My Poetry Anthology "One of the best anothologies I've ever read" ~Annonimous
ANU YOHANNES
I Am The One Who I am the one who did not like writing poems, I am the one who thought he could not finish this project, I am the one who did not think this project would have any effect, I am the one who was confused, I am the one who did not know what to do, I am the one who later, began to improve, I am the one who got a favorite poet, Langston Hughes. I am the one who understood that there was more to poems that what I thought, I am the one who began looking for the symbolic meaning, I am the one who is getting inspired by poems, I am the one who now understands poets, I am the one who did not understand the assignment, I am the one who is now using enjambment, I am the one who need help the most, I am the one who wrote this on my own. I am the one who has six lines left I am the one who now reads more poetry I am the one who listens to more poetry I am the one who wrote about desire, hate, friends ,family , dreams I am the one who finished this project I am the one who wrote this poem.
In the beginning of this project, I thought it would be painful and difficult. I was right, for the first part of it. Then when I began to progress through, it became significantly easier. I really liked reading these new poems and making a commentary about them. Somewhere more appealing than others and others I could understand better. My top five favorite poems where “My Shadow”,”Fire and Ice”, “Dreams”, “Be Glad Your Nose is On Your Face”, and “Mother To Son”. I chose “My Shadow” I could easily relate to this poem. It was from a child's perspective of shadows. To me, my brother feels like my shadow. He follows me almost everywhere I go, and I have spent the most time with him. From the day, he was born, to the day he got confirmed, to now. That was the main reason why I like this poem. Something that stands out to me in “Fire and Ice” is how much meaning can be put in a short poem. When I first started my anthology, I thought that it would be impossible to get a page full of commentary from nine lines. Also, the fact that this was my first poem, this was my first attempt and it helped be get a start on this project. For a couple anthologies, I began to model some other anthologies after “Fire and Ice”. “Mother To Son” stood out to me the most out of all the poems in my anthology. When I first read this poem, something about it instantly stuck too me. It felt as if I’ve heard it before, but really did not. Langston Hughes used a strong use of figurative language in his poem. Especially the metaphor. I personally think that he did such a great job with the metaphor, that it seemed as if I was looking at a painting. The descriptions were right on the dot.
All the poems that I chose were chosen for a reason. Most of the poems that I chose were easy for me to relate to. It may have been a crystal stair relation or it could have been a more difficult relation to the poem. Most poems , like the poem “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, were inspirational and something I think we should all read and think about. Others, like “Be Glad Your Nose is On Your Face” by Jack Prelutsky, were not as inspirational but brought back good memories. All of my poems were about different things, but all tried to send a message or tried to show the meaning of something through the poem. Also, I’ve learned something new about poetry and myself from reading and commenting these poems. In the beginning of this year, I only liked fiction and fantasy books. After this project, I want to read more realistic fiction books and narrative poems. I never would’ve expected myself reading poems. I used to not like poems (unless they were songs that I liked). I now have this connection, with some of the narrative poems that I read, that I never had before. I am able to pick out the reason on why this poet chose this certain word to put in their poem, or what does this stanza really mean. I am able to talk about the poems that I read, without being hesitant on what I say or having to repeat what someone else has said. Also, these poems have a fun and interesting story to tell. The poems that I’ve chosen are about things that we normally would not think about in this day and age. For example,“Be Glad Your Nose is On Your Face” by Jack Prelutsky, talks about nose spots. Usually, we would not think that our nose could have been placed somewhere else. But, after reading this poem, I’ve started thinking of how weird it could have had
been if our noses really were placed or pasted somewhere else. Another example is “Please Mrs.Butler” by Allan Ahlberg. This poem talks about a child who needs help and decides to ask an adult for help and gets ridiculous replies. Before reading that poem I never realized how realistic it is. I’ve always asked adults for help and sometimes I get the most unuseful answers. The fact that it is from a child’s point of view makes this poem even more accurate. When I read this poem the first thought that I had was that this poem almost the exact same thing that some people would tell you when you are about to give up. This is the kind of poem that you would read when you are feeling stressed out and is about to quit what you are trying to do. It’s like a do and don’t list, but instead it is a reminder of what can happen if you do those don'ts. I think that this poem is a very well description of a child's life when they ask an adult for help. For example, if you are in the 1st grade and need help with something that you think is serious but the teacher does not, usually you would not get the answer that you want. Also, you might get the classic “you will understand when you are older” saying. I’ve always want to describe how I felt but never knew how to phrase it correctly. When I read “Please Mrs.Butler” it is like it’s exactly what I am trying to say but instead it is in poem form. In conclusion, this project was really fun and helped me read new writings. I finally understood what something that was put in poems actually meant and why they were there. I hope that my reading of narrative poems will continue to grow and become stronger in the future.
