Poetry Explores What It Means to Be Human

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Many people, through the use of poetry, express their emotions, needs, and concerns, or essentially who they are. Real Ones by Jo Crayola conveys her attitude towards the constant image created by society about women. Our Village by Wopko Jensma addresses mankind's hypocrisy and how some are prone to be violent. The last poem, Lies, by Yevgeny Yevtushenko talks of mankind's need to shield their children, and not let them see the real world. The three of these poems, from the Light Blue Clear Atoms (Second Edition) anthology, discuss the many sides man has in this day and age. Real Ones comes from the genre 'Human Species', so it is fair to say that it talks about human qualities. Throughout history, mankind has been known to be tyrannous and oppressive. This is one of the major themes presented in Real Ones, the idea that what society dictates is real, nothing else. The poet is being oppressed by society, but she doesn't care. Throughout the poem she compares herself to the 'real ones', being women who are seen as perfect in society's eye. She sets herself apart from the generic woman in the first two lines, as she has a tattoo. "They generally shave their armpits/***/and they don't sport bruises like these ones,/ in these places", these descriptions of the real women seem much more appealing than her at the start. Further on in the poem Crayola's constant use of adjectives shapes a very powerful image, creating a stronger barrier between the two. At this point the audience see what is wrong with the 'real ones'. They are just Barbie dolls in the shops, not actual women, because their characteristics and aim have been hand-crafted by society, and any that does not obey is oppressed and looked down upon. The perfect woman is described as having strong hands, a sharp tongue and a lap for a husband to bury his despairing head. Crayola, on the other hand does not

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