Real Literature Poetry Anthology by Constantine Bayz

Poetry Anthology Constantine Bayz

"A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom" Robert frost

“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom,”-Robert Frost. This quote by Robert Frost really sums up what I learned throughout my experience writing an anthology. I loved how poems are meaningful and send a powerful message to the reader in many ways. I also enjoy and learn from the lessons that the poet tries to get to the reader through figurative language. This anthology project changed my views of poetry a lot, and I hope someday I can write a poem as good as the ones that I read. Throughout my anthology entries, I read and wrote about many poems that have a deeper message to the reader. The reader not only has to read the words on the surface of the poem, but has to dive in and read the poet’s message. For example, if someone just read the words of the poem, “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks, they would need to look deeper to find that the poem could talk about young people that leave school, drink and play pool. Also, in the poem, “Romance” by Edgar Allan Poe, if one is just reading the poem and not understanding it they would just think the poem is talking about birds and demons. Readers might not understand that the birds represent the narrator’s romances when he was a child and when he grew older. Similar to how poems have a message, some poems in my Anthology also have a hidden lesson that the poets are trying to teach their readers. For instance the poem, “A Dream Within a Dream,” by Edgar Allan Poe is now one of my favorite poems because of what I learned from the poet. In this

poem, Poe teaches us to hold onto our days, memories and dreams while we still can. Another example of a poem that can teach readers a lesson is another one of my favorite poems, “The Road not Taken,” by Robert Frost. This poem isn’t about some person getting lost in the woods, it’s about someone taking a separate, unique path in life. I feel like our generation can learn so much by understanding the deeper meanings of poems. I learned all these things while doing my Poetry Anthology. I hope that one day I could read the same poems and see if I can interpret them any differently. Throughout my time doing this anthology, I learned things that I have never thought of before. I hope others can write anthologies and learn various messages taught by the poets.

Constantine Bayz I Am The One Who Poem I Am The One Who... I am the one who looks for the deeper meanings of poems, I am the one who goes beyond the literal understanding of a poem to find the soul of the poem, I am the one who learns from the poets’ messages, I am the one who discovers new ways of interpreting poetry, I am the one who is inspired by a poem, I am the one who hears what the poet is trying to say through the poem. I am the one who teaches what the poem means, I am the one who sees the different interpretations of poems, I am the one who might not even see the correct interpretation of the poem, I am the one who reads the poems essence, I am the one who recognizes the poems impact on the reader, I am the one who preaches the meaning of a poem, I am the one who gives multiple perceptions on the same poem, I am the one who...

List of Poems and Poets: 1. The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe. 2. Charge of the Light Brigade, by Alfred Lord Tennyson. 3. A Dream Within a Dream, by Edgar Allan Poe. 4. We Real Cool, The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel, by Gwendolyn Brooks. 5. The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. 6. Alone, by Edgar Allan Poe. 7. O Captain! My Captain!, by Walt Whitman. 8. Romance, by Edgar Allan Poe. 9. Dreams, by Langston Hughes. 10.Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost.

Poetry Anthology Entry #2 The charge of the Light Brigade Alfred Lord Tennyson

Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. “Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!” he said. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. “Forward, the Light Brigade!” Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew Someone had blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of hell Rode the six hundred.

Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wondered. Plunged in the batterysmoke Right through the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the sabre stroke Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volleyed and thundered; S tormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell. They that had fought so well Came through the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred!

Lord Tennyson, Alfred. "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.

