First Design Assignment

This is my homework:

The poem “Alone” by Maya Angelou produces imagery and emotion different from what the title initially leads us to expect. The word ‘alone’ makes us think of emptiness or a blank slate. The poem however is not simply about a place or the state of an individual being isolated from all other people. The poem depicts chaos and danger, being that these are present in everyday life. The point of this is that in order to get through this chaos, you cannot do it alone. A person must rely on others, make friendships, and be loved.
I chose this poem because I liked the idea of isolation amidst turbulence. The imagery I get is that of a small daisy or dandelion buckling in the winds of a thunderstorm without the shelter of a large tree. I think it might be interesting to create a space that conveys danger and shelter at the same time.
The poem “somewhere i have never traveled” by ee cummings is written to describe the way we think of the one we can’t live without. It talks about opening up in response to this person’s positive response, because it is that person we want to open up to more than any other before them. Cummings also mentions how easily they can close us, because no rejection can hurt so strong. These feelings are “fragile” because they must be handles carefully, and “intense” because they can be so influential. In the end the author admits they couldn’t begin to explain why they feel this way, only that have never been so greatly impacted by such simple things.
I chose this poem because I think it has a really nice descriptive message. At the same time I like they way the author talks about little detail having huge responses. It makes me think of nature shows where you see little rain drops far away and think nothing of it, and then you see high speed camera shots of tiny ants running form the explosions of massive water bombs. Or you see a time-lapse of a tiny bud, becoming a large flower. I like the idea of attempting to design a space in which it’s the subtle details which together create a big impact.