~Poem List~ #1 (Page 1-2) Robert Frost, “Fire and Ice” #2 (Page 3-4) Shel Silverstein, “Where The Sidewalk Ends” #3 (Page 5-6) Langston Hughes, “Mother To Son” #4 (Page 7-8) Allan Ahlberg, “Please Mrs.Butler” #5 (Page 9-11) Langston Hughes, “Dreams” #6 (Page 12-13) Jack Prelutsky, “Be Glad Your Nose is On Your Face” #7 (Page 14-15) Emily Dickinson, “There is Another Sky” #8 (Page 16-17) Robert Louis Stevenson, “My Shadow” #9 (Page 18-19) Edgar Guest, “Be A Friend” #10 (Page 20-21) Sara Teasdale, “Barter”
Poetry Anthology Entry #1 3/4/16 Anu Yohannes
Fire a n d Ice
Poem by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.
Frost, Robert. "Fire and Ice - Poetry Foundation." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 May 2016. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/44263>.
As a small child, I would always feel a kind of fire, or desirous, feeling for things that I did not have. I would desire things that I did not need, and when I did not get what I wanted I would be in an icy, or hateful, mood. For example, when I was in the 2nd grade, Pokemon cards were popular and I got a fiery desire to get them after I saw my friends get them. My parents would not buy them for me, which got really mad and got me in a hateful mood. The poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost has many unique characteristics that makes it a poem. One characteristic of “Fire and Ice” is the rhyme scheme it has. The rhyme scheme is A, B, A, A, B, C, B, C, B. In the first four lines he rhymes the words “fire” and “desire” which, as he states, go into a deeper meaning. The rhyme scheme that Frost uses is a kind of repetition . By doing this, it gives the reader the image of the physical substance of fire and ice, which makes the ratio fire to desire and ice to hate. That is what makes the reader realize that both of fire and ice are similar to desire and hate. Another characteristic that separates this poem from the rest is the meter formation. The meter pattern that Frost uses is first a tetrameter, then dimeter then gets followed by five lines of tetrameter then ending with two lines of dimeters. This split between two kinds of meters makes the reader jump around the poem to understand the deeper meaning. For example, when it says “I hold those who favor fire”or“some say in ice” , the reader goes back to the first tetrameter and realizes that Frost is talking about the end of the world. Another unique characteristic that this poem has is the meter. The meter scheme in this poem is split in four different sections. The first section, which contains two lines, talks about the end of the world and what is commonly believed. The second section talks about the human perspective and the desire as a fire feeling. The third makes the speaker as an expert in the fiery desire and switches to cold hate. Finally, the fourth section compares both and puts them on the same level. In the final section, it says “Is also great and would suffice”which puts fire and ice on the same level of destruction. By doing this, Robert Frost has smoothly and quickly changed between thoughts in this poem. The tone and stress of this poem starts with strong, rough words and ends with a softer tone . In the first five lines, there are a lot of periods and strong word combinations like “favor fire” or “perish twice”. Like a bad storm, Robert Frost makes “Fire and Ice” start off with strong word combinations then it gets more calm. The tone starts off as a serious story being told, then once he describes ice it becomes a darker mood, as if he hated the world.
