Im so stoopid. Comin to CA.com for help

[DIPayton 10+ year member]

Man, I am running out of people to ask for help. I am an idiot and a day late on my final english assignment for the year, and the prof won't help. So what better place to go for advice than CA.com

I don't even need help with how to answer this question, just need an idea what the question means or is asking. I am a little slow on understanding what my prof would want answered in this question.. Any help on just explaining the question or maybe wording it to make better sense for me would be appreciated.. here's the Q.

"Though their styles and themes are very different, both Larkin and Ginsberg elevate everyday objects and ideas to forward their poetic themes. Discuss the role of the commonplace in 'Aubade' and 'Supermarket in California'"

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[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

this should help

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonplace

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

1st off i would suggest reading the poems or stories listed, and then discuss the role of the commonplace objects in the story

 

[DIPayton 10+ year member]

yeah, I think me not quite understanding the meaning of commonplace is what is screwing me up. I am so dumb. This is a 1st year course and I am in my 3rd year haha

 

[DIPayton 10+ year member]

I also thought the Q might have been asking to describe how the role that the everyday objects and ideas, such as settings and themes described in the poems effect the readers view some how... Not sure how I got that meaning out of the question. Am I gonna fail? haha

 

[jimmclrk1 10+ year member]

Ginsberg's mother was a member of the communist party.

 

[jimmclrk1 10+ year member]

What is the effect of the setting being a common place, perhaps as opposed to being a personal, intimate setting?

 

[jimmclrk1 10+ year member]

How does it add to the themes of each?

Better yet, what does it add to the theme in each?

 

[jimmclrk1 10+ year member]

Could the common place settings be metaphors for anything?

 

[DIPayton 10+ year member]

What is the effect of the setting being a common place, perhaps as opposed to being a personal, intimate setting?

ok that helps. I am getting an idea now... And even tho the wikipedia definition of a commonplace is posted here; does anyone have a more easy to understand or dumbed down definition for me... haha sorry for being annoying with school Q's on here too.

 

[jimmclrk1 10+ year member]

It isn't meant to be something wikipedia'ed. It just means "common places."

 

[DIPayton 10+ year member]

It isn't meant to be something wikipedia'ed. It just means "common places."

oh okay. So in 1 story its talking about a man in his room waking up at 4am and describing just a normal boring everyday setting and life... so I explain the importance of the setting and common places he is in and its effect on the story?

and the other story is about being in a supermarket, looking at fruits and stuff..

Kinda brings me right back to what I originally thought I was supposed to be doing, then I was told to find something in common in the stories settings... But now I think I get it...

tell me Im making some sense with my dumb *** nonsense posts here now..

 

[jimmclrk1 10+ year member]

I understand. The common things in these poems are the familiar settings, fruits, other foods, ect. I didn't really read either one, but I glanced through them. Just pick out common objects, including where the poem takes place, develop some thesis about how these commonplace experiences and objects are elevated, and what that means for the poems' overall meanings.

 

[DIPayton 10+ year member]

yeah ok. Sounds good. Thanks for the help. I think I got enough of ann understanding to write a essay that can pass... I gotta do 750 words on it tho.

also not sure if I should be finding a link between the two poems common places or just write how the common places have a similar effect on their own stories... but we'll see how it goes.. usually once I get started writing, I figure things out.