Retaining Innocence
In Tony Hoagland’s poem “Please Don’t,” he personifies nature to fully understand the naïve lives of them and the emotions that go along with them being sheltering. The poem takes place in the springtime when the flowers have all merely bloomed. A narrator, from afar, recounts the descriptive poem to the audience. In the second and third stanza, he talks about the relations between different aspects nature, in this case “about the rain, the fog, the dew” and how, in return, the flowers “lose control of themselves” (5, 8). In the following stanzas, the narrator describes the “chemistry of mitochondrial explosion” that is necessary for the survival of these “solar-powered” flowers (17, 13). Finally, the narrator talks about the detrimental situations the flowers could possibly encounter in their lives. Along with this, he asks what the benefits would be, if the flowers are told of these circumstances. In this poem, Tony Hoagland …show more content…
The quote explains how the happiness, in the beginning of life, is actually created by the act of being sheltered. Without this sheltering they would no longer be content. From that point on, the narrator explains the scenarios of death the flowers may encounter, and the anguish that goes along with them. The title “Please Don’t,” is a plea to have the children retain their innocence. He wants the flowers not to be told about the terrifying world and the inevitable. “Not yet. Tell me/ what you would possibly gain/ from being right?” (35-37). This explains how the inevitable will come, but exposing the young to the world leads to anxiety, instead of enjoying life. To conclude, Tony Hoagland explains through his poem “Please Don't,” that innocence is a key part of childhood because the sheltering provides many benefits that the full truth simply
In Tony Hoagland’s poem “Please Don’t,” he personifies nature to fully understand the naïve lives of them and the emotions that go along with them being sheltering. The poem takes place in the springtime when the flowers have all merely bloomed. A narrator, from afar, recounts the descriptive poem to the audience. In the second and third stanza, he talks about the relations between different aspects nature, in this case “about the rain, the fog, the dew” and how, in return, the flowers “lose control of themselves” (5, 8). In the following stanzas, the narrator describes the “chemistry of mitochondrial explosion” that is necessary for the survival of these “solar-powered” flowers (17, 13). Finally, the narrator talks about the detrimental situations the flowers could possibly encounter in their lives. Along with this, he asks what the benefits would be, if the flowers are told of these circumstances. In this poem, Tony Hoagland …show more content…
The quote explains how the happiness, in the beginning of life, is actually created by the act of being sheltered. Without this sheltering they would no longer be content. From that point on, the narrator explains the scenarios of death the flowers may encounter, and the anguish that goes along with them. The title “Please Don’t,” is a plea to have the children retain their innocence. He wants the flowers not to be told about the terrifying world and the inevitable. “Not yet. Tell me/ what you would possibly gain/ from being right?” (35-37). This explains how the inevitable will come, but exposing the young to the world leads to anxiety, instead of enjoying life. To conclude, Tony Hoagland explains through his poem “Please Don't,” that innocence is a key part of childhood because the sheltering provides many benefits that the full truth simply