Poetry Anthology Entry# 2 Where The Sidewalk Ends By, Shel Silverstein There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moonbird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where the chalkwhite arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we'll go where the chalkwhite arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends.
Hunter, Shel Silverstein - Poem. "Where The Sidewalk Ends Poem." Poemhunter.com . Poem Hunter, n.d. Web. 21 May 2016. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/where-the-sidewalk-ends-4/>.
When I read this poem it brings me back to when I was five, where I would daydream about my own world. When ever I was bored, I would generate an imaginary world and play with things around my house. Like in line four were it says “To cool in the peppermint wind”, I would dream of a candy land with chocolate rivers and gingerbreads running around (if I was hungry then they would be running away). Shel Silverstein uses his rhyme scheme to create a better image for the reader. For example,” And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moonbird rests from his flight.”You can get a picture of the sun setting and being bright red while it’s shining on the new born grass. At the end of the day everyone either comes back from work or school and is tired and ready to rest. When Shel Silverstein says “And there the moonbird rests from his flight” which is a comparison to being tired at the end of the day and is an example of metaphor. When Silverstein describes where the sidewalk ends, he is trying to make us see that it is a time of transition. When you are walking down a road you walk on the sidewalk, if you try to walk on the road too early you might get hit. At one point when you are near your destination you will have to transition from the sidewalk to the road. When Silverstein says “We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow”, he is trying to describe how all of us go to different distances at different times. The way that Shel Silverstein combines the imagery and metaphor of the poem to talk about a more important meaning behind this poem. Which makes me think about the symbolic meaning even more Shel Silverstein makes sure he makes his poem like a child book. He combines the tone and the rhyme scheme of this poem to make his poem like a book you would read to a child at bedtime. “The place where the sidewalk ends” captures a child tone and seems like the ending of a bedtime story.
Poetry Anthology Entry #3 2/23/16 Mother To Son Poem by Langston Hughes
Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goinx', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Hughes, Langston. "Mother To Son." All Poetry . All Poetry, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. <http://allpoetry.com/MotherToSon>.
When I read the poem “Mother To Son” by Langston Hughes it reminds me of the struggles I had through my life. The lines “And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor” remind me of the big struggles I had to go through when I first traveled to the United States from Pisa, Italy. I chose the poem “Mother To Son” by Langston Hughes, because when I first read it something stood out to me instantly. There are many unique things about this poem that separates it from most poems. First, this poem only has one language feature, metaphors . This poem that is mostly dominated of metaphors , compares an abandoned apartment building to a mother's life. the first metaphor that we see is in the second line “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”On crystal stairs, you can see all the steps in crystal stairs, but in a staircase, you can only see a little bit behind you and a little bit in front of you because its zigzagged. Another example of metaphors in this poem is when it says “Don’t you set down on the steps. ‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don’t you fall now.”When you are running and have a good momentum, it is harder to get up after you stop for a while than it is to keep on going. Just like in life, it is harder to keep on going after you have stopped. When I read this poem it is easier for me to understand what the poet is talking about because he chooses a common image to relate with. Another unique characteristic of this poem is the way the poet chose not to place a rhyme scheme in this poem. A lot of common poems have a rhyme scheme, which is why the first thing that pops into most people's heads about a poem is that it rhymes . When I read this, it does not seem like another poem that I am reading from a page of paper, instead to me it feels like a conversation. Without the rhyme scheme , you can “feel” the poem better because now it’s colloquial . Langston Hughes combines the metaphors and the poem’s colloquial characteristic together to make this poem unique. If he used rhyme, then the reader would focus more on the rhymes themselves rather than the lesson itself. Without the rhyme, it takes away that distraction and the gives us the lesson more directly. Another distinctive feature in this poem is the tone and the grammar . The grammar that Langston Hughes chose like “Cause you finds it’s kinder hard” indicates that this is a black woman around the time period of racism. Most black people were not as educated as they are today and most could not read or write. The tone also supports this, because it feels like she is tired and obviously not living a great life. This combination reminds all of us about the struggles people had to go through during racism.
