Close Reading Questions for
Simic’s The Life of Images (576-580)
PART I: Define the
following words as they are used in the essay (in other words, make sure the
definition matches its use in the sentence).
1. “Innuendoes”
2. “Nostalgia”
3. “Tonsorial”
4. “Poignant”
5. “Ephemeral”
PART II: Answer TWO of the
following in a short response (more than a single sentence, and enough detail
to see you “thinking”). Remember, don't assume the answer is obvious, and
consider why you think this is the answer--what are the implications of this
response? Have fun with your answer and remember that anything you write
now might help you down the road on Paper #1.
1. What does Simic mean by
his statement that “the attentive eye makes the world mysterious”? How
does this relate to how we see and read the world?
2. Read Simic’s description
on pages 576-577 of the photo on page 577. Do you “see” the same
photograph he does? What descriptions and conclusions do you agree
with—and which do you dispute? In other words, what in the photo is
really there, and what is
simply what he sees?
3. What do you think Simic
means by the statement, “The enigma of the ordinary—that’s what makes old
photographs so poignant." What is the “enigma of the ordinary” and
how does it relate to one of the photographs in the essay?
Faith Armstrong
ReplyDeleteInnuendoes – an allusive remark
Nostalgia – a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past
Tonsorial – of or relating to hairdressing
Poignant – evoking a keen sense of sadness
Ephemeral – lasting for a very short time
1. I think Simic is comparing the differences between how attentive one person is compared with another in relation to how they view the world around them. It seems to me that he was trying to make a point when he said that for all he knew his face could be living on in someone else’s memory. There is a difference between my attentiveness to the world around me and how I perceive it, as opposed another person’s attentiveness and the way they perceive the world. Both perceptions give us “different” views of our world. I would say that the more attentive someone is to the world around them the more mysterious it becomes because you start to realize things that you never realized before. I think about the example Simic gave in the book when he gave the description of the man and the woman that stood talking in the middle of the street. It can be something as simple as that. This affects how we see and read the world because we start to put our past knowledge about certain scenarios into similar scenarios that could be completely different, which is somewhat similar to what we were talking about in class on Tuesday I think.
3. I think that the enigma of the ordinary is referring to the things that used to be the “ordinary”, but are no longer ordinary in today’s society. He is saying that the old photographs are saddening because that used to be the normal thing, and now it’s completely different. He also states that one day we will be coming into view as hurried and ephemeral as any one of them. This is an interesting way to think about it I think. I think that the picture on page 577, shows an example of this in several ways. Most people drive now so we probably wouldn’t see people talking in the middle of the street because they are not walking, and also the clothes they wore are very different from what we wear now. Those are just a few differences. Probably the way we do things now will be completely different over the course of the time.
Excellent responses (and brave to be the first one to post on this essay!). As you suggest, we all see the world differently, but we often don't realize this unless it's brought to our attention--as in photographs. There, we notice how we look at the world, and we also see the things we wouldn't ordinarily notice. Photographs make the ordinary extraordinary, and this is something we can do without a camera as well, as he demonstrates.
DeleteHayden Blakemore
ReplyDelete1. Innuendoes- An allusive remark, typically a suggestive one.
2. Nostalgia- Old but still interesting.
3. Tonsorial- Barber shop, or some sort of hairdressing place.
4. Poignant- Enticing or intriguing.
5. Ephemeral- Not staying in one spot very long, lasting for only a short time.
2. Yes, I do see the same photo he does, but in a different point of view as him. He sees, not only a photo, but a back story that it may or may not have. He throws all context out and starts in on what he believes when he sees this photo. Of course, his dad might have shopped at that same store because that was his father. On regards to the couple and the younger gentlemen, though, I do not believe he knows the story to it all, but instead makes his own story for them at the time. He might be right, but he also might be wrong. We would only know if we were told the whole truth by maybe an eye witness there at the time, or maybe a decedent of someone there. But for his point of view, I do see the same photo he does.
