John Updike
Gage Ignatowitz
Biography
John Updike was an American poet and cartoonist who lived from 1932 to 2009; he is well known for humorous philosophy.
John Updike was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 18th, 1932. In 1950 he graduated as valedictorian of his high school. and moved on to Harvard. There he wrote and drew for the Harvard Lampoon, and also married Mary Pennington. After graduating in 1954, he moved to England to attend Oxford. Eventually he moved back to the states to write for the New Yorker. His first book of poetry was published in 1958 titled The Carpeted Hen and Other Tame Creatures. In 1974, he and Pennington divorced. On January 27th, 2009 he died at the accomplished age of 76. In 1997, Jesuit magazine awarded him with its Campion …show more content…
Updike was 61 when he wrote this and it is safe to assume the the subject here is himself as he comes to terms with his limited lifespan. The main idea is clearly stated in the poem as it is a metaphor that equates death to a great, big fire that consumes trash - AKA all the dying, no longer useful lives. It is very clear to see this scene and the message and be able to reflect upon one’s own thoughts of life and death.
Like most of Updike’s poems, there is personification. The personification also exemplifies the theme of the poem. For instance, the line “the filament unburdened of its atom-eating charge” brings up the thought of living of a burden. It is a strong choice of language. There is also the line “Hypnotic tongues of order intervened.” It paints the fire, death, as something of order as it intervenes into lives and trash heaps to do its job and clear the planet up.
The first stanza is mostly a giant catalogue. While everything is existing and living, the subject is thinking about not living while he burns other things out of
Gage Ignatowitz
Biography
John Updike was an American poet and cartoonist who lived from 1932 to 2009; he is well known for humorous philosophy.
John Updike was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 18th, 1932. In 1950 he graduated as valedictorian of his high school. and moved on to Harvard. There he wrote and drew for the Harvard Lampoon, and also married Mary Pennington. After graduating in 1954, he moved to England to attend Oxford. Eventually he moved back to the states to write for the New Yorker. His first book of poetry was published in 1958 titled The Carpeted Hen and Other Tame Creatures. In 1974, he and Pennington divorced. On January 27th, 2009 he died at the accomplished age of 76. In 1997, Jesuit magazine awarded him with its Campion …show more content…
Updike was 61 when he wrote this and it is safe to assume the the subject here is himself as he comes to terms with his limited lifespan. The main idea is clearly stated in the poem as it is a metaphor that equates death to a great, big fire that consumes trash - AKA all the dying, no longer useful lives. It is very clear to see this scene and the message and be able to reflect upon one’s own thoughts of life and death.
Like most of Updike’s poems, there is personification. The personification also exemplifies the theme of the poem. For instance, the line “the filament unburdened of its atom-eating charge” brings up the thought of living of a burden. It is a strong choice of language. There is also the line “Hypnotic tongues of order intervened.” It paints the fire, death, as something of order as it intervenes into lives and trash heaps to do its job and clear the planet up.
The first stanza is mostly a giant catalogue. While everything is existing and living, the subject is thinking about not living while he burns other things out of