Poetry Anthology Entry #4 2/29/16 Please Mrs Butler By Allan Ahlberg
Please Mrs. Butler This boy Derek Drew Keeps copying my work, Miss. What shall I do? Go and sit in the hall, dear. Go and sit in the sink. Take your books on the roof, my lamb. Do whatever you think. Please Mrs. Butler This boy Derek Drew Keeps taking my rubber, Miss. What shall I do? Keep it in your hand, dear. Hide it up your vest. Swallow it if you like, my love. Do what you think best. Please Mrs. Butler This boy Derek Drew Keeps calling me rude names, Miss. What shall I do? Lock yourself in the cupboard, dear. Run away to sea. Do whatever you can, my flower. But don't ask me!
Copyright © 2008 2014 . All Rights Reserved. The copyright of the poems and quotes published in Best Poems belong to their respective owners. All other texts and material on this website is copyrighted.
This poem by Allan Ahlberg talks about a child having trouble with a kid named Derek Drew and ask an adult for help. In 4th grade, when I changed schools, there was a group of kids , around 24, that kept picking on me. Sometimes it would be the same person bothering me or it would be someone else and I would go up to my parents and tell them about the person. Downfall of this is that my parents would never give helpful advice or advice that I understood. Every time the child ask Mrs.Butler a question she would always give some absurd or weird answers like “Swallow it if you like” or “Run away to sea” and then ends with “Do whatever you think is best”. To me it seems as if the poet is trying to send us a message through the dialogue . The message that I take away from this poem is find it yourself or do things on your own. We never receive a direct answer from Mrs.Butler, she gives suggestions and serves as a guide or a butler towards the child. On the third line of every other stanza Mrs Butler addresses the child in a motherly like tone . She calls the child “my lamb, my love, my flower” which gives her a motherly like picture or an image of someone who is kind and kind. Also, her tone is condensing . Her tone makes her seem like a mother, but if you look at what she says it’s not very helpful. There also is repetition in this poem. The repetition gives the reader an expectation on what happens next. Ahlberg uses a constant repetition pattern where the child complains about Derek Drew and then asks Mrs.Butler and would get absurd advice. For example “Lock yourself in the cupboard, dear” and “run away to sea”.But, in the last stanza it switched, instead of having a kind tone Mrs.Butler had an annoyed tone instead. Overall I think this poem has a humorous tone because of the absurd comments that Mrs.Butler says, and in the final stanza with Mrs.Butler and her annoyed tone .
Poetry Anthology Entry #5 3/7/2016
Dreams By, Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a brokenwinged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.
Hughes, Langston. "Dreams." Poets.org . Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.
As a child I always had dreams of how I would be when I would grow up. For example, when I was in 3rd grade I finished watching superman and wanted to become a superhero. As I got older, like when its says “Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a brokenwinged bird”, I would let go of the non realist dreams or the dreams that I thought I could not get, and eventually they would die away. Something that makes this poem interesting is the Irony of the poem. The "if" in the first stanza and the "when" in the second stanza change the entire mood of their stanza and depict two different stories. When Langston Hughes says “For if dreams die” he is giving a hint that dreams still can be saved. By only adding the “if” he has created a new possibility and tells the reader that there still is a chance, which is something I think Hughes did well. Same thing in the second stanza, when he says “For when dreams go” his diction tells the reader that there is no chance of this statement changing. In this poem Hughes combined both the tone of the poem and the metaphors to give his readers an important message. “Brokenwinged bird” and “Life is a barren field” are both metaphors that also fit nicely with the story, which is a strategy that Hughes use to create his work unique. This use of metaphors helped me see a clearer image and understand the poem better.
