Original
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?The trees are in their autumn beauty, The woodland paths are dry,
First Impression
- Yeat’s poem, The Wild Swans of Coole, is about Yeats describing the beauty of swans. In the beginning of the poem, Yeats sets the mood of the action and states that there are fifty-nine swans. Through the poem, the swans are slowly swimming and moving peacefully. At the end, Yeats wonders what they are going to do next and as he opens his eyes again, the swans are gone.
Paraphrased
The trees are at their autumn beauty,
The paths are dry,
In October’s sun, the water
Resembles a still sky;
And on this beautiful lake
Are fifty-nine swans.
The nineteenth autumn has arrived
Since I can I started counting;
I saw, before I was finished
All the swans stood
And flying in broken unison
With their clamorous wings.
I have seen these brilliant creatures,
And now I am sad.
And now times have changed,
Since the first time on this shore,
The sound of the wings above my wings,
Walking lightly.
Full of life, lover and lover,
They swim in the cold
Swimming peacefully or flying in the air;
Their heart are still young;
Love or hate, wonder where they will fall,
As they attend to find their way.
But now they drift in the water,
Mysterious and elegant;
And what paths will they build,
And by what lake
Delights men’s eyes when I wakeTo see that they are gone?
Syntax and Word Choice
- The poem is written in five stanzas, in which one stanza contains one sentence. The Wild Swans of Coole also follows the rhyme scheme of ABCBDD. The word choice is simple English, with the exception of unwearied, trod, and “nine-and-fifty swans.”
Imagery
- Yeats makes references to earth, water, and air and swans. All three elements tie together into visual imagery. The three elements symbolize the basics of the foundation of freedom. The swans symbolize Yeat’s need for said freedom.
Figurative Language
- One figurative language that Yeats uses is rhetorical question in which Years says “By what lakes edge or pool/ Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day/ To find they have flown away?” What Yeats is asking is, “Where should I look when my freedom has flown away?”
Tone
- Yeats uses a gloomy tone and he almost appears as if he was on the verge of depression. One example if his tone is “And now my heart is sore./ All's changed since I, hearing at twilight,”
Theme
- The overall theme of The Wild Swans of Coole is freedom. As the days goes by, Yeats notices that he follows the same routine every day, whereas the swans have the freedom to fly where ever they like and they are in control of themselves. Yeats yearns for this type of freedom.
Conclusion
- I can understand what Yeats was trying to accomplish through The Wild Swans of Coole. Humans can relate to Yeats and his yearning for freedom, because they too want to escape their normal routine. After analyzing the poem, I can fully understand why Yeats wrote this poem and why he chose swans to be the subject.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
The Solitary Reaper, By: Wordsworth
Original
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.
First Impression
- The poem, The Solitary Reaper, is a poem about how a man is listening to a beautiful woman singing as she is cutting and binding the grain. Throughout the poem, the man is trying to figure out what the woman is singing and whether she is sad or happy. At the end of the poem, the man does not know what she was singing, but the song stuck to his heart.
Paraphrased
Behold, the person on the field,
A wonderful, young woman!
Harvesting and sing by herself;
Stopping, or just passing by!
She cuts and binds the grain by herself,
And sings a depressing tone;
O Listen! For the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
No Nightingale ever shown
More hospitality to weary groups
Of travelers in some shady haunt,
Among the desert:
A thrilling voice that has never been heard
During the spring from a cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Is anyone going to tell me what she is singing?—
Perhaps the lamenting numbers flow
For tired, sad, far away things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some suffering, loss, or pain,
That she is experiencing again?
Whatever it may be, the Maiden sang
And it does not look like it has an ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And over the sickle bending;—
I stood still and listened,
And as I go up the hill,
The music is in my heart, and it will stay there.
Syntax and Word choice
- The poem is written in four stanzas with one to two sentences per stanza. The word choice is modern English, with a few exceptions. Wordsworth replaces some modern words with whate’er and to-day.
Imagery
- The melancholy song symbolizes the status of the woman in the field. The setting of the poem can represent how the woman is isolated from the world. Finally, the nightingale represents the woman singing while travelers are passing by.
Figurative Language
- One example of metaphor in The Solitary Reaper was the comparison between the nightingale and the woman. Wordsworth states that the woman is like a nightingale singing to travelers passing by. There are no signs of simile.
Tone
- The tone of the poem was relaxed yet mysterious. One example is the man’s need to figure out what the woman is singing. At the same time, Wordsworth describes the song as soothing and enriching.
Theme
- The main theme of this poem is the theme of poetry. Wordsworth wants to show the reader that poetry is not restricted to just plain words. Songs can be considered poetry as well.
Final Conclusion
- After using SWIFTT on The Solitary Reaper, I can see the imagery and the figurative language clearly. The only thing I do not fully understand is the theme of the poem. Also, I can relate to the man and his curiosity to find out what the woman was singing about.
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.
First Impression
- The poem, The Solitary Reaper, is a poem about how a man is listening to a beautiful woman singing as she is cutting and binding the grain. Throughout the poem, the man is trying to figure out what the woman is singing and whether she is sad or happy. At the end of the poem, the man does not know what she was singing, but the song stuck to his heart.
Paraphrased
Behold, the person on the field,
A wonderful, young woman!
Harvesting and sing by herself;
Stopping, or just passing by!
