Question

tackle poetry tuesday
not all of us get to be ghosts
by leila chatti
for dorianne
in december i watch movies about ghosts
with a woman i call mama though she is not
my mother, only a woman who is kind, this all
i require. we take breaks to lean against each other
on the porch, her sucking smoke from between
her fingers, exhaling its skirling; each mouthful
dissipating, becoming something like air. my breaths
a less impressive phantom, fleeting silver
in the cold light. standing there, we talk
in our small shadows, we discuss the ways
of the dead, their metaphysics, as if we were experts
by osmosis, a certain knowledge absorbed. i say i think
our ghosts become us, or at least reside in our dark
tenants we havent the heart to kick out.
she says, though she hasnt quite figured it out yet,
there are rules: not all of us get to be ghosts.
i linger in the fringes of each others fading
warmth counting our dead, considering our chances.
given the choice, id like to be let go, after, like a balloon
wafting toward heaven - but i dont say it,
cant allow my absence the words.
instead i watch the tiny fire at her mouth,
ash on her blouse like the first flakes of snow,
then look out at the yard, the bare trees,
the nights steady, soundless approach.
read the poem,
ot all of us get to be ghosts\ by leila chatti. answer the questions that follow.

1. locate all of the instances of ghost - like imagery and the writers diction. what is the writers general attitude toward these \ghosts\? does the attitude ever change/shift?
2. how would the poem change if the 1st sentence was removed?
3. how do the similes add to the overall meaning of the piece?

Explanation:

1. To find ghost - like imagery, look for words and phrases related to ghosts such as "movies about ghosts", "less impressive phantom", etc. Analyze the writer's tone and language to determine attitude, which may shift as the poem progresses.
2. Removing the first sentence would change the poem's introduction and context - setting. It might make the opening less clear about the speaker's pre - occupation with ghosts.
3. Similes like "like air", "like the first flakes of snow" add vividness and depth, helping to convey emotions and ideas more effectively by making comparisons.

Answer:

1. Analyze the poem for ghost - related words and phrases to determine imagery and attitude, and check for shifts.
2. The poem's introduction and context would be affected, making the start less clear about the ghost theme.
3. Similes add vividness and help convey emotions and ideas more effectively.