Taylor Rozantz
November 10, 2009
AP Literature 12
Title Analysis
In a literary work, words are chosen to present and give the right appearance. These words
can display a meaning in a dictionary form or what is called a denotation or suggest emotional
associations are called Connotations. The denotation of the title “Wish You Were Here” has
several different meanings. The first word of the title “wish,” is a verb meanings to desire an
item or to request or change an outlook of an item. “You” is the pronoun of the second person
singular or plural form and is used by the person or persons being addressed, in the nominative
or objective case. The term “were” is the past subjunctive of be. The last word of the title, “here”
is described as the in the place where the speaker is. Denotations can give a general meaning of
the word being described in literature; however the writer may also choose a word for its
connotation; to have inner depth rather than a surface meaning. Words are like objects in a
painting, they present obvious actions, but when observed closely, they can have a deeper more
encompassing meaning.
The connotations for the word “wish” are displayed throughout out the poem. “Wish” can
demonstrate means to hope for, yearning for, fancy of, craving of, and to have an aspiration of.
In the text the statement, “for dreams I comprehend in the morning” (14). Dreams are those
unconscious wishes that we all aspire to fulfill. The text also infers how one can fall short of
those wishes and dreams with the closing statement, “I drop the ball, lose the JV game” (16). The
text offers a glimpse of hope by equating life
Rozantz 2
with its hopes, dreams, and desires to a JV game. The key word “lose” portrays to this idea.
When we lose our way in life, allowing ourselves to refocus and escape mundane, hope will
revive the spirit.
By wishing “you were here” doesn’t necessarily mean a person is being missed, but
rather discovering that the “you” is intended to be describing ourselves as individuals. The quote
used her in the poem perfectly describes the scheme for finding oneself. “I circled for miles,
there was just no way / to park. Back again, she takes up macramé” (7-8).
With the emphasis on back again, the meaning behind it is the different points of life. We
constantly reevaluate our lives when reality and fantasy clash.
The word “were” is used to showthe journey of stages and developments in life. The text
uses phrases, “vacation stalls to a halt” (2), “kids frantic- too young for Trivial Pursuit” (4),
“cocktails at five” (11), “I call my old flame”( 12) all demonstrating events in one’s life. The text
alludes to routines life fulfills with scheduling that reduces life to functioning; bland and
tasteless. The emotion felt by the reader is displayed in the text with the acknowledgement life
runs a far parallel to our visionary depiction of life.
The connotations for “here” are at this time, at this point, or now. The points for what is
happening here and now is demonstrated in lines two and three, “rain six days / running”, line
15, “ my bearded boss fires me without warning”, and in line 16, “I drop the ball, lose the JV
game”. “Here” in this poem is observed as a place of negativity. Reading of the word “here”
thought out the poem gives one the feeling of being miserable, depressed, and distressed.
Just like each of the words, the whole title can have a connotative meaning as well. “Wish you
were here” is a phrase that shows an expression of aspiration. To wish someone is here expresses
Rozantz 3
that the environment around is one that is in need of change. It rains for six days, there is no way
to park, “the inadequate mattress receives the blame / for dreams I comprehend in the morning”
(13-14) all show signs of how we see ourselves in life and how we fall short our expectations and
our dreams. While we go through life being devalued, the spirit manages to cling on to life
through our dreams and hope. This is expressed in the poem “for dreams I comprehend in the
morning” (14) and “lose the JV game” (16). Dreams are a form of wishes that our inner voice
allows us to explore and regain hope. The JV game expressed in the sixteenth line expresses that
there is still hope in our lives. JV is one level down from Varsity; it’s a preparation. If we mess
up in a JV game we grow again strength, experience and courage. Life is a constant dress
rehearsal, hence a JV game, for another opportunity to develop to the next level, varsity, the
ultimate experience. My depiction “wish you were here,” is a calling upon ourselves to find that
confident self we visualized in our dreams as we walked through the challenges of life.
Rozantz 4
Work Cited
Philips, Robert. "Wish You Were Here." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound,
and Sense. Ed . Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. New York: Heinle and
Heinle, 2002. Page 985.
