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Comment 20 of 20, added on September 27th, 2009 at 8:39 PM.
This poem is likely not about immigration but about assimilation following
that immigration. That is the door every immigrant stands in front of. If
we note that many immigrants have changed their names or had their names
changed for them by schools, immigration officers (especially in the late
nineteenth century) we recognize that despite heading towards assimilation,
we may remember who we were or really are. It's a trade off with difficult
consequences. You can hold tight to your ethnicity as well, but that has
it's own dangers. This is not a positive happy poem but one that raises a
scenario of a difficult dilemma with no completely satisfactory choice.
Christina
Comment 19 of 20, added on November 25th, 2008 at 7:50 AM.
The main theme of the poem “Prospective Immigrants Please Note”, written by
Adrienne Rich, is the capability that we have to change our lives. It
speaks to those who are going to make life-decisions such as immigrating to
another country.
In my opinion, from a literal point of view, the poem presents the image of
a door which might be stepped through. However, beyond what the poet has
written, I find a deeper meaning: The door, to me, symbolizes chance and
opportunity. Going through the door, for me, means starting something new,
which necessarily implies leaving our old habits and our comfort. Doing
this could be hard, that is the reason why sometimes, we do not take the
opportunities, and we just live our life maintaining our behaviour and
letting the chances go.
Anyhow, if we are not brave enough to leave our country and all our friends
behind, it does not mean that it is not possible to live worthily and reach
our goals. We just have to be aware of what surrounds us understanding and
learning about what we do not know yet. As the poem suggests through the
lines below,
But much will blind you,
Much will evade you,
At what cost who knows?
To me, these lines explain how we should try to do not be facing the life
fearlessly because we could regret the decisions we did not make.
Unfortunately, as the poem conveys, “The door itself makes no promises. It
is only a door”; we have to try our best to find out our own way even if,
sometimes it signifies leaving something sure for something uncertain.
Remember, when you have to make such a hard decision it is always a
trade-off!
Micaela from Italy
Comment 18 of 20, added on November 25th, 2008 at 7:50 AM.
The main theme of the poem “Prospective Immigrants Please Note”, written by
Adrienne Rich, is the capability that we have to change our lives. It
speaks to those who are going to make life-decisions such as immigrating to
another country.
In my opinion, from a literal point of view, the poem presents the image of
a door which might be stepped through. However, beyond what the poet has
written, I find a deeper meaning: The door, to me, symbolizes chance and
opportunity. Going through the door, for me, means starting something new,
which necessarily implies leaving our old habits and our comfort. Doing
this could be hard, that is the reason why sometimes, we do not take the
opportunities, and we just live our life maintaining our behaviour and
letting the chances go.
Anyhow, if we are not brave enough to leave our country and all our friends
behind, it does not mean that it is not possible to live worthily and reach
our goals. We just have to be aware of what surrounds us understanding and
learning about what we do not know yet. As the poem suggests through the
lines below,
But much will blind you,
Much will evade you,
At what cost who knows?
To me, these lines explain how we should try to do not be facing the life
fearlessly because we could regret the decisions we did not make.
Unfortunately, as the poem conveys, “The door itself makes no promises. It
is only a door”; we have to try our best to find out our own way even if,
sometimes it signifies leaving something sure for something uncertain.
Remember, when you have to make such a hard decision it is always a
trade-off!
Micaela from Italy
Comment 17 of 20, added on November 24th, 2008 at 10:29 PM.
Adrienne Rich in this poem is talking about something difficult to do. You
must think deeply before making your decision about immigration. First of
all, The poet constructs the immigration as a door and you have a choice
to enter this door or not. Either you will or will not, you must know and
read this note before doing anything. After that, The poet starts to
explore the possibilities of each situation.
If you go through
There is always the risk
Of remembering your name
If you make your decision to go to through this door you should know there
is always a risk, the source of danger could be challenge for you. The
danger might be in experiencing the shock of a new culture and missing your
origins, missing your home and your culture. Or perhaps these lines could
indicate a chance for you since you are thinking of all the things in your
life that will be double as a job, family and happiness. While you are
looking back and remembering the truth, you will let everything happen.
