Poetry Blog #9

Acquainted with the Night
By: Robert Frost

In Frost's poem, Acquainted with the Night, he uses many forms of literature to help make his poem effective. He uses repetition of the phrase, "I have," at the beginning of each line in the first stanza. He also uses the same phrase in the second and fifth stanza. This repetition helps create a connection throughout the whole poem and gives it a sense of unity. He also uses past tense throughout the whole poem such as," I have been," or "I have passed," which tells you he is recurring a event or thought that has already occurred. Frost uses many descriptive words throughout his poem and that really helps get his point across.

The theme or meaning behind this poem is that even though things may happen or decision have been made, you must move on from the past. You need to not live in the past because it will only hinder and hold you behind. If you keep reliving those past events that are troubling you, then that is what your life will be centered around. If you continue to hold those grudges and linger on those not so good decisions then that's your choice, but the best option is to move on because you can't change the past.

Poetry Blog #8

I, Too, Sing America

I really enjoyed this poem by Langston Hughes. I found it really interesting that he responded to I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman. It was a very brave and risky thing for him to do, but he did it anyway. I like how he uses the title of Whitmans' poem in his own title and how he really makes you think after reading both of the poems.

Hughes poem is about the American Dream. Whitman made it seem like the dream is only achievable by the white man because he never said anything about the blacks in America. Hughes wanted the black man to be included in this rejoicing of America. He starts his poem with," I, too, sing America" and ends it with the same phrase giving a great introduction to what the poem is going to be about and a strong conclusion finalizing and summing up his strong statement.

In stanza three he says," Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes." He is not literally says that tomorrow he will be at the table, but is using it figuratively as in someday in the future he will be able to eat at the table with the whites because he will someday not be segregate against.

I really enjoy Langston Hughes. Every piece of his that I have read has really touched me. His use of strong words, repeating important phrases really has a powerful impact on me.

Poetry Blog #7

Inoculation

This was a very interesting historical poem. It talks about real people such as Cotton Mather and his slave Onesimus. This poem was written during the time period of the small pox scare. During this time they were experimenting with new ways to cure those who had become infected. They would actually inject some of the virus into those who had been infected to hope that it would boost the body’s immunity to the disease. Injecting some of the disease would also reduce the severity of the infection. Many people were afraid to try this new method because they didn’t know if it worked or no, so Donnelly wrote a poem about this controversial time.

There is also a little irony in the last two lines of this poem. It says, "She scratched my skin and I got sick, but lived to come here, free of smallpox, as your slave." His slave had small pox, but survived, but he had to come work for Cotton Mather. Onesimus is free of the small pox, but is not a free slave. I found that last line very amusing and thought it made the poem.

Identity Poem

As I walk down the hall,

to others I'm just another pretty face,

going through the motions of life.

Some may think they see who I really am,

but most just see that I am tall,

academic,

and like to run.

But it seems that no one ever sees who I truly am.

They don't know what I feel inside.

They don't know what it feels like to be me.

Always trying,

Always caring,

Always hurt.

I'm just another pretty face 

among the hundreds walking through the halls.

Alternate Ending to The Heart of Darkness

Here is an alternate ending to The Heart of Darkness...

"You were with him to the last? I think of his loneliness. Nobody near to understand him as I would have understood. Perhaps no one to hear..." she said.

"To the very end," I said shakily. " I heard his very last words..." I stopped in a fright.

"Repeat them," she murmured in a heart broken tone. "I want-I want-something-something-to-to live with. "

What should I say to her? Who am I to tell her those luminous last words. He horror, the horror.... Who am I to know his intentions and to share it with someone who he regarded so slightly. The darkness of the truth she won't understand... Would she even believe the truth? In Herr eyes he was a hero who could do no wrong. She never saw the dark side of Kurtz and he was not great enough of a man to have people thinking kindly of him in his end.

Her eyes bore into me, but I found no answer in the darkness of my soul. I left admitively rudely without so much as a goodbye.

As I blended in with others who weren't effected by any of the tragedies that had just occurred in that house, or down the river. I found I couldn't forget the horror...

The End

Poetry Blog #4

Blackberries for Amelia

The poem Blackberries for Amelia is a straight forward poem. It is talking about the process of the blackberries throughout the growing season. This poem uses great description and really paints a picture in my head. Phrases such as "brambles dark-and-light," and five-petalled blooms of chalky white" paint the picture of dark blackberry bushes with bright white flowers before the fruit has begun to grow. There is also some alliteration such as "savage sweet" adds a nice addition to the poem. The rhythm throughout the poem is A, B, B, A. This rhyme scheme makes the poem easy to read and helps it flow and makes the reader wanted to go on.

In the last paragraph Wilbur talks about having a grandchild to pick the blackberries with and the title is Blackberries for Amelia and so he probably has a grandchild named Amelia who he would like to pick blackberries with when she next comes over. I would almost call this poem a story told by a grandparent.

Poetry Blog #3

The White Man's Burden

The first thing I noticed when reading this program is the repetition of "Take up the white Man's burden---", which gives a sense of rhythm throughout the poem. The rhythm gives the poem s beat that makes it easier to get through the poem.

In the first stanza Kipling talks about how we better send forth our best men to fight and that we are binding our sons to people who don't want to be helped, but they are stuck there no matter what.

In the second stanza he says how it is going to take time for them to accept us because we need to break down the wall between us so they will allow us to help them. He also says that we are going to have to repeat ourselves a hundred times before they sill even startup listen to us.

The third stanza says that this war will help bring peace and rid them of famine and sickness. Although the outsiders still are really against us helping them. They want us to go away.

The fourth stanza states that we will not be ruling over them like kings we will be their servants working for their greater good.

In the fifth stanza Kipling is still talking about how they don't want our help and they want to be left alone.

The main theme of the sigh stanza is tht even though it's hard you can't deny freedom because it's always going to be keep coming up.

The final stanza sums up that this isnt going to be like childhood, it's going to hard and lots of work, but in the end it will be worth it.

Richard Kipling supported imperialism and wanted to go over and help those countries less fortunate than us and that's what he express throughout this pome.