Passing Time

By: Maya Angelou

Your skin like dawn
Mine like musk


One paints the beginning
of a certain end.


The other, the end of a
sure beginning.

This poem is very short and sweet. You can tell my the title, its about the passing of time. Angelou is comparing two skins, one like dawn and the other like musk, meaning dark and light. I think the author is trying to say that as one door closes, another is opening. I think this has to do with skin colors, and hope for all races to be equal.  As time passes, peoples views on different races are changing.

Fast Rode the Knight by Stephen Crane

Fast rode the knight
With spurs, hot and reeking,
Ever waving an eager sword,
"To save my lady!"
Fast rode the knight,
And leaped from saddle to war.
Men of steel flickered and gleamed
Like riot of silver lights,
And the gold of the knight's good banner
Still waved on a castle wall.
. . . . .
A horse,
Blowing, staggering, bloody thing,
Forgotten at foot of castle wall.
A horse
Dead at foot of castle wall.


Crane starts this poem with the knight riding fast on his horse to save his lady. It then says he "leaped fom saddle to war", meaning he jumped off his horse to fight the enemies. The fight is described as a "rot of silver lights",  but yet the knight defeats them and his good banner is still on the castle wall. Then, the poem is seperated and paused by the ".....". In the last stanza, the tone shifts as the author starts describing the abandoned, dead horse. This poem to me, makes the reader question- was it selfish of the knight to save his lady and leave his horse to die? After all, the horse did get the knight to the castle. The knight sacrifised the horse, to save his lady. The poem ends leaving the reader thinking about the horse, and not the valiant effort of the knight to save his lady.

Homework! Oh, Homework!

By: Jack Prelutsky

Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You're giving me fits.

I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework!
you're last on my list,
I simply can't see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!

This poem relates to me perfectly because I have a bad case of senioritis. I used to not mind homework. Now, I can't find any motivation to do my homework, so I'm quite the procrastinator. Jack Prelutsky uses imagery to portray the hard feelings he has towards homework. He says he'd rather touch ten porcupines and take baths with a hungry shark. This shows the great amount of negativity towards homework. He says that if homework didn't exist, he'd be tickled pink. Looks like Prelutsky and I are in the same boat!

The Best of Friends

                    By Jill Wolf

 

The best of friends,
Can change a frown,
Into a smile,
when you feel down.

The best of friends,
Will understand,
Your little trials,
And lend a hand.

The best of friends,
Will always share,
Your secret dreams,
Because they care.

The best of friends,
Worth more than gold,
Give all the love,
A heart can hold.

This poem is about how great some friends are. Wolf states that the best of friends 'understand, care, and give love' to their friends. Good friends are truely hard to find, and they are really special. You can rely them and count on them, thats why they are "worth more than gold." I really like the ryhme scheme in this poem. Each stanza starts with "The best of friends," and then the following second line and fourth line rhyme.  True friends are very important and this poem portrays how great they really are.

Never Say Never

By Justin Bieber

See I never thought that I could walk through fire.
I never thought that I could take the burn.
I never had the strength to take it higher,
Until I reached the point of no return.

And there^,s just no turning back,
When your hearts under attack,
Gonna give everything I have,
It^,s my destiny.

I will never say never! (I will fight)
I will fight till forever! (make it right)
Whenever you knock me down,
I will not stay on the ground.
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up up up,
And never say never.

I never thought I could feel this power.
I never thought that I could feel this free.
I^,m strong enough to climb the highest tower.
And I^,m fast enough to run across the sea.

And there^,s just no turning back,
When your hearts under attack,
Gonna give everything I have,
Cause this is my destiny.

I will never say never! (I will fight)
I will fight till forever! (make it right)
Whenever you knock me down,
I will not stay on the ground.
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up, up, up,
And never say never.

Here we go!
Guess who?
JSmith and Jb!
I gotcha lil bro.
I can handle him.
Hold up, aight?
I can handle him.