4. I believe that Simic would not agree with Morris on a photo being neither true nor false. Simic, on page 576 and 577 starts talking about what is in the photo, but starts trailing off on ideas he has about the people in the photo, without knowing the context of these people. Simic shows us that he does believe this photo to be pure truth. Morris, on the other hand, would look at this photo and say this is a picture of an old timey street, but I believe that he would not say anymore because he doesn’t know any context on it. If Morris had some context on what was happening in the photo, yes he may start to see what Simic sees, but I don’t believe they will fully see “eye to eye” because they have 2 totally different views on the photo.
Great responses--very nice use of the text as well.
DeleteJenna Demastus
ReplyDelete1. “Innuendoes”-an oblique remark or hint
2. “Nostalgia” - Wistful affection for the past
3. “Tonsorial”- something referring to a barber
4. “Poignant”- invoking a sense of regret
5. “Ephemeral”-Lasting for a small amount of time
Q2. I see only some of what he states about the photo on page 577. Some things i could agree with would be that it does seem sunny due to the way the light shines through but i can only make out one sign expressing that they sell furs while the other strikes me as a barber shop. When he begins to describe the people is when his opinion really differs from mine. He believes that the man in the shadows is elderly I don't believe we can make that distinction due to the shadowing all we can state is that it simply is a man. Many of the things he tells about, I believe, are him recalling memories as most of us do when looking at photos. When we discussed Morris's essay we made the point that everyone has a different point of view when looking at photographs these views come from our memories. So I believe that while some of the things in the photo are technically there he takes some of them out of context.
Q4. I do believe that Simic would agree with Morris. True or False,I believe, would not even cross his mind he sees photos as stories. As he describes the photos on pages 577 and 579 he seems to try to tell the reader exactly what is going on. He does not need context to see a photo he just simply needs to recall a memory. He then begins to associate the memory with the photo and the starts to combine them into a story. By doing this he makes the photo his own, he removes the given context and begins to imagine. While turning the photos into stories could make them true or false he seems to realize that they are just that, stories.
Great, detailed responses! Very easy to see how you read and understand Simic's essay here.
Delete1. Innuendoes- an indirect intimation about a person or thing, especially of a disparaging or a derogatory nature.
ReplyDelete2. Nostalgia- a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life,
3. Tonsorial- of or pertaining to a barber or barbering
4. Poignant- keen or strong in mental appeal:
5. Ephemeral- lasting a very short time
2.
In the photo on page 577, Simic imagines a role for the people in the image. Creating a world that is most likely untrue unless he was there. The “young woman” could very well be a middle age woman. Where as the “older and shorter man” could very well be a younger man. So to answer the prompt, no I do not see what Simic sees. I see an older version of New York, where the Beauty Fur Shop is located. There is two people, a man and woman (who’s ages truly cannot be seen), talking to one another about something in a low tone of voice (due to their heads being closer together). As for the “young business man”, he might not be a business man. How are we to know he is the son of a successful man? He himself could be the successful one and not his father. Or more then likely, what he is wearing could be his one and only good suit.
4.
I do believe that Simic would not agree with Morris. I say this because when Simic looks at a photo, he imagines a whole new world without context relating the image to something. Simic studies the photo, where Morris studies more the context and less of the image. To Morris, if there is no context there is no story. While to Simic, the image is the story wither the story is perceived wrong or not.
Great responses--very good use of the text for support. And yes, as you suggest, for Simic the story is how we read the art; there isn't a real T/F beyond that. Context might change the story, but he's more interested in our own personal context and how it shows us ourselves.
Delete1. “Innuendoes” - suggestions about something or someone
ReplyDelete2. “Nostalgia” - a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time
3. “Tonsorial” - of or pertaining to a barber or barbering
4. “Poignant” - affecting or moving the emotions
5. “Ephemeral” - lasting a very short time
1. I believe what Simic means by this is that when looking at something with an attentive eye we will see more than if we just glanced something and we begin to wonder what is going on with what we see. take the Second Street El picture for example, if you just glanced at the photo you might see the tracks over head and two people. If you looked at attentively you can spot more detail and begin to wonder what the two people are talking about or what the person off to the right is looking at. this is like the real world in that when you are going through the motions of life, like if you glanced at a picture, you would not pick up on a whole lot. if you stopped and looked around you attentively you would notice even the small things and it will make you wonder about what is going on around you.
