Dream of Knives-Analysis

Dream of Knives By Alfred A. Yuson 1.What is the poet saying? The poet is somehow relating to us the father and son relationship in the poem. He uses asymbolism and that is a knife for a reason. In a knife, it has features that make the son happy. Healso says the expression of paternal love to his son. Realization on the poem also considers due tothe father’s frustration for the reason that he had nothing to offer to his son most especially the idealgift and that is the knife. a.What are the key ideas, feelings, impressions, or events presented? The key ideas of this poem are that knife has its own significant function on the masculinityof man most especially to the son and the father. In this poem, it has two divisions that we mustconsider and analyze. The first one is that when the father is dreaming about the gift which is theknife that was given to his son. Then the second division is the awakening. In this division, youcan see on how father realize that he has no gift to his son. And because of theses, he was notable to solve this problem. The feeling that is presented in the story is somehow being hopeful andgrateful at first because he was having this fulfillment that will make his son happy. Next was thepleasure that it will bring to them because the knife signifies something to them. Lastly, the father’sfeeling of disappointment. Because of the situation that he did not satisfy this wish or desire for hisson. The impression presented is somewhat practical or stereotype of a father figure to a son.Because some of the Filipinos today, they do not have this connection between father and son.Because somehow, we saw many parents especially the father nowadays that they are busy thatthey rarely show their love for their son. And because of this, they lost the father figure in them.Moreover, the hope of the father is also shown in the poem that it is never late to dream and makethis wish happen. The events presented are

can be observed nowadays. With a typical family mostly the broken family whose they lost, for the children, the paternal love a father. It is somehow related to us all. b.What is the main idea or theme of this poem? The subject matter on the poem is that knives show the paternal love for his siblingss p e c i f i c a l l y t o h i s s o n . I t s h o w s t h a t t h e k n i f e i s b e i n g r e p r e s e n t e d t h e m a s c u l i n i t y a n d t h e greatness of a man. The theme also of the poem is that the knife has these special features like itis a tool for bonding or for lay men term, it is the things that boys only do. And the sense of individualism (sense of independence) that the characters must attain. 2.How is the poet saying? The poet does saying this with a purpose. And that purpose is for us to learn that it is not toolate to fulfill the wish of a father’s unconditional love to his son. The poet is making messages in thepoem in its two divisions, the awakening and the dreaming. And in this poem, you can see how it waswritten and how it was being expressed for the reader to empathize what he meant. a.Who is the speaker in the poem? The speaker who is relating the message is the author itself that represents the strongdesire of a father. To further knowledge, it can be also the dads who is longing for their son to hear their voice deep within. b.What form has the poet used? What sound techniques has the poet used? There are forms that the poet used in the poem. It has three specific forms. On form is thatit as bio form wherein A poem written about one self's life, personality traits, and ambitions.Another one is the free verse form wherein poetry written in either rhyme or

unrhymed lines thathas no set fixed metrical pattern. And lastly, the lyric form where s poem that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet. The sound techniques has the poet used that you might befamiliar with is alliteration. This procedure is used by starting three or more words with the samesound. c.What appeals to the senses has the poet used? What words help the reader see, hear,feel, taste, and smell the things being described? Images, symbolism, and representation are the things that appeals to the senses that thepoet used. It used the symbolism of knife as an instrument for a father and son tandem. Thisimage somehow gives us a clear glimpse that a knife is not just used as cooking but it is a tool for bonding. The words that helps us are dream, knife, woke, happiness, and sharp. In these words,we could see, hear and feel the author wants to point out. With the words being placed in thepoem, it gives a great impact in the message. d.What figurative language has the poet used to create word pictures? Actually the poet uses climax wherein it is a figure of speech, in which words, phrases, or clauses are arranged in order of increasing importance. Hyperbole also was used that it may beused to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is rarely meant to be takenliterally. Next is apostrophe where it is an exclamatory rhetorical figure of speech, when a talker or writer breaks off and directs speech to an imaginary person or abstract quality or idea. Lastly, arhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effectw i t h o u t t h e e x p e c t a t i o n o f a r e p l y . B u t t h e d o m i n a n t f i g u r a t i v e s p e e c h u s e d w a s w h i c h t h e symbolism of knife is.

3.What is your conclusion about the poem’s meaning and effect? Was it an effective poem?What aspects of the poet’s ideas and craft do you appreciate? Would you recommend thispoem to a friend? Why or why not? This one-of-a-kind masterpiece has the power to let us further consider what a father wants tohis child. We all know that fathers are rarely expressed their love for their son but in this poem, it wascontradicting that principle. Because a father wants to offer a gift to his son because he wants his sonto be happy. But why knife? Knife is used by Yuson because it is a source of masculinity of a son anda father. Knife is not used as equipment but it used as a tool. In a way, it is a tool for connection (it islike a boy or men thing) then it is also used as an individualism of each person (we saw the sense of independence of a father and his son). The effect of the poem is somewhat a realization for all of usthat we must stay hopeful and we must have a passion with regards to our wishes and desires. For the fathers, it seems to be their voice that paternal love is never been lost to them. Yes. It is a goodand effective poem that one must read especially the fathers and also the sons. I like the message of the poem most especially on how a knife relates to the feelings of a father. I do appreciate the factthat Yuson takes consider the dads in the whole world. Yes, I would recommend this poem not just toa friend but also the persons whom they had lost their love and trust and also respect to their father.That it is not too late to change. 4.In a three paragraph composition, write a three-paragraph composition about the poem. Dream of Knives is a poem written by Alfred Yuson that which he emphasize the unconditionalardor to his son. It is sort of a weird and rare poem because we rarely see a poem written for thefather and son. And this poem has it. And Yuson properly represents this relationship with a knife as arepresentation. Yuson uses knife, for the reason that it has this wonderful features that makes the sonpleased. Consciousness on the poem also take

into account due to the father’s dissatisfaction for thereason that he had nothing to offer to his son most especially the ideal gift and that is the knife. Yusondivided the poem into two which is the dreaming stage wherein he utters the longing of a father to hisson thru the gift he wants to offer to him. Second division is the awakening stage wherein the father realized that this longing is somehow disappointing but there is a solution behind it. The situation of the poem is somehow related to all of us Filipinos particularly those who are in a broken family who’s the father are not that close to his son. Knife represents the bonding between them and Yuson makesit a point that we must aware that fathers really longing for love of his child and also the love of afather for the sons.Yuson is saying the poem with purpose, motive, and reason. He uses the poem in expressingthe intention creatively. He made use of three forms of poem for me. It is the free verse, bio, and lyricform in the poem. They are all similar in nature because they want to make the poem as simple aspossible and with the complete intention of the poet in the content. The speaker for the poem is all thefathers specially the ones who are longing for their children. He uses alliteration to make the poemsounds great. He also placed many figurative speeches and one of that is symbolism which is theknife. And the metaphor that explains on how the knife is related to the father and son relationship.Also rhetoric questions that a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effectwithout the expectation of a reply.The conclusion on this poem is really for the father to not further agonize their hardships thatthey must show their paternal love fast to their children before it’s too late. Longing is seems to bedifficult but if you want your child to be happy, spend time with them and bond with them. Kniferepresents not just equipment but a tool. A tool for bonding and a tool for independence so you cansee the feeling of masculinity of man because of this.