TJ

POEMS:


 * 1. A Dream Within A Dream** - **Edgar Allen Poe** - Poe is recollecting a dream that he can now no longer clearly remember, he is comparing his sadness and desperation in reality, to a dream. He contemplates death and is scared to be forgotten in reality, hence the title, A Dream Within A Dream. My favorite line, also the opening line: "Take a kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now!" shows how Poe's memories are fleeting and he has no way to get them back.


 * 2. If You Forget Me - Pablo Neruda -** A very touching poem highlighting Neruda's view on true love. That if a women is to love him, then he will love her. However, if a women is just to forget about him, he will not chase after her. And that if a women is to scorn him, he wont be around when she comes back.


 * 3. The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost -** A Poem highlighting the different choices that people need to make as he says: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry i could not travel both". He says he is sorry, which shows his hesitation between the two alternatives. The poem represents a typical human condition which comprises of uncertainties on every road.


 * 4. Invictus - William Ernest Henley -** This poem highlights how Henley believes that he is in full-control of his life, moreover, his actual fate. "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." The rhyming scheme incorporated in the poem helps to build a smooth tempo when reading the poem. The mood of the poem is quite lifting as it highlights Henley confidence in himself.


 * 5. Dont Go Far Off - Pablo Neruda -** When first reading the poem i felt as if Neruda was talking about someone close to him that he was going to lose to death. However, in general this poem reflects Neruda's intense feelings toward another person, not wanting them to leave for even a second. When not with the person, he feels empty, like an empty train station, where the trains are at rest somewhere else.


 * 6. Always - Pablo Neruda -** The poem is a touching romantic poem, stating that no matter how many men come between them, in the end it will always be them together in the end, hence the title of the poem. The theme of romance and despair are common themes in Neruda's poems.


 * 7. Life is Fine - Langston Hughes -** Langston Hughes, in his poem, Life is Fine is highlighting on how we should we able to overcome obstacles and that likfe was given to us for a reason. It is a privilege that we are given, and although we will experience pain and suffering along the way, there is no reason for us to give up. The rhyming scheme in his poem, i felt, provided a comfort/ease when reading the poem. It helped to make the serious accusations, such as him drowning, into a more comical point of view.


 * 8. Going to Heaven - Emily Dickenson -** Emily Dickenson's poem, Going to Heaven, is about Dickenson suggesting that no matter what happens we are all going to die and go to heaven. She says that now she has realized this, she is paying more attention and taking more pride in her 'curious Earth'. She says that we are all going to heaven, however she does not know when and or how she is going to get there.


 * 9. Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori (How sweet and fitting it is to die for ones country) - Wilfred Owen -** This is a poem written by Wilfred Owen, also a soldier in WWII. The poem discusses the events of the war, and the effects it had on the soldiers, both physically and mentally: "Bent-double, like old beggars under sacks." Wilfred Owen, uses alot of personification within the poems to strike a deeper snese of fear into the readers. He uses deadly imagery of bomb-shells and poisonous gas to further illustrate the rough and life-risking conditions the soldiers went through every single day duting the war.


 * 10. The Obvious Tradition - Bill Berkson -** The poem 'The Obvious Tradition' is about how people are supposed to remember the obvious things about other people like their names; "I haven't remembered anything, only the names". Bill Berkson uses personification to make certain objects more lively within the poem, "pantyhose dawdling".


 * 11. Sleeping Trees - Fady Joudah -** This poem, like Dulce et Decorum Est illistrates the impact war can have on any human being, but in this case, a man. This impact is explored through the use of dreams and the imagery of nature. The rain in the poem presented itself to me as a deadly force of nature that was used to wash away hope and hapiness instead of being something calming and soothing, which it is usually represented as.

Checked 18 September 9/15-25 KBoyce Collection of mostly standards. Explore more. Address features in your commentary.
 * 12. The Land of Dreams - William Blake -** The dreading poem of a father and son trying to escape to a "land of dreams' where their dead mother/wife now rests. The melancholy mood of the poem is illustrated through the mourning of the mother and their wanting to be with the mother in the land of dreams. The fear of reality from the boy is due to the lack of his mother.