If you do not go through
It is possible
To live worthily
The poet then discusses the second situation: The situation which may occur
if you don't go through this door. It is possible, Rich conveys, to make a
valuable contribution with your life, and to maintain your situation. But
she also implies that you may remain the same boring and sad life and for
that you may feel die slowly. But in this time you find many reasons will
push you to enter this door without thinking and after that it will escape
you. Then nobody know what is the result will be, or what is the cost for
it. Whether it's good as you need, or bad then you will lose. And you can't
ask anyone to promise you except that door. But it's still a door makes no
promises. It is only a door.
Hejab Alotaibi from Saudi Arabia
Comment 16 of 20, added on November 24th, 2008 at 9:29 PM.
From my point of view, Adrienne Rich’s Poem, ”Prospective Immigrants Please
Note” is about whether to make decisions to immigrate or not. The “door” is
the central symbol of the poem. Prospective Immigrants Please Note” begins
with the lines,
Either you will
go through this door
or you will not go through.
These lines imply that people can choose whether to enter the door or not.
We face many doors in our lives. Every time a door opens in front of us
represents opportunity, risk and perhaps change. If we want to experience
another kind of life and make acquaintance of people who are from different
countries, we should be brave and go through the door. Furthermore, as the
following lines convey,
If you go through
there is always the risk
of remembering your name.
In my opinion, “the risk of remembering your name” indicates that it is
very hard for newcomers to make great achievements in an unfamiliar place.
It is one of the challenges for new immigrants. However, people still need
to take every chance passes by them, because as time goes on, immigrants
will gradually learn to be more independent, responsible, reliable and also
gain respect from others. What is more, immigrants can enrich people’s
experience and help people understand different cultures.
These lines are meaningful to me because they convey the pitfalls which I
have met during my life so far in Toronto. Studying abroad is also a “door”
to me. I could make decision-either to enter the door or not. Toronto is a
new living space where I might be petrified by new situations. However, I
have still chosen to go through this door, because I believe it offers me a
chance to see the world, grow up and have colorful experience.
However, different people have different opinions. Sometimes, people may
choose not to go through, just stay in their hometowns, as following lines
express,
If you do not go through
it is possible
to live worthily
. According to these lines, they also can live with value, because they
are familiar with their own hometowns, as a result, it is easier for them
to make achievements than immigrants. Living in familiar situations also
makes people feel comfortable and relaxed.
In a word, a door is only a door. It cannot make decisions by itself.
Rather, you are the real masters of your lives and not others can open the
“door” for you, but you, only you.
Serena from Canada
Comment 15 of 20, added on November 24th, 2008 at 6:41 PM.
When I first read the title "Prospective Immigrants Please Note", I
thought of all the migrants from other countries trying to come over to
North American. The image of tons of ships secretly loading migrants and
legally came to mind. After I read the poem, I realized Rich was talking
about the opportunities we have in life and letting us know there are risks
involved. How we feel about us making changes is being compared to how
immigrants must feel coming into a whole new world of change.
First of all, this poem implies an immigrant's plea to go through the door
of his/her own country. Nowadays, studying or migrating abroad has become
the fashion, especially in China. Meanwhile, overseas study has already
become another important educational investment for many parents. Those
people who can finally stay abroad will be considered as a roaring success
and earn lots of admiration. However, before making the decision to leave
for a new country, just like the title “Prospective Immigrants Please
Note”, we should postpone our footsteps, and carefully examine ourselves.
In addition, when people make a choice to leave their country, they will
face a lot of obstacles, as the author says,
but much will blind you,
much will evade you,
at what cost who knows?
After a long distance trip, when people arrive in a foreign country, they
will have strong feelings of freedom because of escaping from their
original life. Everything here is fresh and interesting. However, sooner or
later, people will face big problems like language barriers, lack of
friends, lonely feelings, and the reality of the expense of living abroad.
Furthermore, no matter in which reasons one person go abroad, from the very
beginning people arrive the new country, they share a single name of
Foreigner. For people who originally do not belong to this country, there
is always obvious distance between him/her and the country. In real life,
undisguised culture differences exist everywhere, such as house rental,
school entrance, job seeking, even consumption level included. To go
through the door, does not guarantee a real success.