I believe that the poem is trying to say don’t let what you believe disappear from your hands. If you have dreams you should keep those dreams and not let something change your dreams or take them away from you.
Anthology Entry#6 3/13/2016 Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face By, Jack Prelutsky
Be glad your nose is on your face, not pasted on some other place, for if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot. Imagine if your precious nose were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you'd be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place be glad your nose is on your face!
Copyright © 2008 2014 . All Rights Reserved. The copyright of the poems and quotes published in Best Poems belong to their respective owners. All other texts and material on this website is copyrighted.
Anthology Entry#6 3/13/2016 Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face By, Jack Prelutsky
When I read this poem it brings different images in my mind. I remember when I was in nursery and we used to sing wierd songs like Humpty Dumpty. Which now seem weird and childish. This poem also brings an image of Frankenstein, the monster, because of words like attached, and pasted seem as if somebody or something is being created. Something that makes this poem standout or unique is the nursery rhyme feeling of it. One thing that shows this is the repetition that Prelutsky added to his poem. Every tetrameter introduces a new part of the body, which gives the reader a new idea to think about. Which also envelops a silly story, like most nursery rhymes. Prelutsky describes the nose on different body parts, first is the toes, then is in the top of your head, and finally in your ear. Which makes this poem even more absurd. The author uses diction to add in action words or verbs. For example,”not pasted on some other place” or “where it attached atop your head” these are words that you can physically do as an action. The author of this poem makes the nose seem as if it's detachable and reattachable, like when building a Frankenstein. The author also uses understatement to make things seem less awful than the actually are. For example, Imagine if your precious nose were sandwiched in between your toes,that clearly would not be a treat, for you'd be forced to smell your feet.”Obviously this would be an awful thing to have, but Jack Prelutsky minimizes the awfulness by using the word treat. This poem has a childish tone , which tries to bring us back to memories of when we were young and sing ridiculous songs. Which is what I believe the author was trying to do and does a good job of it. In conclusion, Prelutsky uses different language features like diction,repetition,tone, and understatement to make this poem seem more like a nursery rhyme than a real poem. The fact that this poem is trying to do two unrelated jobs makes this poem unique. Also, I find this poem funny when I think how we would look like if our noses where on all those different places.
Copyright © 2008 2014 . All Rights Reserved. The copyright of the poems and quotes published in Best Poems belong to their respective owners. All other texts and material on this website is copyrighted.
Poetry Anthology Entry #7 There Is Another Sky By, Emily Dickinson There is another sky, Ever serene and fair, And there is another sunshine, Though it be darkness there; Never mind faded forests, Austin, Never mind silent fields Here is a little forest, Whose leaf is ever green; Here is a brighter garden, Where not a frost has been; In its unfading flowers I hear the bright bee hum: Prithee, my brother, Into my garden come!
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This poem reminds me of how I used to believe on strictly one thing. I never thought there could be something more. For example, in 6th grade when I got interested in possible outside life I never thought there could be such a thing. I was blinded by my own beliefs that I never suggested that there could be aliens from a different planet. The reader can pick up that Emily Dickinson is describing heaven as a garden. For example, “there is another sky”, like in the garden of Adam and Eve, indicates that there is a totally different place or world. Which is the metaphor of this poem. Emily Dickinson adds on to the metaphor with imagery. She describes this garden as “ever green” and “brighter”. Together they make this poem’s meaning more clear as you get a better picture of heaven. There is a small use of onomatopoeia with the bee’s“hum” which also contributes to the image of the poem. The tone of this poem shifts in the middle from a dark depressed to inspiring and joyful. “And there is another sunshine, though it be darkness there” the poem balances out between a beautiful image of sunshine to a less appealing image of darkness in the background. The diction contributes to the tone by changing it. “Faded” “darkness” “silent” make the setting seem depressing. Also, in the first line, “There is” makes the sky seem more distant like when you tell someone there is something but you don't know how far away it is. Then in the second stanza, the tone gets lighter with “bright bee hum” “brighter” which gives the reader the idea that it's not all dark and gloomy. When Emily Dickinson put “Here is” it makes the object seem closer as if you are showing it to someone or something. Another language feature that isolates this poem from the rest is the repetition . “There is another sky, There is another sunshine” “Never mind the faded forest, Austin, Never mind the silent fields” and “Here is a little forest, Here is a brighter garden” all have two similar geographical features. By doing this Emily Dickinson is able to emphasize the setting more clearly. She uses repetition in a way that gives the reader a better image of the setting. Emily Dickinson uses imagery in a new way. She is able to describes this garden in such of a broad way, that it creates different possibilities. For example, depending on the reader, the reader might think she is talking about heaven, or a home, or even outer space. In conclusion, this poem gives me a warm feeling as if you are coming home to a warm house after a day outside in the cold. The tone contributes to that by having a nice and happy ending.