Poetry Anthology Entry #2 The charge of the Light Brigade Alfred Lord Tennyson

I really loved this poem because of how it tells a story of the brave men that charged in the Light Brigade. These soldiers were brave because they faced hundreds of cannons shooting at them from the side and straight at them. The soldiers are also honored through this poem. This poem is inspirational because the soldiers sacrificed their lives for their country and their army. I am inspired whenever I hear of brave men who stand up for what they believe is right. There is lots of repetition in this poem. For example, at the end of the first three stanzas, the author writes, “Rode the six hundred.” In the last three stanzas, the author writes different variations but always including the “six hundred.” There is also a different repetition in each staIn the first stanza, the author repeats, “Half a league” three times. In the second stanza, the author repeats, “Theirs” three times but with variations. For instance, “Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.” Even the ends of the phrases rhyme, “reply, why, and die.” In the third stanza, the author also repeats, “Cannon” three times but also with different variations. For instance, “Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them.” And at the end of each phrase, the word “them” repeats. In the fourth stanza, the word “flashed” repeats twice. For example, “Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air.” Also, “air” and “bare” rhyme. The ends of the phrases in the fourth stanza follows an AAABCDDEDFGH rhyme scheme. “ Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wondered. Plunged in the batterysmoke Right through the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the sabre stroke Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred.” The beginning of the fifth stanza also repeats “cannons” the say way the third stanza repeated the word. The final stanza also rhymes and follows an AABAAC rhyme scheme. “When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! Lord Tennyson, Alfred. "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.

Poetry Anthology Entry #2 The charge of the Light Brigade Alfred Lord Tennyson All the world wondered. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred!” The meter of this poem has four feet, and when read aloud sounds like the

cavalry running at the cannons. Lord Tennyson also uses metaphors to describe the tremendous danger that the 600 men faced. “Jaws of death” “Mouth of hell”Valley of death” are just a few of the examples of figurative language that Lord Tennyson uses in this poem. All of these metaphors are used to describe where the soldiers were running into. The soldiers were most certainly going to die because the cavalry was running at cannons that were shooting at them while there were cannons on their sides too. Alfred Lord Tennyson uses metaphors, other types of figurative language, rhyming, and repetition to create the physical effects on the reader. For Example, The repetition and the rhyme scheme are uniform and in order just like the cavalry lines and the soldier’s uniforms. Also the tetrameter, when read aloud, sounds like a horse galloping because a horse has four legs.

Lord Tennyson, Alfred. "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.

Poetry Anthology Entry #3 A Dream Within A Dream Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow-You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand-How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep--while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream? Allan Poe, Edgar. "A Dream Within a Dream." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/237388>.

Poetry Anthology Entry #3 A Dream Within A Dream Edgar Allan Poe

I really enjoyed this poem because of how Edgar Allan Poe teaches us to hold on to our dreams and memories while we still can. In this poem, the narrator loses his dearest memories from his loved one and his memories are “slipping away.” I also chose this poem to read because Poe is one of my favorite poets and I always enjoy reading his work. I really liked how the tone of the poem changed through the poet’s word choice. This is important to me because I think it is important to hold on to your memories and days while you can. Edgar Allan Poe breaks his poem into two stanzas, each with a distinctly different tone, and uses rhymes to create the rhythm throughout the entire poem. In the first stanza, there are eleven lines. The first stanza starts with a tercet followed by four couplets. The rhyming in the first stanza makes the tone more calm and flowing. The narrator also seems to have accepted that his lover is gone and casually says that “All that we see or seem/ Is but a dream within a dream.” In the second stanza, there are thirteen lines. The second stanza starts with two couplets followed by a tercet and then three more couplets. The tone of the second stanza is more emotional and desperate because the narrator’s memories are slowly slipping through his fingers. Poe’s diction in the second stanza makes the narrator more questioning what he said before about life being a dream within a dream.

Allan Poe, Edgar. "A Dream Within a Dream." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/237388>.

