Literary Analysis- Matt Sandelands (9/13/2012)

This literary analysis will examine “Mending Wall”, by Robert Frost, “Slam, Dunk, & Hook”, by Yusef Komunyakaa, “Common Ground”, by Judith Ortiz Cofer, and “The Service of Faith and Promotion of Justice in Jesuit Higher Education”, by Peter-Hans Kolvenbach. I found there to be a general overarching theme to these poems and stories. Each one of these stories and poems deals with coming together in a certain way, whether that is coming together with family, coming together on the basketball court, or coming together to help the poor in need. The theme of togetherness is a prevailing theme spread across each of these very different stories.

I think that these stories greatly relate to my community setting in Baltimore and at Loyola. The commitment to justice in Jesuit higher education relates most closely to home because Loyola is a Jesuit school. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach talked about how it is important to realize and understand that the community always needs you. It relates greatly to my experiences here in Baltimore because there is a great deal of people who are not well off. Reaching out to the community of Baltimore is important because they need our help and our resources to make better lives for themselves. I then want to relate this topic to “Mending Walls”, by Robert Frost. The narrator in the poem believes that there should be no wall between his property and his neighbor’s property. It should be open and relaxing, yet his neighbor feels as if they will be better neighbors by keeping the wall up. If there was a wall between Loyola and the community of Baltimore, then we would not be able to provide the necessary resources the community needs to grow and therefore we would not be better neighbors. Finding common ground, whether it be with family, as mentioned in Judith Ortiz Cofer’s poem, or with the community at large is extremely important.

            I value building community and finding that common ground. All of these stories and poems relate closely to home because the community of Baltimore needs Loyola’s help, just as much as Loyola needs the community of Baltimore’s help. Their needs to be common ground, a commitment to service, no walls and always having fun should be in the mix.