Poetry

Black Girl Shuffle

Before reading: Analyze the title

According to the title, I predict that the poem will be about a tortured as well as confused black girl who can’t find her “comfort zone” in the society in which she lives. So maybe the poem will talk about discrimination and black people’s rights.  

No school no reason – repetition

To go outside

2-room 58-yelverton road. – Imagery (this verse makes us imagine the poor circumstances in which the poet lives)    

Banned from the lino

My white shoes shuffle – personification (Compares the shoes to a white girl that dance/ or it’s a happy shoes just because it’s a white one)

Time-steps on a blackboard – personification  

Doing my thing all summer  

Break on small square space. – Alliteration 

There was one bed

I lay in

Made up for four

Often sleeping one

Or three

But I never slept alone

Our space kept us

Tight- me and sis

We were one

Of two tapping feet

For this small girl someone

Was always there-

A safe world.                 Home

On this syncopated space - Alliteration

Brones-medal toes – Imagery (color of their toes)

Tap my mind out of corners

Skip, time-travel, glide

Rhythms of the worlds inside myself

Sounding out time

Stepping on a blackboard.

Tone of the poet: Bored, hopeless

 The message: The poem describes a poor black girl’s life especially in summer. She says that when there is no school, there is no reason for her to go out. In fact, she stays at her little small place with her family. Also, she used several figurative languages in order to draw a picture of her -2 rooms- house.

To sums up, the poem portraits a “hopeless” life of a black poor girl that probably have no friends. In addition, it describes how deeply she contemplates her situation and the fact that time passes by quickly.  However, because of the tiny place she shares with her family, we can feel how close are they –especially she and her sister.

Anne Frank Huis

Before reading: analyze the title

The poet Andrew Motion used the word “huis” which means house in Dutch not only to gives us a hint that he will be talking or describing Anne Frank’s house but it’s also the official language of Amsterdam, Holland where she use to hid from the Nazis.   

Even now, after twice her lifetime grief  - the poet is probably visiting Anne Frank’s house and stating that even after 30 years of her death the world still grieves for her.

And anger in the very place, whoever comes – the addition of “anger” stresses on how people feel bad about holocausts, also the “very place” shows where the narrator is. 

to climb these narrow stairs, discovers how – the poet starts to describe the nature of the building. Using climb and narrow shows how discomfort the house is and also the strong emotions of the poet.  

the bookcase slides aside, then walks through

Shadow into sunlit rooms, can never help – even with the presence of shadows and sunlit, the hints of death and darkness didn’t vanish.

But break her secrecy again. Just listening

Is a kind of guilt: the westerkik repeats

Itself outside, as if all time worked round – Simile – Also there’s a hyperbole in  “as if all time worked round towards her fear”. The poet exaggerated in order to state the level of pressure and fear that was exercised on Anne Frank. Also, "all time" refers to the world war two so it's an allusion

towards her fear, and made each stroke – “each stroke die” personification

die down on guarded streets. Imagine it – - In this stanza, the poet introduces guilt towards Anne Frank and her family. Adding “just listening” shows how guilty is he feeling.

three years of whispering and loneliness

and plotting, day by day, the allied line – the poet highlights on the long period of sadness that Anne Frank shared with her family. – “Day by day” repetition

in Europe with a yellow chalk. What hope

she had for ordinary love and interest – the poet introduce that because of the circumstances in which she lives, she don’t even have to opportunity to dream and to practice some basics rights of hers –like falling in love for example.

survives her here, displayed above the bed

as pictures of her family; some actors;  

fashions chosen by princess Elizabeth.

And those who stoop to see them find

Not only patience missing its reward,  

But one enduringwish for chances  - Having pictures of her family; some  actors in Anne Frank's room testifies that she was a normal teenager however she couldn’t live normally due to the Nazi occupation. 

Like my own: to leave as simply - simile

As I do, and walk at ease – this verse contradicts all previous stanzas.

Up dusty tree-lined avenues, or watch

A silent barge come clear of bridges – Alliteration.

Settling their reflections in the blue canal. In this stanza, the poet takes a moment in order to look around him and realize how lucky we are to live in such a better world.

Tone: “angry”, feeling guilty, sympathetic, pitiful, thankful.  

Message: Due to the previous explanation of the poem, I believe that the message is that people don’t realize how privileged and lucky they are until they see and more importantly feel how people before them were torture and wasted their entire life in order to built us a better world.  

My Childhood God

by Robert William Service

Before reading: analyze the title

According to the title, I think the poem will be talking about a child who’s fond of an object or a pet for example at a point that he call it God because he can’t live without it.  