 * 13. The pond is sheathed in ice - Melanie Braverman**
 * Poem highlights the troubles/barriers we must bypass in life, shown through the metaphor of a pond being covered with ice.
 * Author highlights how no matter what the barrier is, we will always be able to pass it - represented through the light illuminating the once dark ice and being able to see into it.
 * Overall, the poem reflects everyones troubles in life - this is also well portrayed through the theme of ice and the coldness of the atmosphere.


 * 14. Tonight - Ladan Osman**
 * Initially, the poem was quite confusing - the first lines shows that the 'beggar' was drunk, however there is no other relation to that in the rest of the poem.
 * Although, he uses intricate descriptions to highlight the mans fatigue nature.
 * "Sour breath"
 * "Sweat on the collar"
 * The poem portrays the reality of life for the unfortunate people, describing their actions and even the way they dress.


 * 15. Addiction - Ken Mikolowski**
 * Once reading the title of the poem, we can assume that the piece of writing will explore a person who suffers from some sort of drug addiction.
 * Although the poem is short, the poet is able to express the feelings of concern for the victim.
 * Through the use of short lines of 3 - 5 words, each word is very concise and meaningful.


 * 16.** **Unmediated Experience - Bob Hicok**
 * The poet gives us a description of a dog, that although is physically alive, seems to be unaware of everything around it.
 * He compares the dog to a seemingly naive/confused baby that still believe in Santa - through this we are able to gather that the dog, maybe because of its age, is suffering from mental illness.
 * This contrasts the fact that as things get older they get wiser
 * Here, the dog seems to be losing itself, similar to an alzheimer patient.
 * The poet extracts his deep emotions for the pet as he is constantly wishing that the dog will be able to recognize his voice and his face.
 * From the beginning, a sorrow mood is set as the dog is described to be deaf and statistically dead.


 * 17. Potato Soup - Daniel Nyikos**
 * The man in the poem is alone at home, however, is able to contact other people using his computer. The only reason he does this is because he wants to learn how to cook potato soup.
 * I believe this poem represents a large proportion of the male population, as the mother in the computer says: "They laugh and say I must get married soon." Which all mothers strive for their children.
 * Initially, I found the poem to be quite comical, as it provides a picture of a clueless man trying to cook something that sounds so simple, yet needs to find assistance.
 * Through the use of the comical dialogue between the three people, the author provides us with a sense of joy


 * 18. Mother to son - Langston Hughes**
 * The poem is about a mother telling her son a story about her life, and how it was not perfect: "My life ain't been no crystal stair"
 * The juxtaposition between the clear crystal stairs and 'tacks' and 'splinters' really give us a fell that the mother has been through a lot of trouble and her life really isn't perfect.
 * Hughes uses a lot of imagery to draw in the readers, allowing us to actually picture an old frail women climbing and persevering up a flight of stairs.
 * The poem has a very moral issue discussed within it; the issue that we must persevere through all obstacles given to us, and only through doing that will we really be able to feel accomplishment.


 * 19. The Lesson - Roger McGough**
 * The poem discusses a new teacher to the school entering a classroom for the first time. Before he came "Chaos ruled OK in the classroom".
 * However, through the use of quite disturbing, yet extremely powerful imagery; "Sword in hand, he hacked his way in between the chattering rows", "He threw the sword at a latecomer, and struck with deadly aim."
 * The use of the battlefield like imagery gives us a sense of triumph and pride for the teacher when he is able to tame this classroom.
 * As well as this, the use of rhyme in his patters is very well thought through as it calms down the intense battlelike field, into something quite comical and enjoyable to read!


 * 20. Bright Star - John Keats**
 * The 'bright star' itself symbolizes the everlasting nature of love.
 * The sensual feeling - longing for love will never come, although the star is said to be still.
 * The sensual atmosphere is kept throughout the poem, he says that he will will live for ever in ecstasy or die in her arms.


