"There Was a Young Girl From St. Paul" by Anonymous

"There Was a Young Girl From St. Paul"

There was a young girl from St. Paul,
Wore a newspaper-dress to a ball.
   The dress caught on fire
   And burned her entire
Front page, sporting section and all.

This poem is a limerick which has a form that consists of a stanza with five lines and has a rhyming scheme of AABBA. The defining "foot" of this poem's meter is the anapest which consists of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed one. The first line traditionally introduces a person ("a young girl") and a place ("from St. Paul), with the place appearing at the end of the first line and establishing the rhyme scheme for the second and fifth lines. The next two lines are shorter than the rest but contain the most action. This leads to the final line that joins everything together and ends the poem comically. What I really enjoyed about his poem is that it has a great swing rhythm. It has a Nursery Rhyme type of feel to it where it's almost as if my voice swings back and forth as it goes through the poem. The tone is pretty humorous which is classical of a limerick.

"Marks" by Linda Pastan

Linda Pastan is an American poet of Jewish background. She is known for writing short poems that address topics like family life, domesticity, motherhood, the female experience, aging, death, loss and the fear of loss, as well as the fragility of life and relationships. 

Marks

My husband gives me an A
for last night's supper,
an incomplete for my ironing,
a B plus in bed.
My son says I am average,
an average mother, but if
I put my mind to it
I could improve.
My daughter believes
in Pass/Fail and tells me
I pass. Wait 'til they learn
I'm dropping out.

Haha wow! That was a rough ending. The speaker in "Marks" is obviously not pleased with the idea of being judged, and the metaphor of marks as a way of talking about her performance of family duties suggests her irritation. It's ironic because just like every parent wants their kids to get straight A's in school, her kids expect her to get straight A's at home which we all know is very difficult in both situations. There are various things listed that are expected of her (making supper, ironing clothes, and simply being a "mother"), and the three different systems of marking, portray the difficulties of multiple standards. The poem uses the language of schooldays all the way to the last line where it says "Wait 'til they learn I'm dropping out." I find it humorous that the son told his mom "if she puts her mind to it she could improve" because that is exactly what teachers say to us. The major effect of the poem depends on the irony of the speaker's surrendering to the metaphor the family has thrust upon her; if she is going to be judged similar to if she were a student, she has the right to leave the system. Ironically, she joins the system in order to defeat it. 

"Slim Cunning Hands" by Walter de la Mare

Walter de la Mare was born in Charlton, Kent, in the south of England, of well-to-do parents.He is considered one of modern literature's chief exemplars of the romantic imagination.

Slim Cunning Hands

Slim cunning hands at rest, and cozening eyes-
Under this stone one loved too wildly lies;
How false she was, no granite could declare;
Nor all earth's flowers, how fair.

In this poem, Walter de la Mare describes a woman, possibly his lover, who passed away. It is evident that her physical appearance was clearly important to him. With the diction and description that Walter provides, so much information is able to be conveyed in these four lines. He describes this woman as having "cunning hands" and "cozening eyes" which helps us interpret both her wildness and falsity; they suggest her cleverness and untrustworthiness as well as her skill, persuasion, and ability to please. This could be why he might have loved her. In the next two lines, the words "stone" and "granite" connote finality and portray her death. The flowers in the last line connote fragility and suggest the shortness of the woman's life. The second line in this poem can be taken in two different ways as a result of the syntax Walter used. One way is that their love was wild, but their were other men in the picture that were after the woman as well. Another way is that the word "lies" in the second line depicts the woman's lies because her falsity has, at this point, become too prominent to ignore. Finally, the word "fair" in the last line is a pretty loaded word. It speaks both to the woman's appearance and her character. It suggests how attractive the speaker finds her, but also how impartial she may be in her preferences, as the word "false" suggests. 

"Morning" by Billy Collins

Dubbed “the most popular poet in America” by Bruce Weber in the New York Times, Billy Collins is famous for conversational, witty poems that welcome readers with humor but often slip into quirky, tender or profound observation on the everyday, reading and writing, and poetry itself. He served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003, and as the New York State Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006.

Morning

Why do we bother with the rest of the day,

the swale of the afternoon,

the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,

his many-pointed stars?