Poetry Anthology Entry #3 A Dream Within A Dream Edgar Allan Poe

There are also several instances of p ersonification and i magery in this poem. For example, Poe says, “how few yet how they creep.” Here, Poe is referring to his memories of his loved one and describes how those memories “creep.” Some examples of Poe’s alliteration in this poem are, “ All that we see or seem” and “Is but a dream within a dream.” and also “While I weep--while I weep!” and finally, “But a dream within a dream?” This is alliteration because the sound “s” in “see” and “seem,” the “d” in “dream” and the “w” in “while” and “weep” are all being repeated. Poe also creates a pattern by ending each stanza with “see or seem” and “a dream within a dream.” One example of personification is “surf tormented” because the surf is given the human ability to torment someone. Finally, the entire second stanza is an extended metaphor that describes the narrator’s heart in this poem. Poe describes the beach as “surf tormented” this also describes his mind because of how the narrator is depressed and trying to grasp his days before they are gone forever. Another example of how lines in the poem can be a metaphor describing the narrator’s mindset is the line, “O God! Can I not save/One from the pitiless wave?” Like how a wake can collect and pull objects or trash into it’s undertow, so too could the pitiless wave steal and take the narrator’s days and memories away from him.

Allan Poe, Edgar. "A Dream Within a Dream." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/237388>.

Poetry Anthology Entry #3 A Dream Within A Dream Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe wrote this two stanza, twenty-four line poem that is chocked full of different types of tone, wise word choice and was able to create imagery with just those few words.

Allan Poe, Edgar. "A Dream Within a Dream." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/237388>.

Poetry Anthology Entry #4 We Real Cool, The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel Gwendolyn Brooks

THE POOL PLAYERS. SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.

We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon.

Brooks, Gwendolyn. "Poetry Magazine." Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2016. < http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/17315 >. Brewer, Robert Lee. "Golden Shovel: Poetic Form | Terrance Hayes | Gwendolyn Brooks." WritersDigest.com . N.p., 24 June 2014. Web. 02 Mar. 2016. < http://www.writersdigest.com/whatsnew/goldenshovelpoeticform >.

Poetry Anthology Entry #4 We Real Cool, The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel Gwendolyn Brooks

I really enjoyed this poem because of how the few words that Gwendolyn used in this poem created an image in my mind exactly like what was going on in the poem. I could vividly imagine young men that left school in a dark alley drinking and playing pool. I also really enjoyed the structure of this poem because of how unique it is. Brooks breaks this poem into four stanzas, each made up of only two lines. This poem is filled with alliteration, rhyming, and repetition. Some examples of alliteration in this poem are, “Lurk late,” “Strike straight,” “Sing sin,” and “Jazz June.” these are examples of alliteration because the sounds at the beginnings of these words sound the same. This poem also follows a consistent internal rhyming pattern, “AABBCCDD.” Brooks also uses a very unique repetition in this poem because instead of putting the word “we” in the beginning of the line, she puts it at the end for more of a pause. This makes the tone slower and more calm. Brooks also gives the word more of an emphasis. In this poem Brooks also uses a different type of poetic form called the “Golden Shovel,” the Golden shovel is however many lines in the first stanza equals how many lines there are. “The Pool Players, Seven At The Golden Shovel.” is 8 words, and that is how many lines there are in the poem. Brooks’ feet in this poem is weak strong strong. For example, “We real cool. We/Left school. We” “We” is weak followed by “real cool” both strong stresses. The meter, structure, internal rhyme, the one syllable words all create the tone and the rhythm that make the poem more like a song. This also gives the poem more of a jazzy tone to it. Brooks also changes the grammar in her poem. For Instance, “We real cool.” Is not proper grammar. This also makes the tone more appropriate for people sitting in a dark alley playing pool and drinking.

Poetry Anthology Entry #4 We Real Cool, The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel Gwendolyn Brooks

Overall, this 24 word poem was able to create amazing imagery to describe what is going on in the poem. This poem’s tone makes it able to be understood differently, and that is what readers should look for.

