Meagan Hale Assignment 1

In Ludvigson's poem, "Inventing My Parents," she alludes to Hemingway and his written works of war. She writes how her parents, "discuss Hemingway and how this war will change them." At the time in which this was written, the author was a child but her parents were living in a world entrenched in war. Hemingway fought in world war 2 and later wrote about it so this allusion to his work is connecting to the theme of war. In the poem, the authors parents are having a light hearted discussion about a heavy topic and their actions reciprocate this. This discussion of war is done quite easily with her mothers face "lit with ideas" while her father's "smile [declares] an open mind." The allusion to Hemingway is done with the same subtleness. Speaking of Hemingway without mentioning his works or envolment in the war is quite the subtle action. Only those who are familiar with Hemingway's works see the connection to war. This mimics the poem's topic of world war 2 without directly saying it. The majority of the story within the poem is focused on the parents interaction with one another rather than the discussion topic of war. Ludvigson uses this subtle allusion to keep the poem vague while still reminding the audience that the context of the piece is that of a war.