Good “Impressions” By Stacey Burleson Critical Thinking Example

1. These are the twenty ideas (or images) that came to my mind when I read the poem: (1) A baby stroller decked in Victorian design. (2) A French man and woman strolling by the countryside. (3) A woman being ignored by a painter as he paints other people. (4) A man and woman strolling down the some empty streets of Paris. (5) A man strolling by himself in the shadows, visibly away from other people. (6) A man hiding from a spectacle’s perspective, in an alleyway. (7) A girl wearing a red sash who is running away from other people. (8) A child’s red sash strewn atop adults’ black clothing, putting focus on the brightness of the red. (9) A woman wearing a dark Victorian gown with her back to the viewer, staring off into twilight. (10) Orientalist depiction of a desert and a Bedouin tent, with a foreign man approaching the tents by himself. (11) Orientalist depiction of great African plains, with a woman standing there alone. (12) A teacher teaching an uninterested classroom as she dreams of a distant world far away. (13) A teacher being ignored by a classroom as she reads a book, drawing an “A.” (14) An empty application ballot box, surrounded by full ones. (15) A portrait of a woman wearing ambiguous clothing that would derive from somewhere in the United Kingdom. (16) A woman covered in paint, in colors and patterns that describe the Welsh, French and Scottish flags. (17) A Greek muse playing a bagpipe cheerfully. (18) A woman surrounded by her female family members, as they look up to her. (19) A little girl surrounded by adult men, seemingly alone and scared. (20) A small girl holding two chains, seemingly broken, wearing a red dress amongst adults wearing gray.
2. My impressions are all rooted on loneliness and feeling out of place in the world in every way possible. There are themes of being ignored, of feeling anxious and outcast, and of being missed and forgotten. One can try to contribute greatly and yet not have anything worthy of offering to others, depending on their perspectives. A person can easily stand out and yet be totally un-influential. It is about being the oddball, and loved by few for her qualities. Impressions that fall upon me while reading the poem are also several vibrant colors that are mixed with dark, foreboding shadows, which reflects the vivid imagination of someone wishing to see more of the world but is alone in this desire and is feeling the pressure of being shunned.