To an Athlete Dying Young by A.E. Housman

Text:

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

Initial Reaction:

The poem focuses about an athlete who dies at his prime. Although the poem begins with the boy winning the race and having success, the rest of the poem mourns at how the boy died at his prime.

Paraphrase:

The time you won the race
The people of the town carried you around town;
As all the people cheered, Men
brought you home on their shoulders. And

Today all the other runners gathered,and
  we carry your coffin shoulder-high,
And set you down at your threshold,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart boy, to fade away,
From the land where glory is not eternal,
And even though the trees grow
They die quicker than a rose.

Your shut eyes
Cannot see the record cut,
And the silence of the people that is no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not have to be on the same path
As boys who run out of glory,
Runners who outran the path
And whose glory died before them.

So you die before your glory fades,
The fast feet on the shades,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still possessed trophy.

And round that head
Will be the people that stare at the dead,
And find lying on the curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

SWIFTT:

{SW} Syntax/ Word Choice: 
              This poem is actually a lyric poem with the rhyme sceme “aabb.” Written in seven stanzas  (consisting of 4 lines each) the poem uses somber and depressing words. For example, the poem consists of words such as, “Your shut eyes/ Cannot see the record cut,” “eyes…shut,” and “echoes fade.”

{I} Imagery:

The poem paints the image of a young athlete who won a race, but shortly after died. His funeral is the only event that provides imagery, where the coffin is held “shoulder-high,” which is how the boy was held when he won the race.  

{F} Figurative Language:

 The entire poem is a paradox, as the boy glamorously won the horse race, but lost the rae of life. Two examples of paradox in Yeats’ poem are as follows: finding fame in death and “silence sounds.” Also, “To an Athlete Dying Young” is an extended apostrophe.

{T} Tone:

 The tone is very somber, as the poem depicts the young athlete who died just as he had won the race. This can be seen in lines such as, “It withers quicker than the rose” and “Eyes the shady night has shut.”  

{T} Theme:

 The theme of this poem is that when somone dies at their prime, people always wonder of “what could have been;” people begin to wonder what else the person could have accomplished had he been alive. For example, one who achieved glory and then died would not be “name died before the man.”   

Conclusion:

After analyzing the poem, my concluding thoughts do not differ from my initial thoughs. The poem is about a young athlete who dies at his prime. Although the poem is written in a simple structure, the author robustly convey the message that when a person who died during their prime, they leave behind people who wonder what the athlete could have achieved if they were alive.  

The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth

Text:

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

Initial Reaction:

After reading the poem, I believe the poem is about a young woman who sings all the time. Throughout the poem, the narrator describes this woman’s beautiful ability to sing.

Paraphrase:

Look at her, alone in the field,
The solitary girl in the highlands!
Harvesting and singing all alone;
Stop here, or keep walking quietly!
She cuts and binds the grain alone,
And sings a sad song;
Listen! For the deep song
Is overflowing with the sound.

A nightingale never sang
More lovely notes to tired passers
Of travelers in some dark worry,
Among Arabian sands:
No one has ever heard a voice so thrilling
From the cuckoo-bird in the spring
Cutting through the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what the song is that she sings?
Maybe the songs are sung
For old, sad things far away,
And battles of the past:
Or is it about some humble lay,
Of familiar subject matter of the day?
Or is it of some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That was there in the past, and might come up again?

Whatever the song is that the young girl sings
She sings as if the song will never end;
I saw her singing as she worked,
And over the sickles;
As I listened, I could not move;
And as I walked up the hill,
The sounds of the song was still in my heart,
Long after I could not hear it anymore.

SWIFTT:

{SW} Syntax/ Word Choice:

 The poem is written in iambic tetrameter. The author uses word choices that portray earth and woefulness. For example, earthly words include, ““single in the field,” “grain,” and “Highland.” Examples of woefulness occur in phrases such as, “battles long ago,” and “natural sorrow, loss, or pain.” The poem is also filled with many interjections, such as, “Yon solitary Highland Lass!” and “Stop here, or gently pass!”   

{I} Imagery:

 The poem uses imagery that relate to the girl while she was singing. The poem describes the girl “reaping” as she sang. The poem also describes the girl singing about, “old, unhappy, far-off things,” or “sorrow, loss, or pain.”

{F} Figurative Language:

The only use of figurative language occurs when the poem personifies the woman’s voice as having the power to“[break] the silence of the seas.”

{T} Tone:

The tone of the poem is very appreciative and somber. Throughout the poem, the narrator constantly praises the woman on her ability to sing, which can be seen in lines such as, “A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard.” The somber tone can be seen when describing what the woman was singing about, which can be seen in lines such as, “old, unhappy, far-off things.”   