Besides, Rich's poem also helps one to ponder on the dual perspective,
with the mother culture and the abroad ideals. For me, Rich's essential
goal is for one to remember their families and origins. As the second
stanza reads,
there is always the risk
of remembering your name.
In my opinion, this line also means that one may miss his/her homeland and
parents. The family, for me, is a warmest support hiding deeply in the
corner of heart.
Re-examining the title, it becomes clear that the poem addresses
"immigrants" to wisely assess the decision of going into another country or
just staying. I believe
The door itself
makes no promises.
It is only a door.
means nobody is going to promise you that you are going to have a
wonderful, joyous life in the new country, and it is only a "door", which
is also the central symbol of the poem, to go through or not to go through.
On the other hand, Rich also seems to be talking about how we all are
prospective immigrants every day at almost every point in our lives. We
always have choices to make and a new challenges to face on a daily basis.
Rich tells us, we can either expand our knowledge by going through the
"door" or fear changes and not go through the "door".
Feisha from Canada
Comment 14 of 20, added on November 24th, 2008 at 6:42 PM.
Adrienne Rich’s “Prospective Immigrants Please Note” which I read in the
first core class gives me a lot of inspiration, such as how to face a
challenge, how to live worthily and how to make a choice.
First of all, the door in the poem may mean some challenges or some changes
in our lives. Just like me, my homeland is China, but I came here after
twelve hours of flight. This is a great change for me, as well as a
challenge for me. I came here by myself to a totally different environment
with a foreign language. Therefore the door, to me, represents a choice of
whether to enter or not, and I have made decision to go through it. For
many other people, the door can represent anything, but for me, and as the
poem indicates, there are two choices: go through it or not go through it.
However since I have decided to go through the door, I will try my best to
reach my goal.
Furthermore, the poem explains,” if you go through the door, there is
always the risk.” This risk represents the difficulties I had after I came
here to me. But I believe challenges being needed, so that we can just go
on without fear. If we make no effort to realize our long cherished
aspirations, we will never succeed. Nevertheless in the process of pursuing
ideals, there will be difficulties that we will encounter. But I suppose we
can get over them.
In addition, in the fourth paragraph,
If you do not go through
it is possible
to live worthily
It shows another choice for people: stay where they are, and try to live
worthily. To me, this line implies that you may not have strong will to
change your life, but it does not matter as long as you carrying on your
own way, you will be successful by brave fight.
The door itself
make no promises.
It is only a door.
The last paragraph of the poem reveals that it is unimportant what kinds
of doors you are facing, but the choice you make. Consequently I consider
this paragraph the most meaningful paragraph in this poem. Going through
the door or not is decided by ourselves. Once the choice has been made, we
must do our best to achieve our goals.
This poem represents challenge and choice. Whatever choice we make, we
must do our best to get our destinations. I hope that I can receive my own
succeeds after I go through the door by myself. The door itself makes no
promises, but I can promise myself that till realizing my aspiration, I
will not give up.
Eric from Canada
Comment 13 of 20, added on November 22nd, 2008 at 8:52 AM.
Adrienne Rich’s poem, “Prospective Immigrants Please Note” reminds me of
Ellis Island Immigration Museum, where I went at the end of September. I
stood at the registry room and imaged shiploads of people from different
countries all over the world, they were anxious waiting for the long
immigration procedure. I connect deeply with the lines,
Either you will
go through this door
or you will not go through
To me, the “door” for these immigrants has a significant meaning. They
spent a long time staying in the crowded ships, finally they arrived in
America. Perhaps the Statue of Liberty for those immigrants was the
“first door” and Ellis Island the “second.” As these lines convey, some of
immigrants could go through the complicated procedure, such as questions
and medical exams. Once they went through the “immigration door”, there was
a whole new and unfamiliar life waiting for them. Though it might take long
time to adapt to the new environment, this “door” represents choice and
opportunity. I have had a similar experience to these immigrants in coming
to Toronto. “Adjustment of living” is the first door to me and the second
door is “language.” I am used to living alone therefore I can adjust myself
to a new environment easily. But the second door “language” is still the
most difficult part that I am working hard to go through. Studying abroad
is my dream since I was a student in senior high school. According the
these lines,
If you do not go through
it is possible
to live worthily
If the immigrants could not go through the “immigrant door,” they had to
return to their countries. However, for them, the most important is “live
with purpose,” even if they could not live in America. The lines are
important to me because I have given up my job and am living away from my
family and friends to be in Canada. But what if I had not come to Toronto?
