Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keates

Text:

Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,
    Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
    A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fring'd legend haunt about thy shape
    Of deities or mortals, or of both,
        In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
    What men or gods are these?  What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit?  What struggle to escape?
        What pipes and timbrels?  What wild ecstasy?

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
    Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
    Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:
Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
    Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
        Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve;
        She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
    For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
    Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
    For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
    For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,
        For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
    That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,
        A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
    To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,
    And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?
What little town by river or sea shore,
    Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,
        Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn?
And, little town, thy streets for evermore
    Will silent be; and not a soul to tell
        Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.

O Attic shape!  Fair attitude! with brede
    Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
With forest branches and the trodden weed;
    Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
    When old age shall this generation waste,
        Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
    Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
        Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

 Initial Response:

Initially, I feel that Keats is describing the nature of an urn that has withstood the test of and reminiscing about the past. I believe he is wishing that the people and events were remain eternal so the joy would always exist.

Paraphrase:

The  bride that will always be silent,
The foster-child that will always be silent as time passes,
Sylvan historian, who will never be able to tell
A story more sweet than this rhyme:
What legends are in you
Of gods or humans, or of both,
        In the worship place or the valleys of Arcadia?
What men or gods are these beings? What women are they?
What are they looking for? What are they trying to escape?
What songs? What excitement?

Songs that can be heard are beautiful, but those that cannot be heard
Are even more beautiful: therefore, silent instruments, keep playing;
Not for the light ear, but for the more emotionally devoted ones,
Play to the spirit gods:
Young child, beneath the trees that you will never be able to leave
Your song, not even those trees are bare;
        Passionate lover, you will never  be able to kiss,
Even though you are so close to winning over your love, but do not be sad;
Her beauty will never  diminish, even though you will never  be able to get her,
You will always love her, and she will always be fair!

Trees that cannot shed
    Your leaves, now move past the spring into a different season;
And happy musician, never tired,
   Forever playing songs that will always be new; 
Love!
It will always be a new love and will always be enjoyed,
   It will always be exciting and young;
All humans everywhere,
That leaves sorrowful,
A high fever and a thirsty tongue.

Who are these people who have come to watch the sacrifice?
To what altar, mysterious priest,
Do you lead the sacrifice under the skies,
    With her dress and garlands?
What is the small town by the shore,
Or the city built on the mountain,
  has come watch this tragedy?
And, small town, your streets will always be
Silent, without a single person to tell  
  Where everyone in the town went and why they can never come back.

The attic! Filled with
    men and women distraught,
With the branches of the forest that have been trampled on;
The silence messes with our mind
As does eternity: Cruel Pastoral!
    When old age deteriorates our generation,
        You will always be here, in our sorrows
A friend to people who say,
“Truth is in beauty, beauty is truth”—that is all
      you can know and that is all you need to know.

SWIFTT:

{SW} Syntax/Word Choice:  

The poem is written in 4 stanzas and has a rhyme scheme of ababcdcdef. The word choice conveys the idea of the urns sadness and inability to speak against it. The poem also contains numerous apostrophe’s, such as, “Sylvan historian,” and “unravished bride.”   

{I} Imagery:

The majority of the imagery in this poem occurs when the author was describing the pictures on the urn. The poem contains a plethora of imagery as the author described pictures painted on urns. For example, the author uses the phrases, “happy boughs,” and “happy melodist.” The poem also contains earthly imagery, which can be seen in the phrases, “the trees,” the “happy boughs,” and the “green altar.”  

{F} Figurative Language:

In the last line of the poem, the author personifies beauty in the phrase, “beauty as truth, and truth as beauty.”

{T} Tone:

The tone of the poem is very reminiscent.  Although the urn enjoyed seeing nature, and everything around him youthful and full of life, he realizes that eventually, these things will wither away and become old.

{T} Theme:

The theme of the poem is that although the urn believed that everything will remain young like the paintings on his body, this is not the truth. The truth is that eventually, things will grow old and wither away.

Conclusion:

After analyzing the poem,  the poem is focused about how things around the urn will fade away and die, but how the paintings on the urn will always represent and portray the youthfulness that once was. It will always show that there once was life and joy.

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.