3. Simic means that the feeling of seeing or feeling something ordinary makes look at something like an old photograph more interesting and empowering. say you look at a picture of present day Pearl Harbor and then a picture of Pearl Harbor right after it was bombed. the present day picture would not mean all that much to you, but when you look at the picture of Pearl Harbor after it was bombed you feel all sorts of conflicting emotion that you did not feel for the present day picture. the present day picture might have confused you or you did not feel anything towards but the old picture brought up those underlying emotions when you look at them again.
Excellent responses--very detailed and thoughtful! As you suggest, a photo forces you to look around and see the things we're normally too busy to notice When time is stopped, we see the innuendos, plain as day. It teaches us to look for them elsewhere, too.
DeleteKarina Tarpey
ReplyDelete1.) Innuendoes- an allusive hint
2.) Nostalgia- a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past
3.) Tonsorial- of or relating to hairdressing
4.) Poignant- evoking a sense of sadness or regret.
1.) I believe that by saying "the attentive eye makes the world mysterious", he is insinuating that attentive people see things differently than they are normaly percieved. He is saying that attentive people see things and usually have to infer what is going on by themselves, making any situation that much more intriguing and mysterious. Attentive people not only see the big picture, they can see the little pieces as well.
4.) I absolutely think that Simic would agree that a picture could be niether true nor false. he believes that all pictures are true as long as what you think about the picture is true in your mind. however, I dont believe that he would think that we need context to really see a picture. Unless we were giving a picture our own context... what you think you're seeing is, in all actuality, the truth.
Karina Tarpey
ReplyDelete1.) Innuendoes- an allusive hint
2.) Nostalgia- a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past
3.) Tonsorial- of or relating to hairdressing
4.) Poignant- evoking a sense of sadness or regret.
5.) Ephemeral- lasting for a very short time
1.) I believe that by saying "the attentive eye makes the world mysterious", he is insinuating that attentive people see things differently than they are normaly percieved. He is saying that attentive people see things and usually have to infer what is going on by themselves, making any situation that much more intriguing and mysterious. Attentive people not only see the big picture, they can see the little pieces as well.
4.) I absolutely think that Simic would agree that a picture could be niether true nor false. he believes that all pictures are true as long as what you think about the picture is true in your mind. however, I dont believe that he would think that we need context to really see a picture. Unless we were giving a picture our own context... what you think you're seeing is, in all actuality, the truth.
Great responses: yes, Simic isn't concerned about true or false like Morris. Rather, he wants us to see the world from the perspective of a camera, which sees the things we hide--and exposes everything to the public view. The more we see about others, the more we can understand ourselves, too.
DeleteSavannah Lincoln
ReplyDelete1. Innuendos- an allusive suggestion about something or someone
2. Nostalgia- a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past
3. Tonsorial- of or relating to hairdressing
4. Poignant- evoking a sense of sadness or regret
5. Ephemeral- lasting for a very short time
Q3
He means even normal, everyday things can be mysterious. Something that once was ordinary, could now be considered different, maybe even strange. A good example is when he talks about the picture of the Blossom Restaurant. The things on the menu were normal to see in the past, but now it would be nearly impossible to find a restaurant with those items.
Q4
I do think that Simic would agree that a picture couldn't be true or false. What you think about the picture may be false, but the picture itself cannot lie. I do think he would think we need context to really see a picture. He gave so much detail that I felt like I could see the picture without looking at it. What better way to see a picture than to describe what you're looking at? If you give it context, you'll think more about it and look harder at what's in front of you.
Great responses: yes, as he suggests, everything is extraordinary, and photos remind us of this. They take the most ordinary image or detail and make it immortal, so we can study it in the future. Sometimes, we need to see something out of context to appreciate it, and old photos helps us do this.
DeleteCaylin Ballard
ReplyDelete1. Innuendoes- an allusive or oblique remark.
