Week 3 response journal

Theodore Roethke's I Knew a Woman describes the eternal beauty of a woman he once loved. His style of poetry is incredibly descriptive. His playful use of the senses painted a clear picture in my mind about her. "My eyes, they dazzled at her flowing knees..." From this line, I realized that the debth of the poem could vary from reader to reader. The first time I read this, I saw a couple dancing. I pictured them feeding off eachother's rhythm, moving as one . The way she sways can make time stand still. As I read this, I thought, "Wow, she must have been one heck of a dancer." But i think Roethke is hinting at something else; something a little more erotic. "She tought me Touch, that undulant white skin." If taken at face value, it means exactly what it says. However, Roethke could also be hinting at how or where she liked to be touched. "She stroked my chin... I nibbled meekly from her proffered hand." Again I had a clear picture about what I thought was going on. I thought I understood what they were doing and how they felt. It was not until the second read through that I felt any sexual tension or even noticed the foreplay. There was one thing I was sure about though. As I read, one attribute kept coming up. In I Knew a Woman, Roethke put major emphasis on the purity of this woman. "When small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them... I swear she cast a shadow white as stone." There is no doubt that Roethke felt very strongly for her. He did an incredible job of pouring his feelings onto the paper. I enjoyed this poem because it had it all. It had strong emotion, clear description, and layers of meaning.