When I was small the Lord appeared

Unto my mental eye – imagery (when he was young he dreamed of god)

A gentle giant with a beard – Oxymoron (describes god)

Who homed up in the sky.

But soon that vasty vision blurred, - alliteration

And faded in the end,

Till God is just another word

I cannot comprehend. The poet introduces the feeling of confusion between god presence and existence for a second, and then he fades. The narrator feels like being lost. He does not accommodate how god works.

I envy those of simple faith – he believes that if he had faith, he would understand how it work.

Who bend the votive knee; - imagery

Who do not doubt divinely death - alliteration – states that believers do not have fear from death

Will set their spirits free.

Oh could I be like you and you, - repetition – The poet is unsatisfied, wishing that he would get rid of the fear of death and live in peace.

Sweet souls who scan this line, - alliteration

And by dim altar worship too

A Deity Divine! – Alliteration

Alas! Mid passions that appal – onomatopoeia

I ask with bitter woe – this verse stress on the disorientation of the poet. It shows at what point his desperately lost. 

Is God responsible for all

Our horror here below?

He made the hero and the saint,

But did He also make

The cannibal in battle paint,

The shark and rattlesnake? – This stanza presents a controversial issue. The poet asks himself as well as gives us the chances to think in some debatable questions. If god possess all super powers, so it means that his responsible of our horror? Also, why there is horror and evil things of earth if have the power to transform devils into angels and make heroes and saints out of people.

If I believe in God I should

Believe in Satan too; - the poet states that he can’t believe in God unless he believe in Satan (point of view: no one can judge until he’s a believer)

The one the source of all our good, - comparison

The other of our rue . . . – alliteration

Oh could I second childhood gain! – Showing non-satisfaction / wishing to go back to childhood years.  

For then it might be, I

Once more would see that vision plain, --

Fond Father in the sky. – Alliteration – wishing to go back to childhood years just to dream and imagine god and become a fond of him again.

Tone: confused: The poet expresses his confusion especially in the first and third stanza. Firstly he states that concept of God’s existence is too complicated for him to comprehend and secondly wonder a lot of facts like why there is horror on earth.

Unsatisfied: the poet shows he’s non-satisfaction in the second and forth stanza. His discomfort makes him envy all believers and wishes to become a child one more time.

Message: there is people that can’t believe in God unless they see proves even though they have some voices in their minds saying that it’s the right thing to do. Personally, I believe that the only point of being a believer is to have faith in someone you never saw yet you feel his presence in your life. 

Gold

By Ellen Strauss

Before reading: analyze the tittle

According to the title, the poem will perhaps addresses the qualities of a best friend.  

A heart of gold will never rust


It is too precious and too fine


Those who know it think it to be


Sweeter than the sweetest wine.

                                                      More valuable than any treasure


Shining brighter than anything known


It's love is stronger than any weapon


Those who know it are never alone.

                                                         Nothing else like it on this earth


Hearts of brass and silver cannot compare


To the beauty and warmth it offers each day


And with it my soul shall never be bare.

A heart of gold: Symbolism – the poet describes a good heart as a heart made of gold.

Sweeter than the sweetest wine: Alliteration

Sweeter than the sweetest wine: hyperbole – a heart doesn’t have a taste, however she compared it to the sweetest wine.

More valuable than any treasure: 
 hyperbole

Shining brighter than anything known: hyperbole – the poet exaggerates in order to stress on the value of a good heart.

It's love is stronger than any weapon: hyperbole – the poet believes that in spreading love, people can be extremely powerful.

My soul shall never be bare: personification

Tone: the tones throughout the poem are loving and joyful tones. In fact, the poet dedicates the whole poem to describe the values of a good heart and how love and friendship can influence our lives. 

Message: the author is honoring people and especially friend that possess a loving heart. It states the values of a good friend along the poem in order to appreciate and be grateful for what we’ve got. Also, the narrator believes that with love you guaranty that you’ll never be alone as well as be more powerful than while possessing weapons.

My best friend

By , Rashmi

Although you live far away from me, 

I always feel like you are with me.

I love to share my happiness with you,

I love to share my sadness with you.

To me you are an idol of glee,

And our friendship means a lot to me,

You are an ocean of happiness; you are a pond of joy,

You are the rays of sunshine that brought amusement to my life.

I like sharing my thoughts with you,

Because you are such a wonderful person to be around.

My life would have been a tragedy without you,

I am lucky to have a friend like you.

Poetic devices:

·      I love to share - I love to share: repetition

·      Share my happiness - Share my sadness: Personification – the poet describes the happiness and the sadness as a tangible thing that friends can share between them.

·      To me you are an idol of glee: metaphor – the author compares her friend to a symbol of joy.