Now he^,s bigger than me,
Taller than me.
And he^,s older than me,
And stronger than me.
And his arms a little bit longer than me.
But he ain^,t on a JB song with me!

I be trying a chill
They be trying to side with the thrill.
No pun intended, was raised by the power of Will.

Like Luke with the force, when push comes to shove.
Like Cobe with the 4th, ice water with blood.

I gotta be the best, and yes
We^,re the flyest.
Like David and Goliath,
I conquered the giant.
So now I got the world in my hand,
I was born from two stars
So the moon^,s where I land.

I will never say never! (I will fight)
I will fight till forever! (make it right)
Whenever you knock me down,
I will not stay on the ground.
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up, up, up,
And never say never.

I will never say never! (I will fight)
I will fight till forever! (make it right)
Whenever you knock me down,
I will not stay on the ground.
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up,
Pick it up, up, up,
And never say never.

I think its safe to say most young girls are obsessed with Justin Bieber because of his music. This song, "Never Say Never", which is also the name of his new movie, is about fighting for what you want. It encourages you to keep fighting and keep trying. Even when you are knocked down, Justin Bieber says to not stay on the ground; pick yourself up and keep fighting. Bieber uses a simile in the line, "Like David and Goliath,I conquered the giant." He"s saying he felt so strong that he felt like he conquered a giant. Repetition is also popular in many songs. In this song, the line "Pick it up" is repeated many times.

"The House That Built Me"

By Miranda Lambert

I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these handprints on the front steps are mine

Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine
Plans were drawn and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama’s dream

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can
I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me


In this song, Miranda Lambert personifies the house she grew up in, by saying it "built" her. This song really touches me everytime I hear it. Because I just recently moved out of the house that I've lived in all eigtheen years of my life, I can really relate. My parents built the home a year before I was born. My mom has always been a decorater, and she loves design magazines; so the lines "Mama cut out pictures of houses for years/From Better Homes and Gardens magazine/Plans were drawn and concrete poured/
Nail by nail and board by board/Daddy gave life to mama’s dream" perfectly explain the house that built me. My room was the back bedroom upstairs, and it was my favorite place in the house. As of right now, that house is the only place I've ever known as home. It is where I grew up, and became who I am today. My favorite dog is buried in the yard, just like the line in the song. This house will always have a special place in my heart, because it is where I spent my childhood, and I have had a hard time losing it. The lines "Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam/ But these handprints on the front steps are mine" show that although the current owner doesn't know the singer, she has many memories of growing up in that house. I like that she goes back and visits the house, maybe I will do that one day in the future when I'm grown.

Tryin' on Clothes

By Shel Silverstein

I tried on the farmer's hat,                                                  
Didn't fit...
A little too small -- just a bit
Too floppy.
Couldn't get used to it,
Took it off.
I tried on the dancer's shoes,                                       
A little too loose.
Not the kind you could use
for walkin'.
Didn't feel right in 'em,
Kicked 'em off.
I tried on the summer sun,
Felt good.
Nice and warm -- knew it would.
Tried the grass beneath bare feet,
Felt neat.
Finally, finally felt well dressed,
Nature's clothes fit me best.

In this poem, the narrator tries on a farmers hat, and it didn't fit him. Next, he tries on dancer shoes, which didn't fit him either. The summer sun and grass beneath his bare feet fit him best. This shows that the narrator is a nature-loving, tree-hugging person. Nature makes him feel at home; not being in a hat or fancy shoes, just being simplistic in nature. That is his "well dressed". I love the imagery Shel Silverstein always creates in his poems. He really creates a picture in my mind of a boy trying on these things. The vivid description of the grass beneath his feet is great imagery. I like this poem, because I love being out in the sun in the summertime, so I can relate to the narrator. During the summer, there isn't anywhere I'd rather be.

Life is Fine

By Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!


