Just Say No

party as a 17 year old. Yeah, I guess. But I was severely depressed. Okay, that’s true, but you know very well that you were crushing on him. That gave him no right to get me drunk and do all of those things to me. Well, then why the hell would you go to a party at a college if you weren’t going to drink? That’s stupid. Obviously I drank and was initially okay with it, but it was my first time. I was tipsy after the two bottles of beer he gave me and that was enough for me. Then why did you do a shot contest with that other girl? I don’t know. I won, though. See, look at that. Pretty damn proud of yourself, huh? Not at all. There was a crowd around us cheering and he was there pouring the shots. How was I supposed to say no? Um, I don’t know, maybe just say no? It wouldn’t have been that easy. I was always known as the good girl. People were already mind-blown by the fact that I was even there. He was pushing me to do it. They would’ve taunted me so much more if I didn’t follow through and drink. You sound like an after school special. Peer pressure? Really? That’s your excuse? That still doesn’t give a reason for being there in the first place. I already said that I was very depressed. I went because I was suicidal, but didn’t quite hate myself enough to actually do the deed. Going to a college party at a big university would’ve done the trick. That’s valid. But you didn’t have to drink THAT much. After the contest, he took me to the kitchen and kept pouring shots. He…

For the poem “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams, scholars and poetic analyzers can not formulate a widely agreed upon meaning for the poem (On ‘This Is Just to Say’). Some say that the poem is an allusion to Adam and Eve, with the plums representing the forbidden fruit and the note representing an apology to God. Others simply say that the poem has no meaning, which creates a strange beauty that makes the poem so special. Some even say that the poem really isn’t a poem at all. When…

In the poem This Is Just To Say by writer William Carlos Williams, the format is succinct and does not relay much information about the true nature of the poem. However, even in short poems, significance can be found, or at least it can be formed. Poetry is a highly subjective sort of writing where what it means will vary person to person. Looking just at the line “the icebox” (Williams) tells a great deal about the setting of the poem as well as why the husband's message is pertinent…

To Draft or Not to Draft: Just Say No As a country, America does not need to reinstate the draft. History has shown that todays all volunteer service has made this country’s military the best in the world. While there may be a myriad of reasons for a person to join the military, be it education benefits, world class training, travel or retiring before forty, the bottom line is they are highly motivated and rightfully proud. But today’s military has to be faster and more responsive than in the…

Often referred to a "found" poem, William Carlos Williams's piece, “This Is Just To Say,” is said to be an apologetic note left for a loved one. Williams tries to disguise the incident within the poem as something minuscule and nonchalant but deeper analysis reveals this poem is an apology for a graver adulterous crime rather than just eating some plums. It’s title and overall structure sets the initial aura of nonchalance and casualness. Although simple, the diction allows the reader to…

‘This Is Just To Say’ explores themes including, but not limited to, apologies and forgiveness. The poem takes us on a journey of the guilt experienced by the narrator for devouring someone else’s plums. The informality of the title implies the narrator knows the poem’s recipient. This casual, blasé approach, particularly the use of the lexis “just”, allows us to assume there is some level of comfort or familiarity between the two. Moreover, the location of where the poem takes place contributes…

decided to pick for my comparison research paper this week are, “The Mother” and “This Is Just To Say.” I chose to pick “The Mother” because it was one that caught my attention from the first moment I started reading it. I also chose it because it is a common topic in the society today. I decided to pick “This Is Just To Say,” even though it was one of the shortest poems I ever read. I chose this poem because it is similar to the poem The Mother. They are similar because in the poems they are…

“Breaking Through” and William Carlos William’s “This is Just to Say” expresses the relationship of the persona with another person through the use of different figurative devices. In “Breaking Through”, we see the persona as the daughter and the “you” in the poem as her father. Meanwhile, in the poem “This is Just to Say”, the persona of the poem is the husband, while the “you” in the poem refers to his wife. These two poems present a similar conflict – the persona is remorseful because of his…

Just Say No To Standardized Testing Diane Ravitich said, "Sometimes, the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds." Standardized tests are a common and very popular way to evaluate the academic achievements of students, teachers, and the school district. All students taking the test have the same questions and the same amount of time to complete the test. The standardized tests are normally true or false or multiple…

William Carlos Williams' poetry generally appears to focus around the subtleties in life, things that would normally be overlooked by the common eye. In his poem "This is Just to Say", he gives us an empty apology for eating plums that were being saved for breakfast. An apology written for a couple of plums stolen from the ice box would seem excessive to most but to Williams the plums were only one of many problems in his lifeless marriage. "Lifeless marriage?” you say. How did we come to this…