In The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom writes “No life is a
waste”, “The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone”
(50). I believe that everyone in this world has their own value and should
do something meaningful. If I could not come to Toronto, I would still lead
a useful and significant life, but in any case I am here now. All I have to
remember is how to schedule my time, be more organized and enjoy the
present moment.
Audrey from Canada
Comment 12 of 20, added on October 9th, 2008 at 11:00 AM.
In the novel “Encircle a City”, which is written by a Chinese famous wrier
Zhongshu Qian, there is such a famous saying: “people encircled inside the
city want to go out, people outside the city wants to go in.” Study abroad
or migration becomes one of the fashions at present; especially in China,
study abroad has already become another important investment for many
parents. The social status probably will be multipliable when people return
home after several years’ study abroad. Moreover, those who can finally
stay abroad, considering as a roaring success, will earn lots of
admiration. However, before making up the decision to leave for a new
country, we should postpone our footsteps, and carefully examine ourselves.
Just like the poem written by Adrienne Rich says “Prospective Immigrants
Please Note”, which leads every migrants lost in thought.
Visa, a small slip of paper, no one can imagine how many people it is that
longed for it. But after finally got it, friend's blessing, family member's
reposing, and colleague's admiring, you also can’t imagine how heavy the
pressure burdened on the shoulder. After a long distance trip, when people
arrive in a foreign country they will have a strong feel on freedom, which
means out of restraint of parents or teachers. Everything here is fresh and
interesting. However, sooner or later, people will face big problems like
language barrier, lack of friends, lonely feeling, high expenditure. Don’t
people feel painstaking when going abroad? Is it really true that study
abroad is very easy or migrant life is better than that in native country?
Obviously not. “Much will blind you, much will evade you, at what cost who
knows?” So many questions are suspended in front of us, is it still worthy
of so much cost that people choose to study abroad or migrate?
No matter in which reasons one person go abroad, from the very beginning
people arrive the new country, they share a single name, Foreigner. For
people who originally do not belong to this country, there is always
obvious distances between him/her and the country. In real life,
undisguised culture differences exists everywhere, such as house rental,
school entrance, seeking job, even expenditure included. The name
“foreigner”, momentarily reminds people that here is not their hometown;
therefore, never dream of an absolutely equality, never desire sympathy,
only people himself/herself can help. Go through the door, does not mean a
real success.
“There is always the risk of remembering your name”, in my opinion, also
means that excessive miss homeland and parents. The feeling of missing is
really beautiful, which looks like the full moon in the night sky;
unfortunately, the cold wind often aroused us that this is the foreign
moon. The family, to us, is a warmest support hiding deeply in the corner
of heart. However, the foreign country does not need our tear, what it
needs is only our sweat.
What we want is not the sympathies, but the approval. We have immigrated,
succeeded, believed, expected, gratified, defeated, suspected,
comprehended, sympathized, withstood, bestowed, obtained, thought,
forgotten, treasured, lost, struggled, cried, smiled, worried, loved,
hated; and also been sad, disappointed, angry, happy, muddled, honest,
excited, earnest, careless, sorrowful, beautiful, ugly, astute, crazy,
silly, vivid, etc. We went through the door overseas. Therefore, we had the
qualification to say that we are proud because we are immigrants.
Feisha Zhu from China
Comment 11 of 20, added on February 26th, 2007 at 1:47 PM.
I'm doing this english report and we have to read this poem........that's
it.
Nickolaus Eck from United States
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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This poem is likely not about immigration but about assimilation following
that immigration. That is the door every immigrant stands in front of. If
we note that many immigrants have changed their names or had their names
changed for them by schools, immigration officers (especially in the late
nineteenth century) we recognize that despite heading towards assimilation,
we may remember who we were or really are. It's a trade off with difficult
consequences. You can hold tight to your ethnicity as well, but that has
it's own dangers. This is not a positive happy poem but one that raises a
scenario of a difficult dilemma with no completely satisfactory choice.
Christina