Madye Moore Assignment 1

Throughout Ludvigson's poem "Inventing My Parents", many references are made to World War 2 that help contribute to the overall theme of the poem, which in my opinion was that appearance isn't everything. Her first reference to WW2 was when she was describing the people in the painting as "discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." This adds to the theme of appearance not being everything because it showed how the people sitting in the cafe knew just how detrimental this war could be to the country, yet they acted pretty nonchalantly about it while casually discussing it in the cafe. She continues to describe the war as "a hawk flying over, it's shadow sweeping every town." This allusion is made to show just how rapidly the war has affected every part of the country, not just certain spots in between. She ends the poem by quoting Donne's "Canonization", emphasizing the fact that the lady leaves "laughing, light as summer rain when it begins." This allusion also adds to the theme that appearance isn't everything because it shows just how happy and content they are on the outside, despite the fear they're probably dealing with on the inside regarding just how the war will affect not only them, but the country as a whole.

Jessica Nelson Assignment 1

The illusion made to Fitzgerald in the poem inventing my parents immediately brings up thoughts of his most famous novel, the Great Gatsby to most any reader. The  Great Gatsby was meant as a critique on the American Dream, and seeing as the American Dream is a prevalent theme in this poem it is very fitting to include this allusion. When the author says "Sinclair Lewis's name comes up, and Kay Boyle's, and then Fitzgerald's." she is contrasting the popular culture figure's ideas on the American Dream, Boyle's being positive seeing as he was a supporter of immigration and civil rights offered in America, and Fitzgerald's being negative. Showing the reader the disagreement on the American dream between public figures sets up the rest of the poem as the narrator's parents seem to not know how to feel about current events and the American Dream. The poem says "When he concedes a point, he shrugs... declaring an open mind." this suggests that the father is unsure of what he thinks and that by having an open mind he has been influenced by the thoughts of people like Fitzgerald and Boyle. The light and dark imagery in the lines "its shadow sweeping every town... My mother's face lit by ideas" shows that the couple sees good and bad sides of what's going on and the American Dream, likely because of the ideas presented to them by people like Fitzgerald and Boyle.

Joshua Strange Assignment 1

Ludvigston's "Inventing My Parents" alludes to Donne's "Canonization".
"As they go out the door, he's reciting Donne's "Canonization": "For God's sake hold your tongue, and let me love".
Donne's Canonization is a love poem, but in the second stanzas it discusses a man's past, and how that will influence his path in the future.  "A soldier will always find wars" is used to explain how the narrator will always find his love again, because that's where he believes he came from. But it is important to note that Ludvigson alluded to this poem because she is not in support of the war. The only thing Canonization is in support of is this love discussed excessively through the poem.  The world had no time to hate, only time to love.  It is almost apparent that it is a woman's point of view, and that the war not only had a negative impact on the men fighting, but the women at home working hard to fill in for the missing men.

Jack Phillips Assignment 1

In the poem "Inventing my Parents," Ludvingson alludes to many different things, but one that stands out is the allusion to one of the most influential events of human history, World War II. This is an important allusion because it recognizes the typically melancholy view of the painting. This poem, for the most part, is much more upbeat and happy than the painting Nighthawks. But with the line "how the war will change them" it uses WWII, which is typically elicits emotions like sadness and suffering, to pair the poem with the common interpretation of the painting. Without this parallel, it would be very difficult to be able to connect the poem with the painting.

Andrew Hardy Assignment 1

When one hears "they sit in the bright cafe, discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." the words conjure up a far darker image that that of Ludvigson's "Inventing My Parents". One might think of Hemingway's 1929 anti-war novel A Farewell to Arms. Hemingway offered a much more pessimistic view of the American Dream. Like one of the other authors alluded too in the poem-Fitzgerald-Hemingway ends his novel on a sad note. A soldier, a desertee, walks back to his hotel in the rain alone, after his wife and child die. This rain is a far more solemn rain than the "summer rain" Ludvingson's imaginary parents walk home in at the end of the poem. Perhaps because of her darker allusions at the beginning of the story, this final scene seems all the more triumphant, glorious, if not a little naive.

Gates Sweeney Assignment 1

In the beginning of the poem Ludvigson mentions Ernest Hemingway. The context in which he is mentioned is while her parents are discussing the war, "They sit in the bright cafe, discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." Hemingway was a soldier in World War I and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder because of his service. His depression showed in his writing for he wrote discreetly about the war. America was not in great shape during WWII, but that didn't seem to affect the parents in the poem. However, in the backs of their minds, there is a presence of suffering. This allusion adds to the theme of the poem because despite the poem taking place in 1942 during World War II, many of the ideas about war discussed by Hemingway were still relevant. While discussing the American Dream, "she imagines it a hawk flying over, its shadow sweeping every town," and Hemingway's anti-war stances manifest themselves.