{T} Theme:

The theme in this poem is that great wonders can be found even in the most un- expecting places. In this poem, although the woman was singing about mournful things while working on the grain field, the narrator still found her voice astounding. Although she was singing about “old, unhappy, far-off things,” or “sorrow, loss, or pain,” the narrator was left  “motionless and still

Conclusion:

 After analyzing the poem, my concluding thoughts do not differ from my initial response. The simplistic poem portrays a woman singing as she works on the field. Throughout the poem, the narrator is the praising the woman’s beautiful voice. Astounded by her voice, the man wonders why he is the only one that admires this women’s beautiful voice.

The Wild Swans at Coole by William Butler Yeats

Text:

The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty Swans.

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings.

I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,
And now my heart is sore.
All's changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,
Trod with a lighter tread.

Unwearied still, lover by lover,
They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old;
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,
Attend upon them still.

But now they drift on the still water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
Among what rushes will they build,
By what lake's edge or pool
Delight men's eyes when I awake some day
To find they have flown away?

Initial Reaction:

I believe this poem is about a man who observes swans at a lake. The man consistently travels to the lake to count swans, which bring him a peace of mind. When they leave, the man feels betrayed and is left in depression.  

Paraphrase:

The trees have the beauty of fall,
The paths of the woods are dry,
Under the twilight of October the water
Reflects the still sky;
And on the water among the stones Upon
Are fifty-nine swans.

This is the nineteenth autumn that has come to me
Since I started counting;
But before I had finished,
All suddenly started flying
And breaking into great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings.

I have looked at those amazing creatures,
And now it hurts my heart.
Everything has changed since I heard at twilight,
For the first time on this shore,
The beating of the swans’ wings above my head,
Walking with a light tread.

Unchanging still, lover by lover,
They paddle through the cold
Through the streams or in the air;
Their hearts have never aged;
Excitement or conquest, will wander where they will,
Are still within the swans.

But now they are drifting on the water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
Where will they build their nests,
By what lake shore or pool
Delight men’s eyes to see while I awake someday Delight
To find the swans have flown away?

SWIFTT:

{SW} Syntax/ Word Choice:

Written in iambic form, the poem is composed of five stanzas, each with six lines. The author uses ominous and mysterious words to describe the swans such as, “October twilight,” “autumn beauty” and “beautiful creatures.”

{I} Imagery:

 The author uses imagery to describe the lake filled with swans. To describe the lake, the author uses words such as, “Upon the brimming water,” “the still water,” and “lake's edge or pool.”To describe the swans, the author uses words such as, “nine-and-fifty Swans,” “those brilliant creatures,” and “I have looked at those amazing creatures, And now it hurts my heart.”

{F} Figurative Language:

The poem is an extended metaphor for the want of things in the past and for things in the present to never change. For example, the author had visited the swans “The nineteenth autumn has come upon me,” as the swans “Unwearied still, lover by lover, They paddle in the cold/Companionable streams or climb the air.” However, the narrator was left in shamble when the swans “have flown away.”

{T} Tone:

 The tone is reflective, as the author ponders on how the swans remained unchanged, yet he had changed over time.

{T} Theme:

 The theme of the story is that no matter how hard a person tries, time will continue to move, and people/things will always change. In this poem, the narrator believed that swans would stay with him  as they did for 19 years. However, at the end of the poem, the swans fly away which cause the narrator to change his mind set.  

Conclusion:

After analyzing the poem, my initial response was incorrect. In actuality, I believe that the poem shows the narrator mourning the changes in his life. For the past 19 years, the swans always remained with him, consistently showing him the same love. Because the swans were always there, he felt that his life was in place and everything was fine. When the left, however, the narrator’s “heart is sore.”

On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High by D.C. Berry

Text:

Before

I opened my mouth

I noticed them sitting there

as orderly as frozen fish

in a package.

Slowly water began to fill the room

though I did not notice it

till it reached

my ears

and then I heard the sounds

of fish in an aquarium

and I knew that though I had

tried to drown them

with my words

that they had only opened up

like gills for them

and let me in.

Together we swam around the room

like thirty tails whacking words

till the bell rang

puncturing

a hole in the door

where we all leaked out

They went to another class

I suppose and I to home

where Queen Elizabeth

my cat met me

and licked my fins

till they were hands again.

Initial Reaction:

My initial reaction to the poem is that when the teacher was reading a poem to their class, the teacher and their student begin to transport into a new world. All the students transform into fishes, as “water was filling the room/Though I barely noticed it/Until the water was up to/my ears/ and then I heard the noises/of fish in an aquarium.” This poem also shows that poetry has the ability to make the reader and listener feel the emotions and feelings in the poem.

  

Paraphrase:

Before

I began talking

I noticed the students sitting there

as neat as fish

in a can.

Slowly, it felt like water was filling the room

Though I didn’t notice it

Until the water was up to

my ears

and then I heard the noises

of fish in an aquarium

And I knew that even though I had

Attempted to fill the students’ minds

with my words

They had already opened up

Their minds like gills

and let me in.

The students and I swam around the room

Like thirty bodies whacking the books

till the bell rang

like a puncture

in the door

where we all left

They left for another class

Or to go home

where Queen Elizabeth

my cat met me

and licked my fins

until I realized that they were hands again.

