‘The Waking’ is a contemporary jazz piece written by American vocalist, Kurt Elling, and features Theodore Roethke’s 1954 poem of the same title. Released in 2007 on the album Nightmoves, Elling uses musical techniques to enhance the message of Roethke’s poem. However, in order to understand the reasoning behind the devices Elling has used, the meaning of Roethke’s poem must first be discussed.…
The wounded heart now enormous tune of sorrow, Skunk breath a force to linger tomorrow. Saint unreal a body-less per poster, Bound by force that will never divide as greater. Benevolent a flaunt of no remorse, Unmistakable tone unruly of course. Patch up the hole in your britches; water new soil, Be thankful thieves ravishes in turmoil.…
Much like poetry, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” Music and poetry are two platforms in which artists from the beginning of time have chosen to circulate their ideas, feelings, and opinions. Although different in popularity, these mediums are alike in various ways. Nonetheless, not every song you hear on the radio can be properly analyzed using procedures that you would follow to evaluate poetry. A song has to contain certain literary elements essential to poetry, such as the song “From Eden” by Hozier, in order for it to be analyzed. Hozier is recognized for his sentimental lyrics and use of poetic elements to add musicality and rhythm to his music. Through symbolism, repetition, and…
A tattoo is like poetry, because there is always more to the story than what meets the eye! The sonnet “First Poem for You” by Kim Addonizio is a riveting piece of poetry that uses symbolization to help guide the readers to understand the emotions and feelings the woman has towards her partner. Visual and tactile imagery used within this poem helps readers interpret the meaning of the poem. The theme is longevity and the true meaning of a relationship. In Addonizio “First Poem for You,” Addonizio utilizes literary elements to develop the story and detail a fictional character that is in love with a man that has permanent tattoos. Upon analyzing the symbols, visual imagery and theme throughout this poem the readers will better comprehend the poem to its entirety; these elements symbolize permanence, which is the meaning of the entire poem.…
In the poem Sympathy for the devil, the speaker uses many different historical allusions and understatements to gain the readers sympathy for him. The speaker of the poem is the Devil and he tries to make it sound as though he is forced to be around all of the death and despair so that the reader might feel bad for him. He uses the historical allusion of “I was around when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain” to show that he has been around for a very long time and he has seen some of the most sorrowful deaths in history. The speaker tries to make the reader feel sorry for him because he has seen so much death. Throughout the poem he makes it very clear that he himself did not murder or cause any of the deaths that he talks about by making the understatements “I was round when” and “I watched “. Those kind of understatements show that he was not the reason for the deaths even though he was there when they occurred and therefore he should not be to blame but in fact he wants remorse. The biggest understatement that the speaker use is the second to last stanza when he list the contradictions “Just as every cop is a criminal, And all the sinners saints, As heads is Tails”. In that stanza he tries to show that people should not be judged for what they see or are around because no one is perfect. The best way that he attempted to elicit sympathy for himself is by being polite by saying “Please allow” and “Let me please”. Him being polite was probably his best chance to gain any kind of sympathy from the reader because usually if you are nice to a person they are generally nice to…
Billy Collins is one of the most credited poets of this century and last. He is a man of many talents, most recognized though by his provocative and riveting poetry. As John McEnroe was to the sport of tennis, Billy Collins has done the same for the world of poetry. Collin’s rejected the old ways of poetry, created his own form, broke all the rules, and still retains the love and respect of the poet community. Collins has received the title of Poet Laureate of the United States twice and also has received countless awards and acknowledgements. He has achieved this through a style of poetry that is not over-interpreted and hard to understand to most, but that of the complete opposite, his poetry is hospitable and playful.…