Kevin LaZur Assignment 1

In the poem "Inventing My Parents", the author makes an allusion to F. Scott Fitzgerald and his idea of the American Dream. This plays a big role in the theme of the poem because the setting of the poem/painting is in the 1940s, just like Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The presence of the American Dream could be seen in the poem as "a hawk flying over, its shadow sweeping every town." The air that is as "warm as a bath" is saturated with opportunity. Wealth and riches await those whose dream is to seek it. The narrator sees his parents as those individuals who believe in the american dream, who walk leisurely into the shadows of hope and motivations. They are content with their place in the world, because they know there is no better option.

Thomas Stokes Assignment 1

"They sit in the bright cafe, discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." We get this one right off the bat. Ludvigson shows us this allusion to Hemingway. This demonstrates the depth of the poem because it shows us that Ludvigson is acknowledging the "Lost Generation." We can connect this to the later "They disagree about the American Dream" because the lost generation was a generation of Americans that disagreed pretty severely with the prior generation. This whole mindset contributes the poem because it lets us see that these people in the Diner are all worrying more about themselves than their country, which was a part of the disparity between these two generations.

Raiffa Syamil Assignment 1

“Sinclair Lewis’s name comes up, and Kay Boyle’s, and then Fitzgerald’s.” All writers who were important to the American Dream “movement”. They criticized the state of America and what the American Dream really meant with The Jungle, The Great Gatsby, and stuff that Boyle wrote but I am way less familiar with her than the other two.

“They disagree about the American Dream”

Putting this line after mentioning influential authors during that era puts their conversation into more context. It gives you more of an insight of the type of people her Ludvigson’s parents are and what they had to say. Also the “american dream” they allude to in this line could connect back to the American Dream as imagined by those 3 authors. And disagreeing with it, it adds to that air of hopefulness she instills in her parents throughout the poem.

Isabel Jenkins Assignment 1

Although Ludvigson depicts Nighthawks through the lenses of rose-colored glasses, her subtle allusions scattered throughout reveal a meaning much deeper than the surface of the poem suggests. The writing itself serves as a representation of the American Dream, with pleasantries and flowering diction thinly masking the imminent threats of World War II. She casually describes the couple's conversation - their disagreements, and how the war "will change them," - and skirts over names of writers such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Sinclair Lewis. But the name least recognizable and most easily passed over is Kay Boyle. She embodied the American Dream as a woman who successfully pursued her dreams, becoming a writer, educator, and champion of civil rights. But she fell victim to early 1950s McCarthyism, losing her position at The New Yorker and having her prominent works blacklisted. This further demonstrates just how quickly someone's life at the time could be turned upside down, despite all their previous achievements. The effects of the hawk's shadow were inescapable even to affluent and flourishing individuals. America may have appeared to be promising, but through this allusion Ludvigson is able to subtly convey the flaws in its ideals.

Sam Flomenhoft Assignment 1

"They sit in the bright cafe, dicussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." Ludvigson's allusion to Hemingway is important to understand the meaning of the conversation. Hemingway is an iconic author who wrote many novels from the 1920s to the 1950s. He had many political stances, even one - you guessed it - on war.
In general Hemingway, who served in the army during WWI, thought war was a bad thing. This may have been because he was left injured by his time in the military, but that is contrary to the point. He thought the aftermath of war was too great a pice to pay for almost no reward. Due to this illusion and our knowledge of Hemingway's stance on war, we understand that "how this war will change them" is not a change for the better, and connects to the poem's theme which reveals how people had become accustomed to the general unease during WWII and other issues of the time period (such as the American Dream issue).

Jacob Faulkner Assignment 1

"They sit in the bright cafe discussing Hemingway, and how this war will change them." The poem's first sentence. It is referring to World War II, and how the war is affecting the average 1940's Americans, like the author's parents. This refers to the text by leading the topic of the parents conversations, including many famous authors of the time, and how the war is coming over them like a hawk. This ties back to the painting the poem is about, giving the feel of alone and depression, as if the shadow as hanging over them right there. While the poem itself has a happy tone, it seems almost artificial, because while the parents are having a good time, laughing and having fun, they also know how terrible the state the country was in, them including.

Ji-Hae Kim Assignment 1

Susan Ludvigson alluded to Hemingway in "Inventing My Parents: After Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, 1942." "They sit in the bright cafe, discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." Hemingway was part of the lost generation. His writing style and subject matter were new and fresh to the 1920s. He is regarded as one of the "movers and shakers" of his generation. His stories supposedly captured what life was like back then thematically. Alluding to him, the poet added a certain depth to what she meant by how the war would change them. It also made it so she didn't have to specifically say which war she was referring to. The allusion to the lost generation of disillusioned young American writers help add to the theme that war changes a society and its values. Hemingway is a strong example of one of the people whose life was changed by World War II.