SWIFTT:

{SW} Syntax/ Word Choice:

Constructed in simple sentence structures and the use of simple word choice, the poem flowed very well. The author used words that related to water and fish, such as, “frozen fish,” “an aquarium,” and “their minds like gills and let me in.”

{I} Imagery:

 Throught the poem, the author uses imagery containing fishes. For example,  the poem begins with, “I noticed the students sitting there as neatly as fish in a can.” The author also uses imagery containing water in lines such as, “Slowly, it felt like water was filling the room/Though I barely noticed it/Until the water was up to/my ears/ and then I heard the noises/of fish in an aquarium.”

{F} Figurative Language:

 The poem is an extended metaphor for the power of teachers and the way they educate their students. In this poem, the students actually turn into fishes. This an be seen in the lines, “Slowly, it felt like water was filling the room/Though I barely noticed it/Until the water was up to/my ears/ and then I heard the noises/of fish in an aquarium.” By reading a poem to the class, the teacher and student felt as if they were in a different world.

{T} Tone:

 The tone of the poem was supernatural and magical as the students felt as if they were actual fishes swimming in the ocean.  This can be seen in the line, “Together we swam around the room/ like thirty tails whacking words.”

{T} Theme:

The theme of the poem is that poetry has the ability to make the reader and listeners feel like they are in a different world. The poem makes them feel like they are actually in the story, and are able to feel the events occurring. In the poem, the teacher and their student were transformed into fishes swimming in the deep ocean.

Conclusion:

My concluding thoughts of the poem remain the same as my initial reaction. The poem is an extended metaphor for the power of teachers and the way they educate their students. The poem uses imagery of fish and water to portray the idea that poetry has the ability to send the reader and listener into a whole new world.

Oven Birds by Robert Frost

Text:

There is a singer everyone has heard,
Loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird,
Who makes the solid tree trunks sound again.
He says that leaves are old and that for flowers
Mid-summer is to spring as one to ten.
He says the early petal-fall is past
When pear and cherry bloom went down in showers
On sunny days a moment overcast;
And comes that other fall we name the fall.
He says the highway dust is over all.
The bird would cease and be as other birds
But that he knows in singing not to sing.
The question that he frames in all but words
Is what to make of a diminished thing.

Initial Reaction:

I believe the poem is describing the agony an “oven” bird has because of the nature that is destroyed due to industrialization. An example occurs in the lines, “When pear and cherry bloom went down in showers.” In the end, with all of nature’s beauty is destroyed, the bird is wondering “what to make of a diminished thing.”

Paraphrase:

There is a singer that we have all heard,
The bird that sings loudly in the middle of summer,
Who makes the trees sound with its songs.
He said that the leaves are getting old and that to flowers,
Mid-summer is to spring as one to ten.
He says that the early fall of the leaves is gone
Where the pears and cherry blossoms fell down in showers
On sunny days there will be an overcast;
And then the fall comes that is different from when the leaves fall.
He says the dust from the highway covers everything.
The birds will stop acting like other birds
But he will know not to sing.
The question that he asks without using words
Is what to make of the things lost

SWIFTT:

{SW} Syntax/ Word Choice:

                 The poem is written in an iambic pentameter format. The poem’s word choice conveys the idea of beautiful, peaceful things being torn away. For example in the lines, “He says the early petal-fall is past. When pear and cherry bloom went down in showers. On sunny days a moment overcast,” Frost shows that instead of flowers falling beautifully, entire trees are falling because of industrialization.

{I} Imagery: 

                 Aside from the obvious earthly imagery, the poem also contains examples of dismal imagery. An example of earthly imagery occurs in lines such as, “petal-fall” and “the solid tree trunks sound again. An example of dismal imagery occurs in the lines, “leaves are old” and “what to make of a diminished thing.”   

{F} Figurative Language: 

                 The poem is an extended metaphor for the idea that no matter what, everything will eventually perish, even nature. Even the most peaceful and pleasing things in life will eventually fade away. In this poem, nature was becoming industrialized and covered with “highway dust.”Additionally, the bird symbolized the negative aspects of life, which is evident in the line, “Loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird,” which portrayed the bird not enjoying the joys of summer. The bird is described telling stories of “pear and cherry bloom went down in summer” and how there was overcast on sunny days. Lastly, the bird finally questioned “what to make of a diminished thing.”

{T} Tone: 

           The tone of the poem was very dismal and dreary, as the poem conveys the idea that everything in this world will perish.

{T} Theme: 

            The theme of the poem is that nothing in life will last forever. The narrator of the poem depicts scenes from a negative point of view. Because of industrialization, the narrator is unable to enjoy the beauty of nature and the world.

Conclusion:

After analyzing “The Oven Bird,” my concluding thoughts are similar to  my initial view. I still believe that the bird is describing how industrialization caused nature to fade away.  Now, the bird sees “pear and cherry bloom went down in showers” and “the highway dust is over all.”