Playing Icarus

She treads eagerly in the darkness along the sidewalk

                        Streetlights lead her way with puddles of gold  

                               

                                       The avenue is e m p t y

                      The neighborhood is sleeping

The brush of the trees extricates her from the

                    

                      Tormenting sound of nothing

                                     Lonely, nervous, quiet, anxious,

                      The wind picks up, and she become solicitous

She brings her cellphone to her ear

    

                       I can see her rifling through the pockets of her mind

                                    Stress, exhaustion, urgency, perplexity

                      Playing Icarus,

She subconsciously takes a stride into the avenue

                      A truck carelessly approaches me

                                    As it does, the woman disappears beneath

                     The truck continues

Life, death, accident, tragedy

 

I am the STOP sign

                 

Synthesis Essay

Kari-Grace                                                                                                                  May 17^th 2013

                                                           Synthesis Essay

In the poem “puce fairy book” by Alice Major, the speaker explains that most girls as children are brainwashed with the idea of  “the one true prince” who will one day “[bring them] a crystal slipper”.  But in reality there is no perfect prince charming and there “is no fairy tale” ending. The speakers’ main message is to stay true to who you are and don’t change for anyone. In the article “Forget Prince Charming” by June Callwood the writer suggests, “the perfect mate does not exist”. She explains her advice to her granddaughters and that “they cannot expect perfection”.

Alice Majors’ poem expresses that the speaker does not believe that prince charming should have an affect on how one would treat or look at ones self. In the poem the speaker talks about how a prince brings her a crystal slipper, but “[her] foot was too big to fit into it” she then explains that he may have been her on true prince. But she refused his offer because in order to fit the crystal shoe, she would have had to change her self by “cutting of [her] toe”.  Children are often brought up with the myth that one day a prince will come sweep a princess off there feet. Alice Major suggests that girls shouldn’t try and fit the princess act; they should be themselves and not feel like they should have too change for anyone.

June Callwoods’ article describes her opinion and the advice she gives her three granddaughters about the delusion of the “perfect mate”. She explains “no relationship is friction-free”. At the beginning of the relationship the two are overcome by  “the oceanic feeling” and “the existential loneliness of human condition is masked”. After the relationship becomes long-term the exchange of the couples adjustments is occasionally fair and sometimes causes break ups.  “Romantic novelists have the ideal all wrong”. The conspicuous prince charming qualities has nothing to with the exemplary partner. The writer describes that integrity, punctuality, and humor are three important qualities to look for in a mate. She explains that these three personality traits may not be in the common prince charming.

            Alice Major would concur with June Callwoods’ advice to her granddaughters. They both believe that the fantasy of finding ones soul mate is unrealistic. Alice Major describes in her poem that “[he] might have been the one true prince” but unfortunately her foot wouldn’t fit the slipper. Callwood expresses in her article that there is no perfect match. So even though the girl in Alice Major’s poem felt like the prince was the one, he wasn’t a perfect match because the slipper didn’t fit. Alice Major suggests in her poem that nobody should change for their mate, their match will love them for who and what they are. While June Callwood states that there is no prince charming and the prince charming qualities are not what one should look for in a mate. She believes that integrity, punctuality and humor are the three key traits in a mate.

            The poem “ Puce Fairy Book” by Alice Major talks about how one should feel like they need to change themselves for there partner. The article “Forget Prince Charming” by June Callwood discusses that there is no prince charming and there’s more to look for in a partner. Both pieces berate the idea of the “perfect mate” or a “prince charming”. Its unrealistic to try and fit the princess role for your prince and one should look beyond the colloquial characteristics of prince charming.