Samantha McGehee Assignment 1

An allusion from "Inventing my Parents" is one to writers of the Lost Generation with "discussing Hemingway...Sinclair Lewis...and then Fitzgerald's." These writers wrote after World War One and their disillusionment with the war and the world that followed it. They strongly criticized the American culture after the war. The allusion to them contributes to the theme of the poem that war reaches all depths of American society and alters it. The people mentioned in the poem seem ignorant of the real impacts of the war, just the kind of people the Lost Generation criticized.

Charlie Payne assignment 1

In the second line of Ludvigson's "Inventing my Parents" poem she mentions Ernest Hemingway, acclaimed 20th century writer. The context in which he is mentioned is while her parents are discussing the war, "They sit in the bright cafe, discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." Hemingway was a veteran of World War I and suffered PTSD because of his service, and his troubles often bled into his writing. The allusion adds to the theme of the poem because, despite the poem taking place in 1942 during World War II, many of the ideas about war discussed by Hemingway were still relevant and poignant. America was in great turmoil during World War II, but that turmoil does not directly impact the parents in the poem, who smile and laugh and chat joyously. However, in the backs of their minds, there is a semblance of dread. While discussing the American Dream, "she imagines it a hawk flying over, its shadow sweeping every town," and Hemingway's anti-war stances manifest themselves.

Noah Welch Assignment 1

The allusion I will discuss is the reference to Sinclair Lewis which forces the reader to ponder the dark side of American culture.  Sinclair was a famous muckraker who used his literature to try to expose the corruption in American society.  The poem states “Sinclair Lewis' name comes up, and Kay Boyle's, and then Fitzgerald's. They disagree about the American Dream.” The America that Sinclair describes is a harsh world in which workers are abused, standards are neglected and greed is prevalent.  This is important to consider because the discussion of the American dream and its relation to World War Two in the poem. Many Americans were concerned with US involvement in the war and how it would affect families.  The text rises from a pleasant scene in a corner café to the questioning of the moral character of Americans. It shows that the family is well educated and thoughtful and that they care about truth and justice in the world.  It also demonstrates how the author wants to remind people of how the American dream can be warped.  

James Apo Assignment 1

The poem "Inventing My Parents" by Susan Ludvigson is basically a commentary of the scene depicted in Edward Hopper's artwork, Nighthawks. Ludvigson creates a lackadaisical and relaxed atmosphere among the two parents in the poem, and in highlighting their discussions, she paints pictures just like the one Hopper did, except this painting is more specific, to things like war and the overall culture of the time. America was a lot more chaotic at this time (1942) than the poem makes it seem like, and the biggest turmoil we were in was World War II, so you can imagine the imagery one could get when it comes up casually in conversation, "They sit in the bright cafe, discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them... its shadow sweeping every town." This allusion directly correlates to the panic of the draft for the war, as well as all of the catastrophic events during the war, like pearl harbor, that have already happened at the time the poem was written. Comparing the American dream to a hawk and its shadow develops a rather eerie mood, and that represents the things that have yet to come and will come with the war.Overall, due to the poem's peaceful imagery while also alluding to a not so peaceful time in our country's history, it seems apparent that our author is attempting to be a glass-half full optimistic kind of person, who wants to accept what happens and truly just cherish life, even if the future might be shaky. Alluding to World War II was the segue for transition in the poem throughout, and it allowed the parents to eventually accept the circumstances and leave the cafe, just like World War II would eventually leave.

Keanu Gomez Assignment 1

Ludvigson’s “Inventing My Parents” is a poem based on Hopper’s artwork, Nighthawks. She crafts a seemingly warm, savory setting describing the interactions between two parents. It is filled with vivid imagery that is centered on the meaning of the poem. One image includes an allusion to a war, “They sit in the bright café, discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them…My, mother her bare arms silver under fluorescent lights, says she imagines it a hawk flying over, its shadow sweeping every town.” Based on the context of the poem, Ludvigson is most likely alluding to World War II or the draft. The hawk and the shadow are representative of the changes to be brought about by the war. Because of the poem’s serene, warm imagery and the allusion, most especially near the end, I thought that it was an attempt to savor the fleeting joys of life and learn to embrace changes in the future. The allusion to World War II served as the catalyst for change and after accepting that, the couple was able to once again face reality and leave the café.