Poetry Anthology Entry #5 The Road Not Taken Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Poetry Anthology Entry #5 The Road Not Taken Robert Frost

I really enjoyed reading this poem because of the message Robert Frost tells us-- that we should not be like everyone else. Instead, Frost challenges the reader to be unique and take “The one less traveled” by anyone else. Frost breaks this poem into four stanzas, each with five lines. The stanzas follow an ABAAB rhyming pattern. For example, in the first stanza the last words in the first, third, and fourth lines rhyme (“wood,” “stood,” and “could”), as do the last words in the second and last lines of the stanza (“both” and “undergrowth”). The tone and the rhythm of this poem is steady, slow, and casual, just like a walk in the woods. The meter is slow, because the reader doesn’t know exactly where he is going. The meter of this poem is tetrameter. For example, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” The strong stresses are “Two” “di” in diverged,” “ye” in “yellow,” and “wood.” Frost’s tone, rhythm, and meter are not what make this poem unlike any other poem. Instead, what really makes this poem unique is how Frost teaches us that we don’t really have to do what everybody does. Frost expects the reader to understand that the two roads represented people's decisions, and the narrator decided to do what less people did, or take the road less traveled by. And that decision he made, made a difference. Also, the narrator never told us if the difference was good or bad, and just leaves it to us to decide. My opinion that Frost leaves it up to us to decide is because earlier he talked about how he should come back and take the other path if anything bad should happen.

Poetry Anthology Entry #5 The Road Not Taken Robert Frost

Also, Frost made this entire poem an extended metaphor . This is because the reader is not actually stuck in the woods but rather at a crossroad in their own life. The poem also summarizes the course of the human life because life is full of decisions that could make a big difference in our lives.

Poetry Anthology Entry #5 The Road Not Taken Robert Frost

Poetry Anthology Entry #7 Alone Edgar Allan Poe

From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were--I have not seen As others saw--I could not bring My passions from a common spring-From the same source I have not taken My sorrow--I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone-And all I lov’d-- I lov’d alone-Then- -in my childhood--in the dawn Of a most stormy life--was drawn From ev’ry depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still-From the torrent, or the fountain-From the red cliff of the mountain-From the sun that ‘round me roll’d In its autumn tint of gold-From the lightning in the sky As it pass’d me flying by-From the thunder, and the storm-And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) Of a demon in my view--

Poetry Anthology Entry #7 Alone Edgar Allan Poe

I really loved this poem because of it’s mysterious ending that intrigues the reader. This is another example of a poem that has a creepy, dark tone, and a narrator reflecting on their life like in the poem “A Dream Within a Dream.” I especially enjoy reading these types of poems because they make the reader think deeply about the meaning of the poem rather than just reading a silly poem for enjoyment. These types of poems often teach us a lesson, like how “A Dream Within a Dream” teaches the reader to hold on to their memories, or “The Road Not Taken” talks about choosing the right path in life. This one stanza poem has a very consistent rhyme scheme that uses couplets, with an AABBCCDD… rhyme scheme. This poem has four accented syllables per line, and is therefore written in iambic tetrameter. Poe’s diction causes the reader to slow down while reading the poem. For example, in the line “In its autumn tint of gold--” the “m” and “n” sounds make the reader pause to pronounce each word clearly. This adds to the overall slow, dark, melancholy tone of the poem. Edgar Allan Poe writes this poem as a flashback of an adult narrator looking back at his childhood, “From childhood’s hour I have not been.” Poe explains that the narrator was not like other children in the way they played, loved, experienced joy, or saw the world, “As others were--I have not seen/As others saw--I could not bring.” The narrator is also battling darkness or a demon at his shoulder because of the line, “And the cloud that

Poetry Anthology Entry #7 Alone Edgar Allan Poe

took the form/(When the rest of Heaven was blue)/Of a demon in my view--” This line could also be interpreted as showing that the narrator turned to drugs or alcohol (a demon) to solve or cope with his depressing childhood. Another understanding of this poem is that the line, “When the rest of Heaven was blue” could refer to everyone else experiencing happiness besides the narrator. This makes sense because the narrator’s childhood could have influenced his future self and explain his depressing adulthood. This can teach us a lesson that if one has a dark, difficult, or melancholic childhood, it can lead to a sorrowful and miserable adulthood.

