Cozy Apologia Flashcards
Overview of the poem
“Cozy Apologia” is a poem by Rita Dove, the former Poet Laureate of the United States. First published in 2004, the poem meditates on the difference between romance and reality. Although the speaker’s relationship doesn’t live up to the ideals of teenage crushes and romance novels, the speaker defends her relationship. Indeed, as it’s title makes clear, the purpose of the poem is to defend the ordinary, the everyday, the “cozy”—it is an “apologia” or poem of defense. The rewards of such mundane pleasures, the speaker argues, are deeper and richer than anything romantic fantasy can offer.
Meaning of the title “cozy apologia”
“Cozy” - comfort and at ease
“Apologia” - formal defence
Suggests she is defending her everyday ordinary love she shares with her husband.
First line of the poem
“I could pick anything and think of you”
Last line of the poem
“I fill this stolen time with you.”
Who wrote the poem
Rita Dove
What year was it written
2000
“I could pick…….”
“I could pick anything and think of you”
“Today a hurrican…….”
“Today a hurrican is nudging up the coat./
Oddle male: Big Bad Floyed.,”
“I fill…..”
“I fill this stolen time with you.”
Who did dove dedicate her poem to
Dedicated the poem to her husband fred.
Context about he hurricane
Hurricane floyed was a powerful stoem which hit the east coast of the USA in 1999.
How do we know it is an autobiaGriphical poem
The factual/ rea, life context suppots th eidea that this is an autobiagriphical poem
Analyse - “i could pick anything and think of you”
First line
“You” direct address,
Adressing her husband fred who she dedicated the poem to.
Creates a sense of intimicy.
“I” shows it is coming directly form her.
How may stanzas does the poem contain
3 stanzas (10 lines in each)
Analyse - “any hero,any cause or age” Stanza 1 (line 4)
“Any” her love is limitless and she can always think of ways to describle their love.
Repetition helps support the limitness of their love becuse it can go on and on.
Their love is inescapable.
Analyse - “silver sterups” and chainmake glinting” Stanza 1 (7,9)
Creates imagery of knight in shining armour ready to dpsave the day (ready to save her)
Rhyming couplets in stanza 1
Implies a perfect relationship becuse of the rhyming couplets.
Throught the paragrapg love is untainted (seeming perfect), like she is mocking th eway love is seen.
Analyse - “post-post modern age” Stanza 2 (line 11)
Heavy plosicpves sound like she is spitting at us, discusted by how poeple see love. (Perfect)
Analyse - “hurricane” and “Big Bad Flyde” Stanza 2 (line 13 and 14)
“Hurricane” is a metaphor for her past horrible relationships.
The “big bad floyed” is talking about the villian in the relationship.
Hurricane cause caos and are damaging/ cause pain, just like her past relationships.
Analyse - “worthless boys” Stanza 2 (line 16)
“Boys” - mimicking men. The boys woukd omly cause pain due to caotic behavour.
She continues mocking men when saying “sweet with a dark and hallow centre” , mens relationships seem sweet and joyful but there isnt nothing to them. Dull and empty in the end.
Analyse - “im perched in mine” Stanza 3 (line 21)
Nestled away form thr storm, there love is so strong it protects them from harmful things. This is showing how stong their relationship is, she had comfort with him and feels at ease. He comforts her and isnt a man in shining armour showing that what people call ordinary love is just as strong.
Analyse - “were content, but fall short of the devine” Stanza 3 (lone 24)
Abandond all the sterio types and focused on real life.
They may not be heros, but that doesnt matter they are comfortable where they are,.
Analyse - “i fill this stolen time with you”
Last line of the poem
Recognising that the weather has changed (implying that all the bad relationships are on the past becuase she has found someone who treats her right and who she loved deaply, having comfort).
Therefore, she has time to reflect on the past and fill all the with negative relationships wiht this good one.
At the end of the poem it craetes a sense of completement, she is arguing that ordinary is enough to make you happy.
New rhyme schme in the final stanza
It is not a perfect rhyme but something more natureal like their love. It can have ups and downs
Regular stanza line lengths
Reflect the stable ordinary nature of their love
Ceasura in stanza 2
Stanza w is interrupupts the rhyme on the poem, reflectong how her exes cause her life change too.
Aslo the rhyming couplets are brocken aster the “hurricane” and “Big Bad Floyed” , showing how the relation ships effected her, in a negative way.