 * 21. Infinite - Giacomo Leopardi**
 * Natural imagery used to exacerbate the beauty of the natural landscape
 * Nice flow to the poem, going from silent peace on a hillside to sinking like a ship-wreck in timeless love
 * He tells the story of his love life, with intricate natural imagery which help highlight the depth of their relationship and how it is truly infinite and will never stop: "timeless love"


 * 22. The sorrow of true love - Edward Thomas**
 * The poem discusses the wretched journey some most take to find true love
 * Using weather-like imagery to describe both love "the sun" and those periods of time where you have no one "storms"
 * He juxtaposes the feelings of love and loneliness using different seasons - summer and winter
 * Summer provides a warmth similar to that of love, while winter provides bitter thaw, contrastingly to that of winter.
 * "From great sorrow less love has been, that can mistake lack of despair with hope"


 * 23. A Nursery Darling - Lewis Carroll**
 * The poem is about a mother taking care of her child through breastfeeding - "A mothers breast"
 * I really enjoyed the structure of the poem, it shows the perspective of both the baby and the mother
 * It is a really joyful poem, this is also shown through the rhyming scheme - the rhyme makes it both easy and enjoyable to read
 * Carroll describes the child to be at home and the mother to be in love with the last lines of each stanza, which i found very interesting - "In Love: For love is rest", "At Home: For Home is Bliss"
 * Overall, was a very enjoyable poem to read and analyze


 * 24. New York at Night - Amy Lowell**
 * Personally, i have never been to New York, but i have heard stories of how busy the city is, hence its nickname - the city that never sleeps.
 * I enjoy this poem because Lowell contrasts the busy city with the "soothing" depiction of nature
 * While describing the city similar to what i believed it was, bustling and 'man-filled'


 * 25. It's Death Again - Mark R. Slaughter**
 * Although the poem is relatively short, it emphasizes on a lot of deep sorrow emotion
 * The person in the poem does not seem to be scared of death, however is expecting it. It seems like a routine to him/her, everything the person does, he sees a glimpse of death.
 * "Every-time i look behind, I catch a glimpse of grubby hood"
 * The victim seems to have no joy, and is just waiting for death to come - instead of doing everything they could before his time came.
 * The rhyming scheme within the poem is quite entertaining, it provides an easier read for the poet and creates quite a comical - not too serious - effect.


 * 26. Sleepers - David Black**
 * The poem was quite confusing - at first i believe Black was trying to mention some sort of 'saw' or 'weapon' used to cut down or hack at trees. However, there was a change in perspective as in the third stanza, Black seemed to be concentrating on an actual person
 * There was a lot of imagery used to help emphasize the importance of this weapon - "their new sawn faces"
 * Overall, did not understand the poem - was not a very good read


 * 27. A Crazed Girl - William Butler Yeats**
 * Uses a lot of powerful imagery to emphasize the power/craze of a women
 * The rhyme scheme used here is not very noticeable at first, but help to emphasize the confusion/craziness of the woman being described
 * Her mental inclination towards music and poetry has made her dance with the song she has composed to fight against the sea - the cause for disaster


 * 28. Love adorns itself - Rabindranath Tagore**
 * Beautiful poem about the implications of love and how it affects people
 * Juxtaposition between how it "seeks to provide inwards joy with outward beauty"
 * Very powerful imagery provided by the intense descriptions of the sea and sun


 * 29. First Memory - Louise Gluck**
 * Poet emphasizes the innocence of childhood through the use of describing his first memory with his father
 * Quite short and quite confusing.
 * I believe the author is trying to portray the effects of being loved as a child through the intense emotions he feels for his parents always being around him and taking care of him.


 * 30. I do not hate/love the world - Sri Chinmoy**
 * Poet reveals to us how he does not hate or love the world because of what he believe god would think of him.
 * A lot of religious connotation used to emphasize his neutral feelings about love and hate.
 * Use of relating object such as flowers and other plants to why he WOULD love the earth, and relating human made things such as machines and pollution to why he would hate the earth


 * 31. Sacramento O No - Liz Waldner**
 * The speaker in the poem is describing the events occurring in a day in Sacramento
 * The speaker seems to have a lack of sleep due to the neighbours and the amount of traffic and seems to be disturbed by strange things that happen aroung town, such as "asparagus eating contests"
 * However, although he seems to have a lack of sleep, he still seems to be enjoying himself in Sacramento