This poems message really stood out to me. I think the author is trying to tell the reader no matter what troubles you may come across in life, your life is still worth living. The narrator is going through many troubles in his life, and is contemplating suicide. He first considers drowning himself, and then considers jumping off a high building. However, he can never bring himself to it. He thinks about his baby, and that makes him realize what he has to live for. This is a really good lesson for people. Many people go through struggles and tough times, but you just have to have a positive outlook about things. You have to focus on the positives of life, like the ones who love you. Your life is worth living, no doubt. At the end of the poem, the narrator says "Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!" I think the narrator realized all the important things in his life, like his child, and changed his outlook.

Snowflakes

by Linda A. Copp

Snowflakes spill from heaven's hand
Lovely and chaste like smooth white sand.
A veil of wonder laced in light
Falling Gently on a winters night.

Graceful beauty raining down
Giving magic to the lifeless ground.
Each snowflake like a falling star
Smiling beauty that's spun afar.

Till earth is dressed in a robe of white
Unspoken poem the hush of night.

I found this poem and thought it was very appropriate for today! I really liked it because it's short and sweet, but at the same time, very descriptive. In first line "Snowflakes spill from heaven's hand", the author uses personification to convey the image of snowflakes falling from heaven. I like this line because I think that snow is one of the prettiest things God made, and this line portrays snow to be a gift from God. Also, the poem is filled with imagery, which paints a picture for the reader. "Graceful beauty raining down... Till earth is dressed in a robe of white". To me, these lines are a perfect description of snow. After todays snow, everything was covered in a blanket of white. I've always loved looking out the window to see the ground covered in snow, it's so beautiful and peaceful.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I like this poem because it gives a different perspective about dealing with death. The speaker of this poem is giving advice to his dying father. He tells his father that death should be fought, rather than just mutely accepted. In the lines, "Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Thomas is expressing the idea that even though you are growing old and weary, you should not give up on life; instead you should fight to live. Repetition is used throughout the poem with the lines, "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "Rage, rage against the dying of the light". I think the author repeats these to stress the importance of not giving up. At the end, the author tells his father, “curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray”. He wants his father to burn with feeling and emotion while he still can, even if he curses his son. He does not want his father to fade quietly into death.  I think this poem is very inspiring and the author has a good point. We only have one life to live, and we shouldn't take it for granted.

Last Night I Dreamed of Chickens by Jack Prelutsky

Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.

They were on the chairs and tables,
they were on the chandeliers,
they were roosting in the corners,
they were clucking in my ears,
there were chickens, chickens, chickens
for as far as I could see...
when I woke today, I noticed
there were eggs on top of me.

 

I like this poem because it is amusing and funny. The author is describing his dream, where chickens are everywhere in his room and on his bed. He creates great imagery, by describing the chaos going on as the chickens are on the chandeliers, roosting in the corners, and nesting in his hair. He also uses repetition, starting off most lines with "they were" or "there were". We find out however, that the chickens might not have just been a figment of the author's imagination. In the last line, the author wakes up to find eggs on top of him. I think it is clever how the author reveals this in the final line. This leaves the reader questioning whether this craziness was a dream, or if it really happened.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by 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.

The mood of this poem is peace and solitude, as it is just the man and his horse on a dark snowy night. I interpreted this poem to mean as you go through the journey of life, you have to take time to enjoy the beauty of things. The man stopped to enjoy the beauty of the falling snow in the woods. However, he knew he had to keep moving on and persevering through his journey because he had responsibilities and 'promises to keep'. The horse shook the bells on his harness, questioning if it were a mistake to stop, because he knew they were not at the end of their journey. Sometimes people are so caught up in the journey of life, they are confused by others who stop to smell the roses. You can apply this analogy to life. Although you have responsibilities and things to do, you still need to take the time to stop and enjoy the true beauty and peaceful aspects of life.

First blog

So this website is pretty confusing..

and I'm just SO excited to start blogging about poetry.
:)