projects the words in a way that it seems like one could go down there and never come back out.
I agree with Whitney in that this poem gave me a sense of calm. I think this is in part because I love the ocean and water in general. The author seemed really tranquil when she was talking about being one with the undersea life. This poem was also very exciting to me because I have always thought that it would be so cool to go scuba diving. I think it would be awesome to in a way breathe underwater and see all the animals and plants in the ocean. I was also really excited when the author of the poem compared herself to being a mermaid, and being a mermaid is every little girl’s dream that they never completely outgrow. I also agree with Lydia in that this poem is very fantasy-like. It sounds like the ultimate adventure, scuba diving in the ocean to find a sunken ship wreck. I feel like I painted a more detailed picture in my head of this scenario than what physical details were actually described because this scenario is so cool. I also feel the fact that the scuba diver had trouble with oxygen supply made the situation sound more perilous and adventure-like than fantasy-like.
Adrienne Rich’s poem “Diving into the Wreck” was clearly written about the journey of a deep sea scuba diver from his first person perspective. The way that the author wrote this poem from the diver’s perspective made it very interesting. He goes into great detail of all the things he does and see’s throughout his journey. At first when he is speaking of getting ready to go into the water, he mentions that he chooses to use the ladder instead of just jumping in. The way he describes the ladder and his choice to use it seems of importance although I am unsure why. After he is in the water he describes his path on the way down to observe what seems to be a wrecked ship at the bottom of the body of water. The rest of the poem he describes everything he sees about the wrecked ship, and even things that aren’t there but what he imagines he would see and what he is. The very descriptive way he describes this adventure and scene is very interesting, especially how he viewed himself through it all as some mystical mermaid. I am not exactly sure of the deeper meaning of this poem, but it still was very well written and easy to understand.
In Adrienne Rich’s poem, Diving into the Wreck I found it really beautiful the details used by the author to explain the main characters descend into the water and the changing of the colors as they get deeper. “First the air is blue and then it is bluer and then green and then black I am blacking out and yet my mask is powerful.” The first time I read through I got the impression that he or she was a deep sea diver but after reading again and seeing the looping of the beginning of the text to the end I can see direct comparison to a mermaid or merman to the diver“…the mermaid whose dark hair streams black, the merman in his armored body, we circle silently about the wreck we dive into the hold. I am she: I am he” The difference of “I put on my body-armor of black rubber the absurd flippers the grace and awkward mask” and the last stanza “We are, I am you are by cowardice or courage the one who find our way back to this scene carrying a knife, a camera a book of myths in which our names do not appear” seem to compare the diver to a mermaid or merman.
I read this poem slowly to let it sink in gently, much like how the author gently eased herself into the ocean. There was a lot going on here. On the surface it was just about some woman (or man? The author is a woman but I couldn't figure out the gender of the narrator) going scuba diving. She talks about getting all her gear together and the thrill of switching from the world of humans to the world of something older and much different than what we're used to. The beginning made sense to me, seeing as it mostly just talked about practical things and actions, but the end got a little weird. All of a sudden she started questioning her identity and who she is and who she will become. It's like being at the scene of something so old and mysterious put her own life into perspective. And then at the end she referenced the book of myths again, which I originally thought was an actual book, but now I'm not sure. The whole thing seemed a little weird to me.
Diving into the wreck seemed to me to be a very straightforward poem. The author speaks very vividly about the scenery and the actions of the trio. The poem seemed to be only of the beauty and danger of the real world. The author describes a dream of many people but the dream is his reality and he seems to put a more genuine touch on the story. I found myself reading this story over and over again because I felt like I was missing something. The author states that he came for the wreck and not the story of the wreck. This explains the first line about how he had read the book of myths. The ladder also shows how she is hesitant because most divers jump right in. she also describes the journey as dark which indicates that it is scary . both of theses correlate to life. She says, “I have to learn alone to turn my body without force.” I took this as the moment she let go of the ladder and is on her own for the first time. She seems scared but also excited and shows that there is both risk and reward in her mission. The part with the mermaid was confusing as I did not think that she actually meant mermaids but when she says “I a she. I am he.” That she means her life is like the trip, how life is scary but rewarding and the ship is like her, damaged but also full of value.