Poetry Anthology Entry #8 O Captain! My Captain! Walt Whitman, 1865

O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! Heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills; For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths—for you the shores acrowding; For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head; It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! But I, with mournful tread, Walk the deck my captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

Poetry Anthology Entry #8 O Captain! My Captain! Walt Whitman, 1865

This poem intrigues me because of how it describes the life, achievements, the victory, and the death of one of our nation’s most famous leaders, Abraham Lincoln. Whitman chooses words that allow the reader to interpret the story in a literal and metaphorical way. This three stanza poem follows an AABCDEFE rhyme scheme for each of the stanzas. Whitman also repeats “fallen cold and dead” at the end of each line. This adds to the rhythm and tone of the poem because of how the tone is changing. The tone of this poem changes because some of the lines are joyful and describing the victory of the nation, the ship, the Union. On the other hand the sad lines are the lines that describe the captain's death (or in this instance, Abraham Lincoln’s death). In this poem, the narrator talks about his personal feelings for the captain that has fallen cold and dead. The narrator talks about his personal loss. The poet is not trying to describe what the words mean but what they feel. This is because through his diction, the poet describes exactly how the narrator is feeling. This poem is most commonly known to be an extended metaphor describing the victory of the Union in the Civil War and the death of the president, Abraham Lincoln. There are many lines that can relate to Abraham Lincoln. For example, in the line, “ The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won;” the “ship” describes the Union and the prize that was won was the Civil War. Another line that describes Lincoln is,

Poetry Anthology Entry #8 O Captain! My Captain! Walt Whitman, 1865

“While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:” the keel is what steers a ship, and Abraham Lincoln steered the ship (the Union) through the Civil War. One last example is in the line, “ The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;” the Union is safe and calm after the Civil War. Another thing I really enjoy about this poem is that the word shape is unique and seems to match the meaning and flow of the poem. For example, when the poem is flipped to the side, it looks like three sails on a ship, and the poem’s literal setting was on a ship. Another example is how the three stanzas look like pistols. This doesn’t match the literal poem but it matches the extended metaphor in that Lincoln was shot by a pistol. One final example of what the poem’s form might mean is that it looks like the words are falling down the page. This matches the fact that Lincoln died and fell to the ground.

Anthology Entry #9 Romance Edgar Allan Poe

Romance, who loves to nod and sing, With drowsy head and folded wing, Among the green leaves as they shake Far down within some shadowy lake, To me a painted paroquet Hath been—a most familiar bird— Taught me my alphabet to say— To lisp my very earliest word While in the wild wood I did lie, A child—with a most knowing eye. Of late, eternal Condor years So shake the very Heaven on high With tumult as they thunder by, I have no time for idle cares Through gazing on the unquiet sky. And when an hour with calmer wings Its down upon my spirit flings— That little time with lyre and rhyme To while away—forbidden things! My heart would feel to be a crime Unless it trembled with the strings.

Anthology Entry #9 Romance Edgar Allan Poe

When I read this poem, I really love how Poe uses imagery and other forms of figurative language to make a point about the different stages of love and romance. I also enjoy how Poe’s diction helps create a poem that could only be understood completely when read deeply. I agree with this poem because I understand how people's romances change with age. Edgar Allan Poe follows an “ aabbcdcdee” and “ deedeffgfgf” rhyme scheme, which has a changing pattern. Poe starts and ends words in the poem with sounds that make you stop. For example, in the line, “ With drowsy head and folded wing,” the “d” sound makes your tongue stop and slows you down while you read. This poem is an extended metaphor because of how Poe uses two different birds to describe different types of “Romances” at different ages. For example, in the line, “To me a painted paroquet/Hath been—a most familiar bird—/Taught me my alphabet to say—/To lisp my very earliest word/While in the wild wood I did lie,/A child—with a most knowing eye.” The “painted paroquet is a metaphor describing Poe’s childhood because when children are young they learn the alphabet and learn how to speak few words. On the other hand, when Poe first mentions the Condor, “Of late, eternal Condor years,” he uses the Condor as a metaphor to describe his later years in life. This can be taken on a deeper level though. Poe uses the paroquet and the Condor to describe his imaginative love, and everyday reality. This is because children are really imaginative and can imagine love

Anthology Entry #9 Romance Edgar Allan Poe

in a good, positive way. While on the other hand, the older person depends on reason and facts as a way of love. Poe has two different types of “Romances” that he describes with stages of his life. The poet uses diction to describe different types of romances throughout his years.

