Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Final Notions by Adrienne Rich

I like how it follows a pattern - starting every line the same except for one stanzas and one other line. I don't really like the subject matter of the poem. I think that it might have to do with death.

The Trees by Philip Larkin


Just as the poem's message, this poem itself is very fresh. I can picture the little white buds and the green leaves on the trees. For some reason I enjoyed the lines about telling the age of the tree by the rings.

Days by Philip Larkin


This poem is so simple, but still is able to convey the message about days. I think that if this poem rhymed, it would have been weakened because it is so short. At the same time, it flows very naturally. I like how a question was posed into the poem.

The Daffodils; or, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth


I know this might sound weird, but this poem makes me think of the sky at around eight or nine o'clock; it's a dark blue with bright yellow (the daffodils). I like the meaning of this poem. The imagery is beautiful.

Speak! by William Wordsworth

I like how this poem is very straightforward. I especially enjoyed the part right after the center of the poem. He talks about a heart once free, which means a heart that used to speak what it wanted to, but now it was reserved. I think that shows that people should always speak what they are thinking.

One Word is Too Often Profaned by P. B. Shelley

I like this poem because it is true - the word love is used too often. It is interesting how even back when Shelley was alive it was used too much. She took a stand on an issue and presented it. I also like how this poem rhymed.

Metaphors by Sylvia Plath

This poem is very different, which makes it exciting. The first line is her definition of a metaphor and then I am assuming the rest of the lines are supposed to be examples of metaphors. I like how the poem is short and to point because it is staying in the nine syllable pattern. I feel like Plath provided her obscure examples with description and multiple colors to show how diverse and expansive the world of metaphors is.

Beat! Beat! Drum! by Walt Whitman


I like this poem because it has a distinct rhythm. I also like how it has a pattern of ideas, so that the stanzas are similar but with different specifics. I wonder about what drums he is talking about; it could be the heartbeat. I think that the rhythm is so strong because it is supposed to sound like a dream beat.

No Swan So Fine by Marianne Moore


I think this poem is kind of cool because it's original. I like the description the swan because it paints a picture in the reader's head of the swan and its surroundings. The last line is good because it isn't supposed to fit but it does for the same reasons.

Golden Oldie by Rita Dove

This poem was a little bit confusing, but I really liked the image and message of the very middle of the poem. I like how it leaves you thinking. I wonder if the title has to do with an old, golden rule? Maybe a rule about love or something.

New Feet Within My Garden Go by Emily Dickinson

I understood this poem, but I feel like it didn't have enough sustenance to provide a good picture. Also, I feel like a poem about a garden should have something to do with flowers or plants. I do like the references to spring and winter, though, because those two seasons are when gardens are most changed.

The Murmur of a Bee by Emily Dickinson


I like this poem because it is a simple style, but the language and message is not simple. I'm not really sure what bees have to do with the poem. I like the rhyming, but not the language.

What is Life? by Samuel T. Coleridge

I think that he is trying to be too deep so that it loses its meaning. The last stanza is alright, especially the last time. For some reason this poem makes me think of different shades of green - possibly because of trees?

Freeway 280 by Lorna Dee Cervantes


I think this poem is different because it combines English and Spanish into the same poem. It shows her emotions once again, so the reader can understand how she is feeling. Since the poem is straightforward, I understand the meaning of it.

Hotel by Lorna Dee Cervantes

This poem is pretty good. Even though it is about divorce, I thought that it showed her emotions very well. She didn't tell the readers how she felt; she showed them. It had a lot of details in it that made it interesting, too.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Meeting at Night by Robert Browning

I liked the description in this poem. It provides a good image in the reader's head. My favorite line is the line with the fiery ringlets.

The Laboratory by Robert Browning


Even though this poem is dark, I actually liked it. I thought it was kind of funny. At the same time it was a little creepy because a person is actually trying to poison someone else.

In a Gondola by Robert Browning

I didn't really understand this poem. I think the rhyming pattern was unique, though. I don't know what it has to do with the title.

Sadie and Maud by Gwendolyn Brooks

I think this poem because it is short and sweet. It follows a simple rhyming pattern and when you say it out loud it sort of rolls off the tongue. I like the message in it, too.

Kitchenette Building by Gwendolyn Brooks

This poem is unique. I think the way it is presented is cool. It shows how something that happens everyday can stand for something bigger.

The Crazy Woman by Gwendolyn Brooks

These are the kind of poems I like because they are short, to the point, and also has a message. It shows that she is different than others, but doesn't care. She doesn't care that the sings badly either. Also, there is some hidden message with the "gray" song she will be singing. It leaves a little mystery.

Contemplations by Anne Bradstreet

The poem is kind of long and dragged out. I think it has some good details and imagery, but I don't like this poem. I think it has to do with her style of writing - I like poems when they are more straightforward.

The Flesh and the Spirit by Anne Bradstreet

I thought I was going to like this poem by its title, but I didn't. I did not like the style of writing and it was a little boring. The writing was old-fashioned I didn't really see the point of the poem.

As I Walked Out One Evening by W. H. Auden


This poem was better because it was rhyming. It seemed less creepy than the other one. I think the best stanza is the last one. Also, I liked the third stanza because it showed a little creativity, provides imagery, and shows the intensity of the feeling.

Lullaby by W.H. Auden


I thought that this poem was kind of dark. I would consider it to be a dark blue, dark purple, or black if I was to assign it to one. I know it is supposed to be a lullaby, but it seems more creepy than lullabies should be. I think that lullabies should rhyme.