When I first read this poem it made me go into deep thought kind of and really da me visualizing the whole seen like the part about the scuba diver going down the ladder into the ocean as if it was a beep dark blue abase. She was going down to explore a ship wreak to find something, but she was alone doing this which is very unusual for any deep sea diver, so it seemed like she was trying to find something other than something in the ship wreck, it was as if she was trying to find herself as she was being engulfed by the deep blue sea. When she was down there she seemed like she was at peace and everything was moving in almost slow motion, as if she just discovered herself and where she belongs.
I had to read this poem about six times to dry and grasp what was the message behind it, but it seems to me that the point is for the reader to interpret their own message. So to me this poem describes how in life you have to discover things on your own, kind of like as kids your parents try to show you how to do the right thing and not make the same mistakes they did but you still make those mistakes anyways because you want to learn on your own. The speaker talks about a “Book of myths” which I think is her way of saying people always try to tell her what the wreck looks like and there are descriptions of it but only when she dives in and sees it for herself can she interpret how she feels about it, she learns on her own.
While reading Adrienne Rich’s “Diving Into the Wreck”, I felt a sense of calm. For some reason this reading put me at ease and was very relaxing for me. Sentences such as, “First the air is blue and then it is bluer and then green and then black I am blacking out . . .”. I am unsure if it was just the relation to the ocean and image that comes with that. It is obvious in this story that someone is scuba diving and about to go explore the remains of a wreck. In a way this short story seems to symbolize life and the journey of it. Even though one cannot see the wreck from the surface it can be much clear once you get in the water explore for yourself. This is kind of like life sometimes you just have to take the chance and go in blind. As in the poem the person goes down the ladder instead of just jumping in. That kind shows going into a situation blindly because obviously as someone goes down a ladder they cannot see what is below them. Also, in the story the message seems to me that throughout the journey of life one must learn alone. It is not clear to me what the reference about he book of myths, camera and knife is supposed to symbolize. Maybe, the book of myths is deciding for yourself what is true and false in life. The journey is not having an exact plan or map of your life but deciding as you go along what feels right.
ReplyDeleteIn Adrienne Rich’s poem, Diving into the Wreck, she reveals the true story of a deep sea diver. Diving is often thought of as being an adventure full of wondrous sights of a foreign environment. While this does hold some truth Rich makes it clear that the process is more of a mission with set objectives and a careful procedure that has to be properly executed in order to ensure efficiency and safety. Underwater many elements of the day to day are changed a great degree. Air is no longer existent. New devices are necessary for the sole purpose of underwater exploration. As one travels deeper the conditions become darker, colder, and an increasing amount of pressure is exerted on the diver. If a diver moves to quickly or exerts great force under these pressures they can suffer from serious injuries. Also, when a diver travels from one depth and pressure to another they must do so slowly or else they may implode. Due to these unique conditions in the unique environment a diver must remember their training. In the poem, the diver makes mention of his knife several times. This is like his wildcard, a crutch in an unexpected situation. Having the knife could be his only hope of survival if a freak accident or unplanned encounter alters the planned order of events. A diver must always be on his toes. There is a general conception that scuba diving is a fun activity that people could enjoy while on a vacation in some warm climate. Even in such a case some training is required. People do not generally realize how diving can quickly become extremely dangerous.
ReplyDelete“Diving into the wreck” struck me as a poem that is very fantasy-like. I read the poem slowly, it seemed fit for a poem that took place deep under water where the author felt like he “breathed differently” and compared himself to a mermaid. I think that the fantasy-like quality of the poem was filled with the visual images and the reader was able to see exactly what the author wanted. For example, “swaying their crenellated fans” and “I stroke the beam of my lamp slowly along the flank of something more permanent than fish or weed” gives the reader the image of a sunken ship that is filled with buried treasure and we are able to see the fantasy through the author’s eyes. The author makes it seem magical, but not in a light, little mermaid kind of way. He projects the words in a way that it seems like one could go down there and never come back out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Whitney in that this poem gave me a sense of calm. I think this is in part because I love the ocean and water in general. The author seemed really tranquil when she was talking about being one with the undersea life. This poem was also very exciting to me because I have always thought that it would be so cool to go scuba diving. I think it would be awesome to in a way breathe underwater and see all the animals and plants in the ocean. I was also really excited when the author of the poem compared herself to being a mermaid, and being a mermaid is every little girl’s dream that they never completely outgrow. I also agree with Lydia in that this poem is very fantasy-like. It sounds like the ultimate adventure, scuba diving in the ocean to find a sunken ship wreck. I feel like I painted a more detailed picture in my head of this scenario than what physical details were actually described because this scenario is so cool. I also feel the fact that the scuba diver had trouble with oxygen supply made the situation sound more perilous and adventure-like than fantasy-like.