Anthology Entry #10 Dreams, Langston

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.

Anthology Entry #10 Dreams, Langston

I really liked this poem because of how short but powerful this poem was. This poem’s message was also similar to the poem “A Dream Within a Dream” by Edgar Allan Poe. This poem’s message to the reader is simple, hold on to our dreams because if we don’t, life would be boring and barren. This is very similar to the poem “A Dream Within a Dream” because Poe’s poem encourages the reader to hold on to their dreams. However, these two poems aren’t completely similar because Poe’s poem means to hold onto your dreams while they last while this poem just tells us to hold on to our dreams. This poem also has a simple rhyming pattern that repeats the phrase, “Hold fast to dreams,” and repeats the word “for” at the beginning of the next line. This poem also follows an ABCBDEFE rhyme scheme that is slow, and more like a short song rather than a poem. When Hughes says the part “Life is a barren field covered with snow” this feels like the field is dead. If a field is barren and freezing cold, it is probably dead. This led me to think that dreams are what keep us going, and keep us alive. This made sense to me because dreams can provide hope for anyone, in their own, special way. Hughes’ tone in this poem is affected by the metaphors. This is because the metaphors are negative. For example, when we think of a broken winged bird that cannot fly, we feel sad, and when we think of a dead, barren field, we are also sad. I think this poem is trying to tell us in a

Anthology Entry #10 Dreams, Langston

simple way, to go and make our dreams a reality. If we keep dreaming and working hard on our goals, we will eventually reach them. If we only keep our dreams in our dreams then they will never come true.

Poetry Anthology Entry #11 Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

Poetry Anthology Entry #11 Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost

I really loved this poem because although it can be interpreted many ways, I prefer to think about how pleasant the author describes the setting. I can picture a dark, quiet, serene woods with a man in an opening walking his horse through the snow. This makes me think of how peaceful it would be for that person and his horse. There is nothing I love more than silence, in a cold night air, all by myself. I really love the sensation and the feeling inside me that just says, “Nothing can go wrong, because I am in such a perfect place.” Frost recreates this sensation for me in this poem. This poem is written really simply because it is constructed of four, four lined stanzas, each written in iambic tetrameter. The poem follows a simple AABA rhyme scheme scheme for each of the stanzas. The poem flows really well and sounds slow like someone slowly walking by woods on his horse on a snowy evening. I really enjoyed how this poem can be interpreted in many ways. For example, the narrator could be really stupid because he is stopping on the darkest evening of the year and he could get lost in the woods and die of starvation. Also it is snowing, and the woods are filling up with snow, so the horse could get frostbite. Another way to interpret this poem is just simply that the narrator is going out for a nice ride on his horse in the evening. Also, we can interpret this poem by thinking that the narrator might be all alone in the middle of nowhere to commit suicide. It makes sense because nobody can hear him scream, and it is a good setting to die on the darkest

Poetry Anthology Entry #11 Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost

evening of the year. The poet uses diction to hide the fact that the narrator wants to kill himself. The final two lines play a big role in the interpretation of this poem. For example when read calmly, the reader is most likely on a nice peaceful, calm, and steady ride on his horse. When the last two lines are said in a panicking way, the narrator could be lost and is panicking because he might not find food for his horse or he might not be able to make it to his house. Lastly, if the final two lines are said in a depressing way, the narrator probably wants to end his life and can’t take it anymore. In another way, the narrator might want to commit suicide on his darkest night of the year, but he has promises to keep, and he realizes that he has to stay alive. In the end, the promises that he has to keep are what pull him out of the woods. I really enjoyed how mysterious Frost is with this poem. Only Frost knows the correct interpretation of this poem. The reader just has to see what makes sense to them.