Poetry Anthology Entry #8 My Shadow By, Robert Louis Stevenson
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed. The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow-Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, And he sometimes goes so little that there's none of him at all. He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close behind me, he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
"My Shadow." Poetry Foundation . Robert LOUIS STEVENSON, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
The meaning of this poem with the shadow reminds me of my little brother. He follows me everywhere I go and tries to replicate me the best way he can. In my opinion, he is my shadow in a way. “And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way” is like when my brother teases me and (tries to) make fun of me. I really enjoyed this poem because it reminds me of my brother and how he likes to be my shadow. The kind tone and the rhyme scheme of this poem make it seem more entertaining and fun. The tone is like a small child’s understanding of a shadow. Since they don't understand the science and physics behind why a shadow is the way it is, they believe that it's another person. For example, “The funnies thing about him is the way he likes to grow” is like a mother telling someone about her child. The rhyme scheme also contributes to the tone by making it seem like a playful book that a young child would read or something you would read during story time. Alos, there is a small hint of personification in every description of the shadow. Since we know shadows are not humans, they are being described as human. The AABBCCDDEEFFGGHH rhyme has a constant patter with every line in the couplet rhymes . This gives the young readers a better chance to understand and read this poem with the use of word families. Stevenson uses simile a lot through this poem to give the reader a better image of the kind of shadow he is talking about. “Like an arrant sleepyhead” gives us the hint that the child is (like) a trouble maker. “For he sometimes shoots up taller like an indianrubber ball”. Lines like these and the simile make the poem more childish and interesting. Not only is this poem about a child, but it's also for children.
Poetry Anthology Entry #9 Be A Friend By, Edgar Guest
Be a friend. You don't need money; Just a disposition sunny; Just the wish to help another Get along some way or other; Just a kindly hand extended Out to one who's unbefriended; Just the will to give or lend, This will make you someone's friend. Be a friend. You don't need glory. Friendship is a simple story. Pass by trifling errors blindly, Gaze on honest effort kindly, Cheer the youth who's bravely trying, Pity him who's sadly sighing; Just a little labor spend On the duties of a friend. Be a friend. The pay is bigger (Though not written by a figure) Than is earned by people clever In what's merely self-endeavor. You'll have friends instead of neighbors For the profits of your labors; You'll be richer in the end Than a prince, if you're a friend.
Guest, Edgar. "Be A Friend-Sofine's Poetry of Edgar Guest." SofinesJoyfulMoments . SofinesJoyfulMoments, n.d. Web. 21 May 2016. <http://sofinesjoyfulmoments.com/quotes/Be_A_Friend.htm>.