This is the introduction of Collins poem where he begins the recollection of the names that he remembered that had lost their lives in the attacks. For a reader that has no knowledge of the background of this poem it could be easy to believe that Collins is hallucinating but he is actually symbolizing that the people who had fallen. Collins ends the poem with the line “ So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.” (54) to symbolize that there are so many names of the people that had lost their lives that is sometimes hard to remember that In this poem that I have composed the inspiration that I have taken from Billy Collins is the personal experience and relation of the event that is taken place in the piece of poetry.…
The murder, also to be committed via drowning, is no longer a random act of evil, but becomes a crime motivated by greed: when the false priests proposes to elope, he tells the heroine to bring “the gold where eer it be” (l.10), and he even goes as far as demanding that she hands over her expensive clothing before he kills her (l.21-36). May Collins clearly fell for a regular marriage impostor. Ironically, this greed gives May Collin the opportunity to trick the impostor and save her life. She appeals to his sense of honour, reminding him that “It does not fit a mansworn man / A naked woman to see” (l.39,40) and asking him to turn around as she undresses.…
In the poem “Hand Me Downs” by Sarah Kay, the poet uses character and conflict to show that anger passes down generation to generation. This is a problem because as long as there is anger it’s going to bring hatred and suffering with it. As depicted in the poem anger and the frustration it causes is being passed down from one generation to another. This conflict started when one person gave-into rage and was being controlled by it which brought, hatred and suffering towards him and his family from all the people around him. ”…
Face Her – Hannah Barnes Shuffling to the car I read the note I had written: Face her Divine Being, Talk to her, she is captivating. You cannot help but be mesmerised by her charm. When she turns her back to you, her glossy blonde hair flows as if it is made of silk. Her golden radiance is enthralling. I wish to see her when she meets you, amongst the soft meringue-peaked clouds.…
The works we studied within Creative Writing were all helpful in creating my own works to submit to the class. Throughout all of the reading, many of the works inspired me in different ways, whether it was short story plot ideas or word usage in the poems. While crafting my work for the final portfolio, I reviewed many of the poems from our poetry packet in an effort to find inspiration and to create new interesting images. I took the most inspiration for my formal poem, which I found most difficult to write. One of the poems that was most useful to me was Jilly Dybka’s “Memphis, 1976.” Dybka’s poem follows the sestina form; I also wrote my last poem in this form, so it helped to follow the form by looking at her poem as an example. Dybka’s…
Life leads us to excessive wishes that often result in a man’s downfall. Sir Philip Sidney in “Thou Blind Man’s Mark” portrays his hypocrisy towards desire and shows how it influenced to their downfall and destruction. In his sonnet, Sidney uses metaphor, alliteration and repetition to convey his feelings for desire.…
The poem The Names by William James Collins is about the tragic events of 9/11 and the people that were lost in the catastrophic events of the heartbreaking event. Mr. Collins illustrates the hurtful events and shows a deep understanding and respect for the tragic events that took place on 9/11. Mr. Collins brings in harsh and truthful events that left a lasting impact on me and others who read this meaningful poem.…
Joy made me love. It has awoken my heart to the ripe fruits of the earth, and a determination to taste every one. It makes me revel in life’s most basic privileges. I dance in the rain and wade through the mud. Joy has made me childish. Joy made me sip tea on summer mornings, and crave the smell of ink in decaying books. Joy has have me stare at the stars in the still, placid evening, and wonder ever so innocently. It made me a wild thing, with matted hair. It made me daring, unfettered, unconcerned, chaotic. Joy has made me believe in frankness, and love, and the integrity of one who shoulders blame to prevent it from falling to another. Joy has made me love courage and justice, true freedom, true democracy, and think that to have passion in your heart and a soul on fire is all one should ever want.…
The text that I will be analyzing is a poem by Lorna Crozier called The Child Who Walks Backwards. Throughout my analysis I will look into parental abuse, underlying meanings in the lines in the poetry, as well as connections I can make personally to the book. I think it is also important that I bring forth essential messages in the words and statements of the poem. The main theme I will choose to focus on is that abuse does not only happen at school or back alleys, but that it happens in homes as well.…