2. Nostalgia- a sentimental longing or wishful affection for the past.
3. Tonsorial- relating to hairdressing.
4. Poignant- evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.
5. Ephemeral- lasting for a very brief time.
Q1.
- "The attentive eye makes the world mysterious" means to me that everyone looks at the same things but everyone's mind interprets it differently, that's what makes the world interesting. For instance, the photograph on page 577 looks to me like an old picture, maybe the photographer was just trying to capture New York on a normal, sunny afternoon, people talking and shopping just doing everyday things. His view on the picture however is much more detailed than mine. He goes beyond just what the eye can see and uses his mind to imagine what's going on with the people and everything around them. My mind does not focus on individual things it focuses on everything as a whole. However, I do agree with Simic on how the attentive eye makes the world mysterious. The attentive eye to me is how artists develop ideas for paintings, and how film producers make movies. Everyone has a different outlook on things. If everyone had the same eye for things the world would be a boring place.
Q4.
- I don't think Simic and Morris would agree. Morris thinks you need a caption to know the story on the photographs. Simic interprets photos on his own, he pretty much makes his own context. Morris needs clues. Simic on page 577 makes accusations about the couple standing on the street without knowing anything about the situation. So, no I don't think Simic would agree that pictures cannot be true or false. Simic believes photos to be true because its his mind making the story, it doesn't matter to him whether its true or false, its his story; while Morris focuses on needing context to tell him what's going on before he applies any thought to the image or thinks of it being true or false.
Excellent responses: Simic does have the "artist's eye," since he knows that we don't need to know the real story to see the world. Context helps, but there are hidden clues all around us. And the more we see, the richer the world is--and the more we understand about ourselves.
DeleteInnuendos – Simic uses this term to quite literally mean “hidden meanings” when he talks about what is going on behind the scenes in a picture.
ReplyDeleteNostalgia – Means a longing for some place or time that you have been before. I think he is saying that he feels such a connection through the photograph because he is creating a story for it, even if it may be one of his own design.
Tonsorial – Relating to hairdressing.
Poignant – Causing sadness or regret.
Ephemeral – lasting a short time. Simic is talking about how sometimes photos can flit by in our memories or in front of our eyes and be gone from our conscious thought the next moment.
Q.1
When Simic says this, I believe he means most people go about their day and just do not pay attention to what is around them. For those that do, they see the back story, the infinite number of details that can be gained easily by just slowing down and looking at something or someone. Naturally this makes them suspicious, because not everything you see is going to be innocent and pure. This connects with how so many of us see, or rather don’t see, the world now-a-days because there is an enormous amount of people who just casually go on about their lives, not caring if a man was getting mugged in the alley they just passed. They either don’t look, don’t care, or are desensitized to everything going on.
Q.4
I think he would on the grounds of how Simic uses so many different points of view and stories to describe the photograph. I wouldn’t say he feels they need texture, what Simic is giving to a photo is more of a background story or a wider scope of knowledge about it. He doesn’t just give us context, he paints a portrait using the different lives of the people in the picture.
Excellent responses--Simic wants us to see that hidden details in everything (not just photos) and realize that we, too, are being looked at. And perhaps other people see us better than we see ourselves!
ReplyDeleteAmber Simpson
ReplyDelete1. Innuendoes – an indirect intimation about a person or thing.
2. Nostalgia – a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one’s life, to one’s home or homeland, or to one’s family and friends.
3. Tonsorial – of or pertaining to a barber or barbering.
4. Poignant – keen or strong in mental appeal.
5. Ephemeral – lasting a very short time.
Q1.) When Simic writes, “the attentive eye makes the world mysterious,” he is stating that when you go through life looking at things, you aren’t exactly seeing them. An attentive eye sees a lot more than a busy, distracted eye. If you really look at something and pay attention to your surroundings, you may become curious as to why things are the way they are.
Q4.) I don’t think Simic is really concerned about whether the picture is true or false; he focuses more on how the picture makes you feel. Simic looks closely at pictures and focuses in on the meaning. He wants to know what the people in the picture have in common, why they are doing what they are doing, the mood of the picture, etc. However, if he were to answer the question for himself, I doubt he would feel like a picture could be true or false. Therefore, he more than likely agrees with Morris.
