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Please follow the instructions for writing a poetry précis found on Google Classroom. You may use your own name or the pen name you used with The Handmaid's Tale. This is due BEFORE class tomorrow (portal closes at the start of class).
maurice
4/7/2026 09:30:41 am
"American Smooth" is a poem by Rita Dove in which she depicts romance and discipline through ballroom dance. The author does this by using the setting of a ballroom to paint the image of how one may get lost and time may become irrelevant once they find the true person for them; their love. She does this in order to express the love people have for their partner. The author writes this passionate poem to any couple that is out there.
Ofben
4/7/2026 09:41:44 am
In her 2004 poem “American Smooth,” Rita Dove suggests that artistic freedom and transcendence can be achieved through effort and pain. She illustrates this idea by using American Smooth, a ballroom dance style, as an extended metaphor for expression and partnership, highlighting the restraint and precision with which the two partners must dance. Through the use of oxymorons such as “perfect agony” and “ecstatic mimicry,” Dove further emphasizes the immense discipline and work required to achieve something that seems effortlessly graceful. The poem shifts from intensely focused and precise on the speaker’s dancing to an unnoticed sense of freedom and transcendence. Though the speaker initially comes across as restrained and concentrated, its ending in which the dance partners achieve “flight, that swift and serene magnificence,” highlight a more romantic, celebratory tone.
Ofcharles
4/7/2026 06:34:12 pm
In the poem American Smooth, Rita Dove uses dancing as a metaphor to show what a relationship can feel like. The speaker talks about how her partner leads confidently and makes everything look smooth and perfect, especially in front of others. However, even though the dance looks effortless, she hints that she doesn’t always feel fully in control and sometimes feels overshadowed by him. The imagery of ballroom dancing helps show the contrast between how things appear on the outside and how they actually feel on the inside. Overall, the poem suggests that relationships can seem graceful and put together, but still have underlying imbalances and struggles.
OFTOM
4/7/2026 07:10:05 pm
In the poem ‘’American Smooth’’, Rita Dove illustrates a cherished moment between two individuals, connected as one by a song in a ballroom. The speaker uses the word ‘’ecstatic’’ to express a magical feeling she never felt before, as if time stopped in its tracks during the moments she shared with her partner. The poem’s imagery creates a vivid picture of the joy and happiness one feels with an individual that shares the same rhythm and connection. At first, the poem starts with a calm and peaceful tone, but over time it shifts to a lively and exuberant one. As a reader, you can imagine the dancers like two swans, moving together gracefully and embracing each other’s presence, which illustrates a simile. Overall, Dove uses this dance to show how two people can become synchronized and share a memorable moment where they feel free and spontaneous together.
Ofharold
4/7/2026 09:54:18 pm
The poem ‘’American Smooth’’ by Rita Dove has a strong symbol of control and freedom. The writer's choice of words creates a very effortless and vivid image of the scenario. The poem's tone progresses to a very passionate and reflective work. Dove suggests that authenticity is a key to success rather than a make-believe.
Oftim
4/7/2026 11:02:39 pm
In the poem, "American Smooth" by Rita Dove, an African American poet from Virginia. She creates an image, using dancing as a symbol for something bigger. She explains how the dance her and her partner does may seem effortless from an outsider view but in reality it takes a lot of time and precision. Her tone is reflective in addressing how things may not always be what it seems.
Ashley C
4/7/2026 11:04:52 pm
ofcurt
4/7/2026 11:06:44 pm
In the poem "To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works" by prolific poet Philis Wheatley, she rapturously describes the skill of the artist and the importance of art as a way of bringing life to characters and transporting the viewer into the world that the painter envisioned. Wheatley says: "On deathless glories fix thine ardent view: Still may the painter’s and the poet’s fire[,] To aid thy pencil, and thy verse conspire!" (Wheatley). The artist, capturing the spirit and the essence of the poet's words and visualizing them in a way that inspires the viewer. This becomes all the more important when remembering that this is addressed to a young African Painter, and this poem is her impression upon viewing his artwork. This, especially in an era of slavery in Colonial America (Wheatley herself was a slave), adds a greater level of depth and appreciation in Philis Wheatley's raptured reflection.
Ofsteve
4/7/2026 11:30:40 pm
In "American Smooth," Rita Dove develops the theme that connection exists within constraints and limits, even when moments like dancing can feel free through tone shifts and imagery of the ballroom dancing. The poem begins with an admiring tone to convey the grace of dancing, using imagery such as "floating." The tone shifts to awareness when the dancing is described as "not genuine" and compared to control.
Ofbrian
4/8/2026 07:14:13 am
The poem "American Smooth", written by Rita Dove She uses figurative language to show her passion and desires though dancing. The way she uses the tone to show her dominence. Overall she creates a portate of who she is and what she's about.
Ofhenry
4/8/2026 08:07:36 am
Rita Dove's poem "American Smooth" suggests that finding your identity and cultural roots can be a complicated journey. The poem explores this idea through the history of ballroom dance, using imagery and metaphor. The speaker is curious and reflective, trying to understand their place in the world. The poem's structure and language create a sense of rhythm and flow, mirroring the dance itself. The speaker's attitude is one of self-discovery and exploration.
Ofowen
4/8/2026 08:42:33 am
In the poem "American Smooth" written by Rita Dove presents the hard work that goes into ballroom dancing to make the dance look clean, smooth and precise. The dancing allows a certain type of free feeling while moving and dancing across the floor. It also comes with partnership as the dance leads to feeling a high in everyday life. Dove uses imagery like “floating” to show the grace and movement of flow through the dance floor. Dove also uses symbolization to show two people connecting with each other can describe that free feeling and how two people can really connect with each other when dancing together. Comments are closed.
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