Refusing Silence By: Tess Gallagher

Where was she born? What did she do? was born on 1943 in Port Angeles, Washington. . She was born into a logging family.  She is also a screenplay writer, editor, literary executor, and translator. She lives and writes in Port Angeles, Washington, to this day, too.

What did she do? Though she continues to live in Port Angeles, Gallagher’s career has spanned countries: she has taught at various institutions including St. Lawrence University, the University of Montana, the University of Arizona, Syracuse University, Bucknell University, and Whitman College. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/tess-gallagher

Tess Gallagher uses a lyric poem style in “Refusing Silence”. Refusing Silence is a lyric poem because a lyric poem is a type of poem that doesn’t tell a story, but it expresses the poet’s feelings and thoughts throughout the whole poem. http://www.munsterlit.ie/Southword/Issues/19/gallagher_tess.html In this poem the speaker is explaining how she was late for something but also telling how important a poet is and what they are for.

Tess Gallagher uses repetition, hyperbole and rhythm in her poem Refusing Silence. Her poem is also talking about, in literal form, how she messed up but is trying to tell you about her purpose.

What she’s talking about in literal meaning… In the poem, the speaker it talking about what poets are for, also what they are to do if they don’t make poems.

What she’s trying to say in figurative meaning… The poet’s trying to say that she was late for something important like a wedding or something, but she was late for it and she’s asking what she could do to make the person she’s talking to be at ease.

What’s the author’s purpose? Tess G. made this poem to show how she wont stop explaining herself until the person she’s trying to reach will understand.

The theme of this poem is that when someone is trying to apologize, you should try to understand where the person is coming from and what they’re trying to say.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/tess-gallagher http://www.munsterlit.ie/Southword/Issues/19/gallagher_tess.html The other two pictures that don’t have links are on taggalaxy.de