This poem reminds me about all the stereotypes that I thought you need to have to be friends with certain people. I used to think that you had to be good at every sport to be friends with the athletes, but I found out that you don’t. “Just the wish to help another” I did not think friendship was as simple as this line from the poem describes it. The author is trying to give us readers a better understand of what being a true friend is about, he combines both the meaning of the poem and the language features to describe it to us. Edgar uses symbolism throughout this poem to make the poem more smooth. For example, in the first stanza “Just a disposition sunny”, this line is a symbol for happy times and a joyful attitude. This use of symbolism keeps the poem going and the lines stick in the reader’s head. He does this again in line 1617 “Be a friend. The pay is bigger, (Though not written by a figure)” The second line of this stanza points back to the first line and indicates that the kind of pay is not the kind you get from a job. Instead it’s knowing that you have a friend beside you is the real pay. In line five it says “Just a kindly hand extended” the poet combines personification and symbolism in this line. The personification is “kindly hand”, a hand belongs to a body and has no will and can't be mean nor kind. The symbolism in this line is also “kindly hand”. Usually when you give a “kindly hand” it means that you are willing to help someone who is in need of help. Both symbolism and personification are combined to give the reader the idea that being kind and helpful to the people around you is what being a true friend means. Guest uses rhyme in couplets that do not repeat. This gives him a more free space for words instead of being restricted to choose words that rhyme . This also, attracts readers who were accustomed to reading poems that have this kind of rhyme scheme and is easier to read for beginning poem readers. Edgar Albert Guest uses repetition on the word “friend”. This style of repetition brings out his main topic of the poem, which is being a friend. It also, helps stick the main topic of this poem to the reader's head since it keeps on being brought up. In conclusion I thought this poems was interesting and fun to pick out all the language features and see what do they mean. I got a better understanding of what being a friend truly means, and how certain features change the poem.
Poetry Anthology Entry #10 Barter By, Sara Teasdale
Life has loveliness to sell, All beautiful and splendid things, Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Soaring fire that sways and sings, And children's faces looking up, Holding wonder like a cup. Life has loveliness to sell, Music like the curve of gold, Scent of pine trees in the rain, Eyes that love you, arms that hold, And for your spirit's still delight, Holy thoughts that star the night. Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstasy Give all you have been, or could be.
Teasdale, Sara. "Barter." Academy of American Poets . Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 21 May 2016. <https%3A%2F%2Fwww.poets.org%2Fpoetsorg%2Fpoem%2Fbarter>.
The first line of this poem “life has a loveliness to sell” reminds me of the community service that I did/do last year and this year. Helping the elders at a center is my way of selling loveliness. Sara Teasdale uses repetition for the first line “Life has a loveliness to sell”. This use of repetition reminds us, the readers, about the meaning of this poem. She is trying to convince us that what she is saying is true. Then it evolves in the last stanza which says “Spend all you have for loveliness” which is a stronger feeling of what she was saying earlier. The kind of words or diction that she uses in this poem tells us about the speaker, and tone. You can depict that this narrator is a female with words like “children faces” “eyes to love” “arms to hold” seem like they are from a motherly perspective or a young female adult. Another use of diction that gives us a description about the speakers is the intelligent words that are used. For example, “loveliness”, “splendid”, and “ecstasy” indicate that the speaker is well educated. The tone of this poem is joyful and cheerful. This brings out the meaning of this poem more clearly and helps us see the beauty of nature itself and the world around us. She adds on to this with simile. On the 6th line “Holding wonder like a cup” describes the children’s faces. When you hold a cup, you usually want it to get filled. In this situation the children want to get their questions filled up. The syntax of this poem is something that you might rush by without noticing. Every stanza is just one stretched out sentence. This use of enjambment makes it hard to have a clear image of what the meaning is, but something that Teasdale does unique is the pauses. She adds in enough pauses to break down this poem in small units without having to add a period at the end of each line. The first line “Life has a loveliness to sell” creates the foundation of the poem. When someone sells you something they usually want you to have it. Sara Teasdale uses metaphor to give this message thru with the fact that life wants to barter love with us. Since you can’t buy love, you have to share or trade, that is why it's called “ Barter” . This is the main metaphor that she uses throughout this poem.