 * 32. "Out, Out" - Robert Frost**
 * The sweet imagery provided in the beginning of the poem provides a calm and serene atmosphere
 * However, this imagery contrasts the description of the "snarling" buzz saw, which seems to foreshadow something terrible in the future
 * At the end, after the child dies, the family does not seem to mourn over his death but just go back to their "affairs"
 * The society described by Frost is quite disturbing


 * 33. Ezra on the Strike - Ezra Pound**
 * The poem is quite confusing overall
 * This may be because of the strange language used by Ezra to try and emphasize the fact that the person has an accent
 * As well as the accent, the strange rhyme scheme may also further confusion, aaab/cccb.
 * Quite confusing, cant tell what Ezra is trying to strike against here


 * 34. Theme for English B - Langston Hughes**
 * The poem describes the troubles of an english student trying to 'define' himself after being presented with an assignment
 * He is instructed to "let that page come out of you"
 * The theme of racism is highly present here as the speaker struggles with the concept of race within his assignment
 * Considering the time when this was written, it is highly likely that Hughes is hitting on the 'racial' aspect of the world


 * 35. The Most Perfect Hill - Lisa Jarnot**
 * The poet provided a childish attitude within the poem, this can also be seen through how she phrases the title - as i constantly see the word "most" put in front of things children love
 * the rhythm of the poem was very upbeat and energized -similar to that of a child
 * The use of simple language conveyed by the poet as well as the repetition of several words, the childish tone is conveyed.
 * The poet also seems to be conveying the 'perfectness' of nature.


 * 36. Before - Yehuda Amichai**
 * Interestingly enough, the beginning of every line in the pome begins with the word 'before', emphasizing the importance of the past to the poet
 * To further this point, the poet seems to be providing a finality or closure within his poem, showing his reluctance to continue into the future
 * Moreover, the poet seems to be rejecting the situation with the use of religious connotations "God has **closed** his hands"
 * I believe that Yehuda is trying to warn us of the consequences of the future and that he wishes not to be a part of it


 * 37. I Am - Jon Clare**
 * The religious views of Jon Clare are very intense and is especially present within this poem
 * The poem speaks of how people have constantly been betraying god, although he has a never ending love for them.
 * However, the poem highlights Gods disappointment towards these types of people
 * The last stanza of the poem describes gods form as Jesus on earth


 * 38. The Bear - Robert Frost**
 * In this poem, Frost compares a caged bear to one that is wild.
 * However, in this case, instead of comparing a wild bear to an actual caged bear - he uses the caged bear as a metaphor for human behaviour
 * A wild bear is free to go anywhere, however, because of our laws and rules, we are caged within a certain society.
 * Like a caged bear, us as humans are able to wonder back and forth within our cages and occasionally take a rest


 * 39. This be the verse - Philip Larkin**
 * Similar to many of Larkin's poems, this poem refers to youth
 * The process of raising a child
 * Typically to what we would expect of Larking, he opens up with a very disturbing sentence that grabs the readers attention
 * "They fuck you up, your mom and dad"
 * However, the most disturbing part of the poem is that Larking suggests that the child should not have kids as he will "inevitably fuck them up"


 * 40. She Walks in Beauty - Lord Byron**
 * Byron's image of women is very interesting as he instantly compares women to the night "walks in beauty, like the night"
 * We can see that although Byron thinks of women to be beautiful, the mysterious imagery proves that he has another side to the viewing of women.
 * The use of contrasting the light imagery and the imagery of darkness emphasizes the subtle beauty of women


 * 41. On Imagination - Phillis Wheatley**
 * The poem emphasizes the power of imagination
 * Imagination in this poem is not only described to be used to inspire creativity; it is used as a creator of perfection
 * He connections imagination with seasons; where winter is described to be an opponent of imagination and summer the catalyst to imagination.


 * 42. I Cannot Live With You - Emily Dickenson**
 * Very intersting use of lines in this poem, they become longer as the poem progresses adding onto dramatic effect
 * The speaker is unable is consuming herself with the beauty of the man that she can never get

//Checked 21 November// //A balanced collection of classic and contemporary poetry.//