Focus Journal # 20, Sharon Olds, the Promise, 591

Focus Journal 20, Sharon Olds, The promise, 591 May 2, 2012 I. Understanding In this poem Sharon Olds wishes the referee to believe that when terminally ill a man should have swear in whether he continues to suffer in pain while useless, or to keep living. II. Analyzing In this poem Olds does a great job scene a visual picture in the readers mind. We are overly in our/bed, fitted naked closely/ along each other? half passed step to the fore/ after love, drifting back and/ forth across the border of consciousness, our/ bodies buoyant, clasped. These lines resign the reader to see how much the yoke love each other, and the use of goods and services they have together. The imagery in these lines is so amazingly written and described. The wife acknowledges the husbands fear that she will not shoot down him if he terminally ill. The bank clerk uses pathos while assuring her husband I tell you you adoptt/ know me if you think I will not/ kill you. The impact of this line also shows just how much she loves her husband.The fact that the couple is renewing our promise/ to kill each other allows the reader to also feel great emotion towards the couple. The feeling of love and compassion is so great during this poem. III. Evaluating and Synthesizing This poem had a very powerful emotional force out on me. I thought Olds did a beautiful job written material this poem. The argument Olds is arguing is so controversial and I respect her so much for writing this piece of literature. I honestly dont know if I would ask my husband to kill me if I was terminally ill. That seems like a tough topic to think about.