Maya Creamer Assignment 1

In her poem "Inventing My Parents", Susan Ludvigson alludes to Sinclair Lewis, a writer known for his criticism of materialism and capitalism in America in the time between the World Wars. Ludvigson depicts her parents, sitting in a cafe discussing "how [World War II] will change them." She says "Sinclair Lewis' name comes up" in their discussion. This allusion adds to a theme that is evident in the poem; that is, the way war changes a society's values. Lewis, along with the other writers alluded to in the poem, were all activists in the era of World War II who spoke their opinions in an effort to change things; Lewis in particular sought to change the ideals of capitalism that had become the norm in the United States. As Ludvigson's parents are doing in the poem, the United States as a whole reevaluated their values as World War II was sweeping over the country. In this way, the poem really symbolizes the questioning, evaluative mindset of the country during that time. The war had a devastating effect on the country, both physically through the loss of lives, and emotionally. It woke people up to the need for society's values to change; after the War, the country as a whole had a shifting of values. This shift was started by writers like Sinclair Lewis who criticized the way things were.

Harrison Inocencio Assignment 1

      One allusion that Ludvigson references in the poem is the poem "The Connonization" by John Donne, who was an English 18th century poet and writer. The poem is alluded to casually near the end of the poem, appearing in the line "he's reciting Donne's Canonization: For god's sake hold your tongue and let me love." This allusion is an interesting one because the poem itself is about an elicit love affair between to individuals, and addresses a very complex situation and thoughts that come with such a love affair. At first glance, such a work would seem out of place in this story, where while their is love, it is not in the form of an affair or anything questionable. The poem itself while symbolizing the couples love for each other, as the husband is singing it for her, also goes deeper by bringing into question the validity of their relationship. The simple presence  of the poem brings into question perhaps the future of the couple, that like the love in the poem, their love is also somehow forbidden, or not meant to be. This train of thought leads to yet another event that while not an allusion (as its not directly stated by the text) we can still derive by examining the date that this poem is written in contextually is 1942. 1942 is of course the date in which the United States entered the second World War, and the year in which many of her armed forces were sent overseas across both peninsulas to fight and die in foreign lands. Ultimately, this context allows us to relate the forbidden love in "Canonization",  to another kind of forbidden love, or rather one that cannot exist, which is the love that turns to worry and distress as a soldier has to leave his family behind and fight in a war. In the end that is what this allusion is trying to do, it represents the future distress that the author would feel as her father marches to war perhaps never to return, and watch her mother grief.

T. Stewart Assignment 1

So, Ludvigson alludes to John Donne's "The Canonization" in her poem "Inventing my Parents." It goes like this: 

"As they go out the door, he's recitingDonne's "Canonization": "for God's sakehold your tongue, and let me love,"

Ludvigson's poem is all about painting this picture of a couple, her parents, in a fairly positive, intellectual light. On the surface, of course, the allusion to a 17th century poem provides support for the assumption that both characters are relatively well-read. But "Canonization" is also an excellent showcase of Donne's wit and use of irony - the entire poem is basically a joke, unless you take it all seriously, in which case it's an elaborate defense of love against immoral politics. Either way, it serves to solidify the themes of romanticism in Ludvigson's poem (even if you're not familiar with "Canonization"), and enhances the feeling that the characters are really on the same intellectual level, so much so that it's a source of humor for them ("and she's laughing").

Keionna Bailey Assignment 1

In "Inventing my Parents", Ludvigson alludes to the lost generation. "They sit in the bright café discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." He mentions one of the writers of the lost generation, Ernest Hemingway. He later on mentions Fitzgerald who is another writer of this generation. Ludvigson hints on what the Lost Generation is which are the group of people who possessed values unrelated to the postwar era. This idea that the war will change people is the idea that they will no longer have they same beliefs such as the previous generations. Ludvigson touches on this with, "They disagree about the American Dream". This idea of the Lost Generation contributes to the poet's thoughts that the war was changing the mindsets of people in the 1940s and the writings of Hemmingway and Fitzgerald were losing their importance.

Tapan Darji Assignment 1

One allusion in "Inventing my Parents" is to World War II. It is alluded to when they are "discussing Hemingway and how this war will change them." This allusion contributes to the theme that while things look normal, they aren't always good. The war is changing the environment and causing worry. The heat outside represents the tension that is arising. The image the mom creates of "a hawk flying over, its shadow sweeping every town." The hawk is WWII and its shadow is the tension and worry that people are feeling due to the war. This contrasts sharply with the end of the poem where the man is reciting a love poem and the woman is laughing. The contrast shows that while things may seem normal, the war is creating tension in the country.

Assignment 1

Look back at Ludvigson's poem "Inventing my Parents." Please select one allusion that is made in the poem and write a response that analyzes how that allusion contributes to the overall meaning of the text.
A thorough analytical response will include an explanation of the allusion, direct quotes from the poem, and commentary connecting the allusion to the theme of the text.
Please do not merely summarize the poem.

Please format the title of you post like this:
First Name Last Name Assignment 1
Ex: Nathan Spalding Assignment 1

Due Sunday 8/30 at 11:59 pm