This is the best—

throwing off the light covers,

feet on the cold floor,

and buzzing around the house on espresso—

maybe a splash of water on the face,

a palmful of vitamins—

but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,

dictionary and atlas open on the rug,

the typewriter waiting for the key of the head,

a cello on the radio,

and, if necessary, the windows—

trees fifty, a hundred years old

out there,

heavy clouds on the way

and the lawn steaming like a horse

in the early morning.

Collins does a great job of combining simplistic and calm diction along with a carefree tone and much imagery to paint a picture of an ordinary morning routine. For example, he describes a man crawling out of bed one morning and enjoying the calmness of his surroundings. “This is the best/ throwing off the light covers/ feet on the cold floor/ and buzzing around the house on espresso.” This creates a feeling of relaxation and enjoyment within the reader while accurately portraying Collins’ positive perception of an average routine. The worries of the day have yet to begin and the issues of the past are left in the past. This short period of time in the morning is like a fresh beginning to life. Collins refers to the "swale of the afternoon” and “the sudden dip into evening." These phrases present a heavy feeling. The "sudden dip," in particular, makes me think of being rushed into the evening's events. However, the morning "is the best." By repeating the phrase “but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,” Collins is depicting a fairly meaningful message; there is work to be done, however, even in the midst of such chaos, there is always something to look forward to. In the morning, for instance, an individual’s day can only improve, “dictionary and atlas open on the rug/ the typewriter waiting for the key on the head/ a cello on the radio…” I feel if Collins had chosen to write about the nighttime in a similar way, it probably wouldn't have had the same effect. Morning brings a feeling of renewal and a rebirth. The setting of this poem has everything to do with the overall theme of the poem. Collins is trying to connect with the reader's senses in order to give a tranquil feeling of the morning.

"Hanging Fire" by Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde was a Caribbean-American writer, radical feminist, womanist, lesbian, and civil rights activist. Lorde focused her discussion of difference not only on differences between groups of women but between conflicting differences within the individual. She battled cancer for fourteen years and as a result, she chose to become more focused on both her life and her writing.

Hanging Fire

I am fourteen
and my skin has betrayed me
the boy I cannot live without
still sucks his thumb
in secret
how come my knees are
always so ashy
what if I die
before morning
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.
I have to learn how to dance
in time for the next party
my room is too small for me
suppose I die before graduation
they will sing sad melodies
but finally
tell the truth about me
There is nothing I want to do
and too much
that has to be done
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.
Nobody even stops to think
about my side of it
I should have been on Math Team
my marks were better than his
why do I have to be
the one
wearing braces
I have nothing to wear tomorrow
will I live long enough
to grow up
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.

This poem is told from the simplistic view of the world from a typical teenage girl. She talks about this time in her life where she is not yet a woman, but she is not a young girl either. The feeling of growing into your own skin is not comfortable for anyone, but this speaker puts this agonizing process into clear concise words. She explores both the physical and emotional aspects of puberty. The speaker, who is fourteen, speaks of her acne, her immature boyfriend, her stress about how much there is to do, and her braces in a tone of despair. She also talks about her clothes, of course, because no teenage girl ever has anything to wear. This girl talks about these things in such a desperate manner that those who read this poem can clearly recall this time in their lives. She also mentions repeatedly that her “momma’s in the bedroom with the door closed” which symbolizes that her mother isn’t paying attention to her in this time of need. Some teenagers face their insecurities all by themselves because they isolate themselves from others, but sometimes, like in the Speaker's case, the parents or parent do not interact with their children. The title “Hanging Fire” can represent the insecurities and bad thoughts that the speaker has about herself, and the fire hangs directly over her head. This fire burns her metaphorically and every time she has these bad thoughts of herself the fire drops and burns her confidence. The speaker needs someone to try and help her put out the fire over her head, but no one is paying attention. It is as if she needs her mother to put out the flames, but the mother doesn't notice her daughter’s pain from the fire. Almost everyone has a type of fire hanging over their heads and in their consciousness; it burns them until someone else can help put it out.

"Alzheimer's" by Kelly Cherry

Kelly Cherry was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but moved to Ithaca, New York at age 5, and Chesterfield County, Virginia, at age 9. Cherry graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 1961, did graduate work at the University of Virginia in Philosophy. She is an award winning author, poet, and the former Poet Laureate of Virginia.

