Question 2 Michael Pintard’s book, ‘Still Standing’, is a collection of poems that focuses on issues such as social inequality, injustice and poverty. In addressing these issues the poet uses various literary devices to arouse deep emotions in me. Two poems from his collection, "Still Standing" and "Beyond the Rage" touched me deeply as they addressed issues such as betrayal, deceit, poverty and inequality. The poem ‘Still Standing’ covers the themes of betrayal and deception. Michael Pintard shares his experiences of how he was deceived by the ones who were close to him. In the first stanza, Pintard uses a metaphor to bring out the theme of betrayal and show the readers how painful hateful rumors can be.
“Though
Most people who understand the struggle to acquire basic necessities wouldn't throw them away or take them for granted. However, it does not seem so bizarre to those who can afford the luxury of being wasteful like the wealthy. It makes me angry to see such reckless waste when I know of people who are suffering because they don't have the things that the wealthy so carelessly throw away. This shows how blind wealth can make a person and how dissatisfied people are once they become wealthy. These people are not aware of the lower class society that cannot afford the things that they wastefully discard. They do not realize that there are people who struggle to buy milk or keep shoes on their feet. They are not aware that there are less fortunate people who cannot even afford a house. This disgusts me because the wealthy have so many privileges but do not appreciate them when there is some less fortunate person who would do anything to have what the wealthy throw away with pleasure. I share in the anger that the poet feels toward these people. Furthermore, Pintard uses the theme of hopelessness to show the circumstances of the less fortunate in society. "Beyond the rage is a fear of tomorrow, a hope for a piece of the American pie, a willingness to do, to live like the Jones, a knowledge that what it takes We often don't have." It conveys how grim the future is for those who don't