Good responses, but give a bit more detail, esp. on #1: why might we question what we see if we looked closer? How does Simic do this with the photos of old NYC? Also, why doesn't he ask the same questions as Morris? What do pictures mean to him that makes the idea of them being T/F less interesting for him?
DeleteGarrett Dimmitt-
ReplyDeleteInnuendo- a clue, something under the surface.
Nostalgia- a longing for something in the past.
Tonsorial- hair dressing, to do with the head.
Poignant- something to promotes strong emotion.
Ephemeray- something that is very short lived.
Question 1- Simic is talking about how we take things for granted. We go everywhere fast not taking in our surroundings. A attentive eye means that you are gakknv kn your surroundings, your looking at things with great detail. For example, you could go walk on a hiking trail ten times. You get familiar with the trail, but you are trying to get to your destination without really observing what's around you. If you were to take it slow and really look at the detail of the trail, it would amaze you. You could truly see the beauty and the mystery that is around you. So many of us are focused on where we are going rather than where we are at. This quote relates to us by the way we read and interact in this world. We often do have an attentive eye which blinds us from some of the true beauty and mystery kn the world.
Question 4- I do not think Simic would agree with Morris. They both have two different opinions about pictures. Simic believes that pictures give us clues and that it is our job to find them and put togather the pieces for our self to gather the context, while Morris believes that without context we don't have any proof of a picture being what it claims to be, "TRUE". Both photographers have valid points, there is no way of determining which opinion is right. They both bring hails points to the table. But it is clear both do not share the same ideas about photo's. Simic does not need context to be pursueded that there is a true story in any photo.
Great responses--and good analogy of walking a trail. We might just daydream and finish the trail, or we might realize how much is new and exciting from last time. The world is like a photo: it's a work of art, ever-changing, and demanding a personal response. We can't let others see it for us--because they don't see the world as we do (they can help, but they can't tell us everything).
DeleteAdria Abella Villafranca
ReplyDeletePART 1:
Innuendoes- An allusive or oblique remark.
Nostalgia- A longing for something far away or long ago or for former happy circumstances.
Tonsorial – Relating to hairdressing.
Poignant- Evoking pity, compassion, etc.; emotionally touching or moving.
Ephemeral- An ephemeral thing; specif., an organism with a brief life cycle.
PART 2:
1. What does Simic mean by his statement that “the attentive eye makes the world mysterious”? How does this relate to how we see and read the world?
In this statement Simic refers that if you observe the things and the environment attentively, you will see every detail and the curiosities of the world.
I think that the world is more mysterious than it seems. Simic says that if we change the way that we look at the world, we could appreciate more things. The writer gives us an example about one picture where appears a woman. In that picture we can see the woman but we don't know about her life or about her problems. It is the "world mysterious" and we can discover more things if we look the photo with "attentive eyes".
4. Would Simic agree with Morris (author of Liar, Liar Pants on Fire) that pictures cannot be true or false? Do you think he feels they need context to “see” them?
In my opinion, Simic doesn't say anything about if one picture or photo is "TRUE or FALSE". The passage explains about what we feel when we see the photos.
He writes about the different interpretations that we have when we see the photo. Furthermore, Simic explains that with the pictures we can make stories. He says that we often forget things and for example, one photo reminds you the past situations. We always are using our photographic memory to remind old moments. I think that Simic is saying that we need to know the context and the history of the picture to know what happened.
Finally, I think that when you take a picture of one place, you are immortalizing the moment.
Very good response--great details from the essay. Simic would agree with you: we not only immortalize the moment, but make it art, so we can then read it in a way quite different from real life. It is no longer what it was, but what it means to us.
DeleteMacy Ellis
ReplyDelete1. Innuendoes- An allusive, suggestive, remark
2. Nostalgia- Old but still interesting.3. Tonsorial- Barber shop, or some sort of hairdressing place.
4. Poignant- Enticing or intriguing.
5. Ephemeral- Lasting for only a short time.
2. I am seeing the same image, but I am taking a different grasp on it. He sees history when he looks at it. He abruptly starts in with context and knows the background already. Yes, his dad may have shopped at the same shop, but I dont think he knew the story as well as he thought he did. In my personal opinion, it seems more like guessing, but I guess that is the beauty in creating a story through a picture you don't know about. In his point of view, I do believe I am viewing the same picture as him.
