At first glance the poem “October” by Bobbi Katz appears to be a lighthearted description of the month October. However, upon further analysis of the poem there seems to be an eerie undertone to it. By looking at each distinct image presented in the poem separately and analyzing different aspects, such as personification and word choice, it becomes apparent that there are two vastly different ways to read and interpret this poem. The first image, given to the audience in lines 1 through 6, personifies the night, creating the first character. In this image, October is described as the time of year when night devours the dessert-like sunsets, which “sends the day / to bed / before supper” (4-6). This image can be interpreted in a multitude of
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Katz writes “strange company crunches / across the rumble of dry leaves / to ring a doorbell” (11-13). The alliteration and somewhat rhythmic flow of these lines make this part of the poem seem very pleasant, providing an image of children crunching leaves as they excitedly go up to a door on Halloween. However, Katz’s use of the phrase “strange company” to describe the people coming to ring the bell is very interesting, since the company she is describing is presumably children. By focusing on the language that Katz uses to describe the people walking towards the doorbell, a more eerie interpretation of the poem can once again be …show more content…
Much like the other images presented in this poem, this one can also be interpreted in both a pleasant, as well as in an eerie manner. At first glance the lines “And the neighbors, fearing tricks, / give you treats” (19-20) provoke the image of children receiving candy while they are trick-or-treating. However, after reading the lines again and focusing on the wording, another interpretation can be seen. The wording of these lines shows that the neighbors are giving out candy, not for the fun of the holiday, but out of fear that a trick will be played on them if they do not give out treats. This interoperation provokes the idea that the neighborhood is full of fear during this time of
Katz writes “strange company crunches / across the rumble of dry leaves / to ring a doorbell” (11-13). The alliteration and somewhat rhythmic flow of these lines make this part of the poem seem very pleasant, providing an image of children crunching leaves as they excitedly go up to a door on Halloween. However, Katz’s use of the phrase “strange company” to describe the people coming to ring the bell is very interesting, since the company she is describing is presumably children. By focusing on the language that Katz uses to describe the people walking towards the doorbell, a more eerie interpretation of the poem can once again be …show more content…
Much like the other images presented in this poem, this one can also be interpreted in both a pleasant, as well as in an eerie manner. At first glance the lines “And the neighbors, fearing tricks, / give you treats” (19-20) provoke the image of children receiving candy while they are trick-or-treating. However, after reading the lines again and focusing on the wording, another interpretation can be seen. The wording of these lines shows that the neighbors are giving out candy, not for the fun of the holiday, but out of fear that a trick will be played on them if they do not give out treats. This interoperation provokes the idea that the neighborhood is full of fear during this time of