Alzheimer's

He stands at the door, a crazy old man

Back from the hospital, his mind rattling

like the suitcase, swinging from his hand,

That contains shaving cream, a piggy bank,

A book he sometimes pretends to read,

His clothes. On the brick wall beside him

Roses and columbine slug it out for space, claw the mortar.

The sun is shining, as it does late in the afternoon

in England, after rain.

Sun hardens the house, reifies it,

Strikes the iron grillwork like a smithy

and sparks fly off, burning in the bushes—

the rosebushes—

While the white wood trim defines solidity in space.

This is his house. He remembers it as his,

Remembers the walkway he built between the front room

and the garage, the rhododendron he planted in back,

the car he used to drive. He remembers himself,

A younger man, in a tweed hat, a man who loved

Music. There is no time for that now. No time for music,

The peculiar screeching of strings, the luxurious

Fiddling with emotion.

Other things have become more urgent.

Other matters are now of greater import, have more

Consequence, must be attended to. The first

Thing he must do, now that he is home, is decide who

This woman is, this old, white-haired woman

Standing here in the doorway,

Welcoming him in.

This poem depicts the confusion and unawareness that someone struggling with Alzheimer’s has to deal with. At first, the tone seems calm and free as the character notices simple details like “the sun is shining” and “sparks fly off.” However, digging deeper into the description of the man and the setting is a sense of sadness. First referred to as the “crazy old man” who just returned home from the hospital, Cherry conveys this confusion the man feels onto the reader. From lines 7-15 the tone is pretty lighthearted and inflicts peace on both the reader and the old man. This changes, however, as the man starts to reminisce of when he was a younger, and “remembers” his love for music, a love “there is no time for now” because “other things have become more urgent”; there is a sense of pity on the man and the tone shifts from light to heavy. In the last lines of the poem the reader realizes that although the man remembers some things he can no longer remember the “white-haired woman” who is inferred to be his wife. This moment captures the difficulties someone dealing with Alzheimer’s undergoes. The thing I found most depressing about the poem is how the man could remember things such as “the walkway he built” and the “car he used to drive”, yet he fails to remember his own wife, the woman “standing here in the doorway, welcoming him in.” Because the man is unaware of his condition, I had pity on both him and the wife. This very moment gives meaning to the poem and how it is addressed. The tone depicts the doubt we feel and unawareness in the world. Although it first seems lighthearted and carefree, when you peel off the skin there is a great sense of remorse and sadness that is revealed.

"The Aim Was Song" by Robert Frost

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, CA. His work was initially published in England before it was published in America. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech.

The Aim Was Song

Before man came to blow it right

The wind once blew itself untaught,

And did its loudest day and night

In any rough place where it caught.

Man came to tell it what was wrong:

It hadn't found the place to blow;

It blew too hard - the aim was song.
And listen - how it ought to go!

He took a little in his mouth,
And held it long enough for north
To be converted into south,
And then by measure blew it forth.

By measure. It was word and note,
The wind the wind had meant to be -
A little through the lips and throat.
The aim was song - the wind could see.

This poem is a short, simple, and enjoyable story about how a man learned to make music by listening to the wind. After I read the poem, I realized the title was referring to the man trying to learn how to whistle and make music by imitating the wind. In the first stanza, line 1 "Before man came to blow it right" we know that the poem is talking about before man learned to whistle like the wind. Images of the wind's fierceness or violent blowing are created when Frost uses phrases like in stanza 1, line 2, "blew itself untaught" and line 3, "did its loudest day and night." He also uses "In any rough place where it caught" stanza 1, line 4, to show the wind's strength and uncontrolled blowing. The second stanza describes how the wind should be taken in the mouth and blown out in a controlled "measured" way. The third stanza explains how the man had learned to take in air and blow it out in measures and whistle to make music. Finally, the fourth stanza is where the wind should blow to make song. This was the "right" place for the wind to blow according to the man. Throughout the whole poem, it is as if man is telling the wind the proper or "right" way to blow. If you actually listen to the poem out loud you can hear the iambic tetrameter with end rhymes that Frost uses to create a regular rhythm like music.