Friday, October 23, 2009

The Patriot by Anonymous

Another one worthy of copy and pasting
He was an example of true patriotism,
Accepting freely his country's
criticism.
To betray his country, he'd rather die.
This proved true when he was instructed
to fly.
Risking his life, he fought that war,
But it didn't matter because he always
knew what for.
Fighting for others, freedom for all,
He would be a true hero if ever he did
fall.
Severe hunger and long, lonely nights,
Proved worth it with all victorious
fights.
The death of his buddies brought so much
sadness,
But letters from home fought away any
madness.
He missed them much and longed for home,
But he would fight for this cause, even
if alone.
He loved this freedom everyone deserved;
And, if they won, it would forever be
preserved.
Then one brutal day was his last one.
All he could think about was never
seeing his son.
He was fighting for his little life,
So he would no longer have to live in a
land full of strife.
Heroically losing his life long ago,
Fighting for freedoms we might never
have known.


I rate this a ten out of ten. It is very patriotic and inspiring. It makes me want to join the army. The feelings each soldier are epitomized in this poem.

Marine We Stand by Endry Villasmil


This poem is copy and paste worthy:

Ambition awaiting inside of your soul,
anxiously waiting to achieve your goal.
Determination continues to run through your head,
keeping you awake, at night in your bed.

Your countdown continues for your day to come,
standing tall and proud for what you will have done.
Ready to fight for the loved ones left behind,
'UNITED WE STAND'
running clear through your mind.

You have a long journey ahead of you,
lots of hard work to achieve,
Although you will cause us heartbreak,
ALWAYS remember that WE BELIEVE!
So when the day comes where
We all see you again,
I'll be proud to proclaim to you, my brother'.
A MARINE YOU STAND!


This is inspiring. I love the military so this poem appealed to me. It has a very patriotic feel to it and it pleases me. I rate it an eight point five out of ten.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

If I Could Tell You by W.H. Auden

I like very much the format of this poem than the content. The first stanza has two recurring lines. In the following three stanzas, the last line in each alternates between the two in the first stanza. Finally, the last two lines of the poem are the two recurring ones. This was probably confusing so I'll just copy and paste it here:
Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.

The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

Suppose all the lions get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.

The Crazy Woman by Gwendolyn Brooks


I suspect this poem is autobiographical. It speaks of a woman who refuses to sing in the spring but waits til the fall. She prefers to be different and it seems like a veil from which the author is hiding behind. I don't mind it. I rate it a five out of ten.

Life in a Bottle by Robert Browning

This is one of Robert Browning's shorter poems. He attempts to condense life into a dozen or so lines. He does a decent job, in my opinion. This poem, however, did not appeal to me.

When we Two Parted by Lord Byron

I rate this poem a one out of ten. It is not good. The sentences are boring and choppy. If he was doing this for effect, I am not a fan. I hope never to read another one of Lord Byron's poems.

Impossibility, like Wine by Emily Dickinson


This poem is written by Emily Dickinson. It is pretty good, but I feel like anyone could have made the same comparison. I rate it a six out of ten. Also, this is the first poem I've read discussing impossibility which I thought would be a hot topic among poets.

Wash of Cold River by Hilda Doolittle

The fact that Hilda Doolittle prefers to go by "H.D." made me skeptical. It turns out, however, that she is an expert poet. Her rhymes flow perfectly and her voice seems efffortless. She is a natural poet.

Morning at the Window by T.S. Eliot

This poem is about the peasant life during the early twentieth century. This is a powerful poem but must be read twice. It is short but compact, containing everything necessary and nothing more. I like Eliot's style.

A Soldier by Robert Frost



This poem was the only one I read twice. The first time I read too superficially and didn't grasp the story. Frost is using a lance as a metaphor for a fallen soldier. This poem is actually pretty powerful and I rate it a nine out of ten. The ending subtly implies the great power of God and I found that very interesting how well he put that in there.

(The Soldier) by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Gerard Manley Hopkins has a really cool middle name. But his poems are not that cool. I was hoping to read an inspiring poem about a soldier. Instead I got a whiney first stanza about how soldiers are overpraised and then become proud. This may have been true in his time (he wrote about 'redcoats') but is not true today. three out of ten.

Sea Calm by Langston Hughes


How still,
How strangely still
The water is today,
It is not good
For water
To be so still that way.


I was expecting Langston Hughes' poems to be about racism but I clicked on a random poem and this one came up. I like it. Its short and to the point. And it is confidently written.

Robin Hood by John Keats


This poem is about Robin Hood. It is too long, though. He could have shortened it and it would have been good. It tells the story well but the language is too complex. I rate it a four out of ten.

Solitude by Alexander Pope

This poem is about the peacefulness of being alone. I like this because I can relate to what he's saying. Some people look at being alone as sad but really it is very relaxing.

For the Dead by Adrienne Rich

This poem lacks something. It elaborates on the fire metaphor too much in my opinion. The main point of the poem was lost as a result. I rate it a five out of ten.

Carpe Diem by William Shakespeare

This poem title caught my attention. Shakespeare explains Carpe Diem very poetically, not surprisingly. The language he uses, however, is difficult to understand even though it was poetic. I rate it a five out of ten.

Autumn: A Dirge by PB Shelley


This poem is one of my favorites so far. It is about autumn and started out very strong. The ending however leaves a lot to be desired. The beginning is so strong, describing the personifications of fall perfectly. I'll give it a nine out of ten though because the beginning was very good.

Prayer to the Pacific BY LESLIE MARMON SILKO

Leslie Marmom Silko is a Native-American author. She wrote about a Native-American belief that rain comes from the West. She explains the myth very clearly. It is pleasing to read. These factors combined make me give it a rating of six point five out of ten.

Heaven by Cathy Song


I rate this poem a nine out of ten. It made sense. It was easy to understand. It ended well. Cathy Song built up the poem in the beginning about someone's heaven being in China and then makes you think about if someone in China's heaven is where she lives. In the end, however, her son reminds us that it doesn't matter where it is because its heaven.

After The Storm by Derek Walcott

This poem is written as a prose. It has no rhythm or anything. I suspect the author has Attention Deficit Disorder because he goes from one thought to another completely at random. I fail to see the point in this poem so I rate it a four out of ten.

A Noiseless, Patient Spider by Walt Whitman




This poem is about a spider. The first stanza is about the actual spider. But then Walt Whitman goes on to compare the spider to his soul. Personally, I do not see the similarities and that is why I rate this poem a 5/10.

Juggler by Richard Wilbur



This poem is about a juggler. I thought it would be stupid but it was not. It captured the essence of a juggler very well. I had a clear image of the subject throughout the poem. Also, it makes a juggler more than a juggler.

Blizzard by William Carlos Williams

This poem is appropriate for the upcoming season. William Carlos Williams does not speak in a cryptic language like some other authors. In this poem he cites nature's power in the form of snow. Sometimes it feels like it will snow forever. A t the end Williams says something interesting; he says "his solitary track stretched out upon the world"

EVENING ON CALAIS BEACH by William Wordsworth


William Woodsworth is talking about a night on the beach he experienced. He is admiring the beauty of nature. I like the simile, The holy time is quiet as a Nun. He then contrasts the tranquility with the opposite end of nature, a thunderstorm. At the end he is reminded of the awesome power of God. It is a powerful poem which I understood.

All Things Can Tempt Me by William Butler Yeats

This poem is very ambiguous. I think William Butler Yeats is saying that there are many things other than poetry that he likes. But then he goes on to say that nothing can hinder his passion for poetry. This contradiction is confusing. The last two lines make no sense with the rest of the poem and I do not have the expertise to analyze it.