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne Rich’s poem “Diving into the Wreck” was clearly written about the journey of a deep sea scuba diver from his first person perspective. The way that the author wrote this poem from the diver’s perspective made it very interesting. He goes into great detail of all the things he does and see’s throughout his journey. At first when he is speaking of getting ready to go into the water, he mentions that he chooses to use the ladder instead of just jumping in. The way he describes the ladder and his choice to use it seems of importance although I am unsure why. After he is in the water he describes his path on the way down to observe what seems to be a wrecked ship at the bottom of the body of water. The rest of the poem he describes everything he sees about the wrecked ship, and even things that aren’t there but what he imagines he would see and what he is. The very descriptive way he describes this adventure and scene is very interesting, especially how he viewed himself through it all as some mystical mermaid. I am not exactly sure of the deeper meaning of this poem, but it still was very well written and easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteIn Adrienne Rich’s poem, Diving into the Wreck I found it really beautiful the details used by the author to explain the main characters descend into the water and the changing of the colors as they get deeper. “First the air is blue and then it is bluer and then green and then black I am blacking out and yet my mask is powerful.” The first time I read through I got the impression that he or she was a deep sea diver but after reading again and seeing the looping of the beginning of the text to the end I can see direct comparison to a mermaid or merman to the diver“…the mermaid whose dark hair streams black, the merman in his armored body, we circle silently about the wreck we dive into the hold. I am she: I am he” The difference of “I put on my body-armor of black rubber the absurd flippers the grace and awkward mask” and the last stanza “We are, I am you are by cowardice or courage the one who find our way back to this scene carrying a knife, a camera a book of myths in which our names do not appear” seem to compare the diver to a mermaid or merman.
ReplyDeleteI read this poem slowly to let it sink in gently, much like how the author gently eased herself into the ocean. There was a lot going on here. On the surface it was just about some woman (or man? The author is a woman but I couldn't figure out the gender of the narrator) going scuba diving. She talks about getting all her gear together and the thrill of switching from the world of humans to the world of something older and much different than what we're used to. The beginning made sense to me, seeing as it mostly just talked about practical things and actions, but the end got a little weird. All of a sudden she started questioning her identity and who she is and who she will become. It's like being at the scene of something so old and mysterious put her own life into perspective. And then at the end she referenced the book of myths again, which I originally thought was an actual book, but now I'm not sure. The whole thing seemed a little weird to me.
ReplyDeleteDiving into the wreck seemed to me to be a very straightforward poem. The author speaks very vividly about the scenery and the actions of the trio. The poem seemed to be only of the beauty and danger of the real world. The author describes a dream of many people but the dream is his reality and he seems to put a more genuine touch on the story. I found myself reading this story over and over again because I felt like I was missing something. The author states that he came for the wreck and not the story of the wreck. This explains the first line about how he had read the book of myths. The ladder also shows how she is hesitant because most divers jump right in. she also describes the journey as dark which indicates that it is scary . both of theses correlate to life. She says, “I have to learn alone to turn my body without force.” I took this as the moment she let go of the ladder and is on her own for the first time. She seems scared but also excited and shows that there is both risk and reward in her mission. The part with the mermaid was confusing as I did not think that she actually meant mermaids but when she says “I a she. I am he.” That she means her life is like the trip, how life is scary but rewarding and the ship is like her, damaged but also full of value.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this poem it made me go into deep thought kind of and really da me visualizing the whole seen like the part about the scuba diver going down the ladder into the ocean as if it was a beep dark blue abase. She was going down to explore a ship wreak to find something, but she was alone doing this which is very unusual for any deep sea diver, so it seemed like she was trying to find something other than something in the ship wreck, it was as if she was trying to find herself as she was being engulfed by the deep blue sea. When she was down there she seemed like she was at peace and everything was moving in almost slow motion, as if she just discovered herself and where she belongs.
ReplyDeleteI had to read this poem about six times to dry and grasp what was the message behind it, but it seems to me that the point is for the reader to interpret their own message. So to me this poem describes how in life you have to discover things on your own, kind of like as kids your parents try to show you how to do the right thing and not make the same mistakes they did but you still make those mistakes anyways because you want to learn on your own. The speaker talks about a “Book of myths” which I think is her way of saying people always try to tell her what the wreck looks like and there are descriptions of it but only when she dives in and sees it for herself can she interpret how she feels about it, she learns on her own.
ReplyDelete