Poem Analysis: Curiosity By Alastair Reid

Richard Blanco is a Cuban- American poet who was given the oppurunity to write an inaugaration poem for Barack Obama's second swearing-in. He wrote a poem titled "One Today" that praised the good and unique things about the United States and also the everyday people who's daily routines help to make America the proud country that it is.

“The Explorer” was written during the civil rights movement when Brooks started to focus on writing for the black community. Through the blood, sweat, and sacrifice her community experiences every day, she is inspired to write this particular piece to show that African Americans, although are scared, will keep fighting and searching for their utopia. Starting from stanza one, the word “frayed” stands out the most. Repeated twice, it immediately tells the reader that the situation is not that of hope and is life changing to the main character. “Still spot” also references that the main character is looking for a quiet setting. The theme of quiet and peace is renounced in stanza two as words such as “velvet peace” and “willy hush” also go along with the peace and quiet theme. Now, the reader gains a better sense of the financial condition of the main character. “Tatters” makes the reader think that the main character is poor and financially challenged, and knowing Brooks’ purpose of the poem is about revitalizing hope for the black community, the main character is most likely black male. Moreover, Brooks inserts a metaphor that comprises most of the stanza and ultimately depicts that the character in the poem is trying to find peace and quiet both within a house and his mind (Poem 3). Next in stanza three, the main purpose of this stanza is to describe what exactly is happening to the main character. “Tipping down the scrambled halls” reveals that the main character does not

Poem Cayce Farrell Where I’m From I am from the person that plays with barbie dolls In their basement With unique doll houses made from hand Making their clothes with her friend I am from someone that would play hopscotch Playing flag football after school Having fun with a friend I am from a paint by number Figuring out all of the colors I am from crocheting a fuzzy blanket I am from watching my favorite show from someone that is crazy over Michael Landon and watching Bonanza all day when it's raining I am from running to the store getting a new record I am from jamming out to the beatles or Elvis And singing in the mirror my grandma gave me I am from quickly ironing my hair Using the new hair product, Curl free getting a dress

The second poem I chose to react to is called “Close The Gate” by Nancy Kraayenhof. The first time I heard this poem I was at my grandpa’s funeral a couple of years ago. At the time it didn’t mean much to me because I was too young to understand the meaning behind it. I decided to reread it for this assignment and it really struck close to home because my grandpa was a farmer and my dad still is one. I think because I had also heard it and not read it the first time, I missed some important style and language differences that I think could have helped me understand it better the first time.

My first selected poem is a poem written by Jane Hirshfield called “The Poet”. “The Poet” is about a female poet trying to re-discover her skill of creating beautiful poems. When reading this poem, the reader can infer that this poet is in distress and frustrated because the poet sets a depressing mood. You almost start to feel a little sympathetic for her, but the mood lightens when the poet finds out that her poems aren’t discovered in a calm and perfect situation. This changes the mood from depressing to encouraging in just a few lines.

In the poem “Passed On” by Carole Satymurti, the speaker tells a story almost as in a novel of their mother and how she left them a box of index cards with advice on life when she died. The speaker’s gender seems to be female. In the poem, the poet presents the theme of growing up and becoming one’s own person through the maturation and acceptance process. She personifies the index cards themselves, comparing them to her mother. They also characterize the speaker and her mother and create a mood of sadness and longing, implying that perhaps the mother has been dead for some time, but the speaker has never truly accepted this.

Careely advocated new kinds of poetry that called attention to language itself, rather than personality and the voice of his poet is extremely unique. He created physical existence as sounds created by the body, and express his ideas and thought about love. Throughout his poetry he trying to locate the love in everywhere in her body and wants to take care the love that is coming from a beloved who loves him back. And never will hurt the lover because he basically promising himself. Real love have respect for each other there is no power control, no game, no craziness just hope and self-respect. While Creeley captures the tense giddiness of loving and being loved, he’s not doing it to celebrate that which can celebrate itself well enough.

Normal. So many people strive for it, but what is it really? Most people strive to be normal but is that right. Normal is being comfortable and fitting. Not going outside your comfort zone or sticking out. It's like the black pen, or arial fount. It's fitting in, wearing the same style of close. But really it’s what everyone you should be. So is normal really worth it? You know they always say don’t stay in your comfort zone. So it’s up to you, normal or

We often see ourselves reflecting on the enormity of life and the wide range of possibilities that comes with it. As if from a distant, we are strangers to our own selves, silently, patiently waiting for something to happen. We could never predict what storms lies ahead and what rainbows glistens on the horizon because we are mere wanderers to our own body, mind, and soul. We are always on a quest of a new pinnacle, and a new mountain to climb.

Did curiosity really kill the cat, or did the cat decide that facing life with her curiosity unsatisfied wasn’t worth living?

In the poem, both William Butler and Annie Johnson were fighting for a good life but only one of them succeeded. To begin with, “The song of Wandering Aengus” you can tell that William Butler was creative with a big imagination and also determined. William Butler had a desire of discovering where the girl of his dreams has disappeared to. Whereas in the story, “New Directions” Annie Johnson tried to find ways to support her family, took her own path because she was desperate to find a new life for herself and her kids. Annie Johnson hoped to give herself and her children an excellent, successful life. Annie Johnson and William Butler both wished to be successful even though one of them made it to that goal. So Overall, both wished for a happy life.

Hey! I'm Brooke... I guess that's how I should start this thing. As you will soon find out, I have dyslexia when it comes to topic sentences (you will laugh later because it is so true). I grew up in the small town of Fleming, Georgia. If you happen to be incredibly bored, google it. The description of my abode is "unincorporated community". So essentially, we are the unclaimed hoodlums of Liberty County. My "town"'s claim to fame is the Fleming Shortcut (aka an average convenient store that sells crickets) and a flashing light. Growing up, you would think that I would be bored as heck, because the best thing to do is drive thirty minutes to the closest Walmart and see how long it takes to get kicked out for playing with the

A sister or brother is someone you treasure and it hurts when they are taken away from you. Taken away symbolizes death in this matter. Abuse is something that many people go through in their lives as children and even adults. Abuse can cause loved ones to be “taken away”. This poem was written by a young girl who was abused as a child.

Helane Keating opens the poem “The Envious Heart” by talking about apples and how they represent Autumn. This is when the queen states she dislikes Autumn, due to this being the time of year she married her new husband (the king). When the king married the narrator he told her he had a daughter which he rarely saw or had any connections to. She was his queen, and when the king told her she was his “only” queen he also gave her a mirror to remind her of it. However, as she met the king’s daughter she realised they were close in age and the king favored her more than he led his new wife to believe. The daughter, Snow White, hated the new queen for coming so soon after her mother had passed and made sure to steal as much of her father’s attention as possible. Eventually the new queen feels as if everyone has forgotten her existence because Snow White is the most beautiful. The king no longer pays any attention to his new wife, due to his daughter talking and calling for him all the time. This poem uses

as we cried for our love ones, the dark clouds multiply, resulting in unsolved cases.