(Original)
Taylor Rozantz
November 10, 2009
AP Literature 12
Title Analysis
Careful writers choose words to present and give the right appearance of their
16.2 – remember, don’t refer to the writers and their intent
literary work. These words can display a meaning in a dictionary form or what is called a
denotation or suggest emotional associations are called Connotations. The denotation of the title
“Wish You Were Here” has several different meanings. The first word of the title “wish,” is a
verb meanings to desire an item or to request or change an outlook of an item. “You” is the
pronoun of the second person singular or plural form and is used by the person or persons being
addressed, in the nominative or objective case. The term “were” is the past subjunctive of be.
The last word of the title, “here” is described as the in the place where the speaker is.
Denotations can give a general meaning of the word being described in literature; however the
writer may also choose a word for its connotation; to have inner depth rather than a surface
meaning.
This is where your thesis statement should be.
Words are like objects in a painting, they present an obvious action, but when observed
closely, it
11.2
can have a deeper more encompassing meaning. The connotations for the word “wish” are
displayed throughout out the poem. “Wish” can demonstrate means to hope for, yearning for,
fancy of, craving of, and to have an aspiration of. In the text the statement, “The inadequate
mattress receives the blame / for dreams I comprehend in the morning” (13-14).
Only quote the part you are going to analyze; if you quote the whole thing, we expect you to analyze the whole
thing.
Dreams are those unconscious wishes that we all aspire to fulfill. The text also infers how one
can fall short of those wishes and dreams with the closing statement, “I drop the ball, lose the JV
game” (16). The text offers a glimpse of hope by equating life
Rozantz 2
with its hopes, dreams, and desires to a JV game.
How? Which words do this?
When we lose our way in life, allowing ourselves to refocus and escape mundane, hope will
revive the spirit.
By wishing “you were here” doesn’t necessarily mean a person is being missed, but
rather discovering that the “you” is intended to be describing ourselves as individuals. “I circled
for miles, there was just no way / to park. Back again, she takes up macramé.” (7-8).
13.1
PLOP. Remember that quotations need some kind of introductory element.
With the emphasis on back again, the meaning behind it is the different points of our
16.2
life. We constantly reevaluate our lives when reality and fantasy clash.
The word “were” is used to show
9.3
the journey of stages and developments in one’s life. The text uses phrases, “vacation stalls to a
halt” (2), “kids frantic- too young for Trivial Pursuit” (4), “cocktails at five” (11), “I call my old
flame”( 12) all demonstrating events in one’s life. The text alludes to routines life fulfills with
scheduling that reduces life to functioning; bland and tasteless. The emotion felt by the reader is
displayed in the text with the acknowledgement life runs a far parallel to our visionary depiction
of life.
This is pretty good analysis.
The connotations for “here” are at this time, at this point, or now. The points for what is
happening here and now is demonstrated in lines two and three, “rain six days / running”, line
15, “ my bearded boss fires me without warning”, and in line 16, “I drop the ball, lose the JV
game”. “Here” in this poem is observed as a place of negativity. Reading of the word “here”
thought out the poem gives one the feeling of being miserable, depressed, and distressed.
This is a large example to only examine one word. Revise.
Just like each of the words, the whole title can have a connotative meaning as well. “Wish you
were here” is a phrase that shows an expression of aspiration. To wish someone is here expresses
that the environment around is one that is in need of change. It rains for six days, there is no way
to park,
Rozantz 3
“the inadequate mattress receives the blame / for dreams I comprehend in the morning” (13-14)
all show signs of how we see ourselves in life and how we fall short our expectations and our
dreams. While we go through life being devalued, the spirit manages to cling on to life through
our dreams and hope. This is expressed in the poem “for dreams I comprehend in the morning”
(14) and “lose the JV game” (16). Dreams are a form of wishes that our inner voice allows us to
explore and regain hope. The JV game expressed in the sixteenth line expresses that there is still
hope in our lives. JV is one level down from Varsity; it’s a preparation. If we mess up in a JV
game we grow again strength, experience and courage. Life is a constant dress rehearsal, hence a
JV game, for another opportunity to develop to the next level, varsity, the ultimate experience.
My depiction “wish you were here,” is a calling upon ourselves to find that confident self we
visualized in our dreams as we walked through the challenges of life.
Concluding paragraph?
Rozantz 4
Work Cited
Philips, Robert. "Wish You Were Here." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound,
6.3 and remember to put a period after the title of a book in this citation.
and Sense. Ed.
Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. New York: Heinle and Heinle, 2002.