·      You are an ocean of happiness: hyperbole and metaphor – the poet exaggerates to express her joyful emotions when she’s around. Also, she compared her to an ocean to show the endless moment of happiness they share.

·      You are a pond of joy: metaphor - the friend is compared to a pond of joy.

·      You are the rays of sunshine: metaphor – it relates the friend to the rays of sunshine that enlightens her friends life with happiness and cheerfulness

·      My life would have been a tragedy without you: hyperbole that shows the love of the poet toward her friend.

Throughout the poem, happy and cheerful tones are employed. In fact, the narrator describes the happiness that a best friend provides into our lives.   

Message: the poem urges us to explore friendship by notifying us about the pertinent role and their impact on our life. In fact, a best friend is a blessing that enlighten our lives with joy and happiness.

Friends' Photos

By: Ruth Fainlight

We all looked like goddesses

and gods, glowing and smooth, sheathed

from head to foot by a golden essence

that glistened and refracted its aura

of power - the wonderful ichor called youth.

We moved as easily as dolphins

surging out of the ocean, cleaving

massed tons of transparent water

streaming away in swathes of bubbling

silver like the plasm of life.

Still potent from those black and white

photos, the palpable electric

charge between us, like the negative

and positive poles of a battery,

or the fingers of Adam and God.

We were beautiful, without exception.

I could hardly bear to look at those

old albums, to see the lost glamour

we never noticed when we were

                   first together - when we were young.

Poetic devices:

·      We all looked like goddesses and gods: simile, the author compares herself and her friend to a goddesses and gods in order to express how beautiful they were. It’s an hyperbole as well because the poet exaggerates in order to describes their beautifulness.

·      Goddesses and gods, glowing: alliteration

·      We moved as easily as dolphins: simile that shows how healthy and active they were.

·      black and white: black and white are two contradictory words so it’s an oxymoron.

·      Negative and positive: negative and positive are two contradictory words so it’s an oxymoron.

Message:

The entire poem consists on a sort of reflection while looking on some old pictures. The authors surprisingly realized how beautiful they were. At the end, she regrets the fact that she didn’t notice how gorgeous she was when she was young. I believe that the author is trying to decrypt the codes we closed our eyes with and make us understand that everyone beautiful in his own way.

Tone:

In the whole poem the poet admires her youth photos and old times as well as the strong relationship she shared with her friends. 

The Lesson

By: Maya Angelou

 I keep on dying again.

Veins collapse, opening like the

Small fists of sleeping

Children.

Memory of old tombs,

Rotting flesh and worms do

Not convince me against

The challenge. The years

And cold defeat live deep in

Lines along my face.

They dull my eyes, yet

I keep on dying,

Because I love to live.

Poetic devices:

·      Veins collapse, opening like the Small fists of sleeping Children: simile, the poet compares vein collapse with children while sleeping.

·      I keep dying: repetition, the author repeats this verse to stress on her torture.

·      I keep on dying, Because I love to live: the two verses are controversial, it’s an oxymoron.

Messages:

As the title of the poem says it, the message of this poem is a lesson. Lesson to accept the fact of death. In fact, a lot of people ignore this fact and live as if it doesn’t because their fear death. But the truth is, in order to learn how to live you have to learn how to die. – Tuesdays with Morrie

Tone:

Maya Angelo uses a peaceful tone. In fact, she uses simple words yet so meaningful.

An Angel to me

By: Patricia Annette Roden

The moment I opened my heart and let you in

I saw this great love starting to begin.

I opened my eyes to a vision of you

I hope, I pray your feelings are true.

I have loved and I have paid the cost

And I have felt the pain of the love I lost.

But, now, I think I have truly found

An Angel who walks upon the ground.

You go beyond all limits for me

Just to show your love endlessly.

I could search my whole life through

And never find another 'you'.

You are so special that I wanted you to know

I truly, completely love you so.

Poetic devices:  

·       I opened my heart and let you in: personification. We can’t open our heart, although the poet compares her heart to a door where she can let people in.

·       I have loved and I have paid: repetition

·      love I lost: personification, she compares love to an object we can loose.

·      An Angel who walks upon the ground: Imagery, where we can imagine a human being walking on the ground.

·      You go beyond all limits for me: hyperbole

·      I could search my whole life through. And never find another 'you': Hyperbole

Messages:

The author shares with us a new love experience. Even though, she failed to continue her previous relationship yet she give herself a second chance to start a new life. If we failed in a relationship, it doesn’t mean that we won’t succeed in the other. We always have to give ourselves a second chance and believe in love.

Tone:  

The author uses a cheerful, vivacious and enthusiastic tone to show us that there is always a better tomorrow and that we should always believe in true love.