3. I think that the enigma of the ordinary means that in a way nothing is the same. But also that a lot of todays everyday life reverts back to the pictures of history, and can relate. Old pictures can be sad because everything is so different now.The picture he gives us shows examples of that. There is many differences if you pay attention. From clothes, to the time frame, to the cars we drive. If you sat and thought of them all, there would be many differences.
Good overall, but try to be more specific: on #2, why you see something completely different? What made him see what he did, and why does your imagination/ideas go a different direction? The more specific you can be, the more we--and you--will learn about the essay.
DeleteJamison Elston
ReplyDeleteInnuendoes: A secret message
Nostalgia: A longing for something in the past
Tonsorial: Dealing with hairdressing
Poignant: Invoking strong emotion
Ephemeral: Something that doesn't last very long.
1. This statement means that if we pay enough attention to anything, it can become interesting. An example of this would be looking at a room. Cracks on the wall can give the building an interesting background story.
3. Photos can often be very puzzling and mysterious. This tends to evoke emotions from people. "The enigma of the ordinary" is something in the ordinary that is puzzling. It relates to the picture on page 577 because there is a lot of mystery in this photo. For example, we have no idea about the relationship of the man and the woman in the photo.
Good overall, but try to give a bit more detail, especially on #1. Push yourself to explore this a bit more: how does it relate to the essay and the images he uses as well? (the cracks on the wall is a good example, though). Also, on #3, why don't we know the relationship--and what does he think HE does? Be specific so you can explore the questions more and you can learn more as you do.
DeleteCatrina Scherotter
ReplyDelete1. Innuendoes: something suggested without being openly hinted at.
2. Nostalgia: Longing for a time or a period that is either missed or wish that you were there for.
3.Tonsorial: Barber Shop
4.Poignant: Evokes feelings.
5.Ephemeral: Lasts for a short amount of time.
1. I think what Simic means is that we should look for a deeper meaning in things not just at what they are, but why they are what they are. It relates to how we see and read the world due to the fact that some people look at something and associate it with what it is called. They don't dig into the facts like how it got the name, where the name originates from. While other people look at the world and they question everything making it a mysterious place by looking beyond what someone has told them and researching into the facts.
4. I believe that Simic would not agree with Morris on his point of view that pictures can be true or false. I believe this due to the fact that Morris needs context for a picture and Simic does not. Simic is a strong believer in the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words." The picture doesn't need context it has enough context in and around it.
Good responses--but don't be afraid to quote/discuss a specific passage from the text in support of your answers. This will help you on Paper #1 and all the others.
DeleteInnuendo- a hint
ReplyDeleteNostalgia- Longing for something in the past
Tonsorial- relating to a barber or the work of a barber
Poignant- designed to make an impression, or move in emotion
Ephemeral- lasting a short time
1. Simic's saying "the attentive eye makes the world mysterious" basically means if your looking at something closely you discover hidden things. Lots of people look every second, but how many of us actually look while paying attention. when you pay closer attention to the world around you can start asking questions like: who, what, when , where, why, and how? Like the photo Blossom Restaurant. Why is she sitting in the corner? What is her purpose? Who is she? this relates to the world because we all are different meaning we see everything different, photos are subjective. Simic says in the photo Second street El. the man could be interested in the model, but I see a couple that have been together for a while taking a stroll through New York...even though it is under a railroad track.
2. There are some thing I agree with Simic on about the photo Second Street El. for one I do believe the strolling guy to the right is window shopping, however its to presumptuous to say he's the son-in law of the store owner. This picture looks like a Saturday or Sunday morning where there are barely people out, but the stores are still open. The couple look like they are on an evening stroll, and the gate of the man does make him appear older that the woman.
Great responses--excellent details from the essay!
ReplyDelete