She cuts and binds the grain by herself,
And sings a depressing tone;
O Listen! For the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
No Nightingale ever shown
More hospitality to weary groups
Of travelers in some shady haunt,
Among the desert:
A thrilling voice that has never been heard
During the spring from a cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Is anyone going to tell me what she is singing?—
Perhaps the lamenting numbers flow
For tired, sad, far away things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some suffering, loss, or pain,
That she is experiencing again?
Whatever it may be, the Maiden sang
And it does not look like it has an ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And over the sickle bending;—
I stood still and listened,
And as I go up the hill,
The music is in my heart, and it will stay there.
Syntax and Word choice
- The poem is written in four stanzas with one to two sentences per stanza. The word choice is modern English, with a few exceptions. Wordsworth replaces some modern words with whate’er and to-day.
Imagery
- The melancholy song symbolizes the status of the woman in the field. The setting of the poem can represent how the woman is isolated from the world. Finally, the nightingale represents the woman singing while travelers are passing by.
Figurative Language
- One example of metaphor in The Solitary Reaper was the comparison between the nightingale and the woman. Wordsworth states that the woman is like a nightingale singing to travelers passing by. There are no signs of simile.
Tone
- The tone of the poem was relaxed yet mysterious. One example is the man’s need to figure out what the woman is singing. At the same time, Wordsworth describes the song as soothing and enriching.
Theme
- The main theme of this poem is the theme of poetry. Wordsworth wants to show the reader that poetry is not restricted to just plain words. Songs can be considered poetry as well.
Final Conclusion
- After using SWIFTT on The Solitary Reaper, I can see the imagery and the figurative language clearly. The only thing I do not fully understand is the theme of the poem. Also, I can relate to the man and his curiosity to find out what the woman was singing about.
Telephones Pole, By: John Updike
Original
They have been with us a long time.
They will outlast the elms.
Our eyes, like the eyes of a savage sieving the trees
In his search for game,
Run through them.
They blend along small-town streets
Like a race of giants that have faded into mere mythology.
Our eyes, washed clean of belief,
Lift incredulous to their fearsome crowns of bolts, trusses, struts, nuts, insulators, and such
Barnacles as compose
These weathered encrustations of electrical debris¬
Each a Gorgon’s head, which, seized right,
Could stun us to stone.
Yet they are ours.
We made them.
See here, where the cleats of linemen
Have roughened a second bark
Onto the bald trunk.
And these spikes
Have been driven sideways at intervals handy for human legs.
The Nature of our construction is in every way
A better fit than the Nature it displaces
What other tree can you climb where the birds’ twitter,
Unscrambled, is English?
True, their thin shade is negligible,
But then again there is not that tragic autumnal
Casting-off of leaves to outface annually.
These giants are more constant than evergreens
By being never green.
First Impression
- Telephone Poles by John Updike is a poem about telephone poles and how they impacted our lives visually. While he is preaching about telephone poles, Updike admires the inventors of the telephone pole. Finally, Updike “challenges” Nature by stating that our telephone poles are better than Nature’s “telephone poles.”
Paraphrased
They have been with us our whole lives.
They’ll be here a long time
Our eyes, like a beast looking for his
Prey
In search of a game.
Run through them. They blend along
the streets
Like a race of giants that have been mentioned in mythology.
Our eyes, washed of belief
Life incredulous to their heads of
Bolts, trusses, struts, nuts, insulator, and such
Barnacles as compose
These rusty poles filled with electrical
wires—
Each a Gorgon’s head, which, if used correctly,
Could blind or stun us
Yet we are their creators
See there, where the men
Has roughened a second bark
On the bald trunk. And these spikes
Goes sideways to help
The human legs
The way we create is in every way
Better than the way nature created
What other tree can you climb where the birds
sing,
in clear English? It is true that their
shade is unimportant,
But then again there are no signs of autumn on it
Shaving off leaves annually.
They are more frequent than trees themselvesBecause they are not green.
Syntax and Word Choice
- The poem is written in two stanzas; the first stanza talking about the many features of the telephone poles, where the latter one is about why telephone poles are far more superior to trees. As far as word choice goes, Updike uses modern English and is clear and concise.
Imagery
- Updike uses visual imagery when describing the nature of telephone poles and trees. In addition to visual imagery,
Figurative Language
- Updike uses similes in his poem to describe how humans see telephones everywhere they look. This simile can be found in lines 3-4:” Our eyes, like the eyes of a savage sieving the trees/ In his search for game,”
Tone
- Updike seems to use a relaxed yet persuasive tone. In the first stanza, Updike uses a relaxed tone to describe the nature of the telephone pole. In the second stanza, Updike uses a persuasive tone to persuade the reader to choose telephone poles than trees.
Theme
- The overall theme of Telephone Poles is that people should take more time to appreciate nature. In the poem, Updike states that: “The Nature of our construction is in every way/ A better fit than the Nature it displaces.” This is a clear example that people are adapting to a more industrialized world where trees are becoming “obsolete.”
Conclusion
- After re-reading and analyzing the poem, I was able to see Updike’s viewpoint on telephone poles versus trees. In a way, humans are becoming more technology-dependent and are slowly forgetting the simpler forms of resources. Humans need to advance forward but at the same time, remember where our original source of energy came from.
They have been with us a long time.
They will outlast the elms.
Our eyes, like the eyes of a savage sieving the trees
In his search for game,
Run through them.
They blend along small-town streets
Like a race of giants that have faded into mere mythology.
Our eyes, washed clean of belief,
Lift incredulous to their fearsome crowns of bolts, trusses, struts, nuts, insulators, and such
Barnacles as compose
These weathered encrustations of electrical debris¬
Each a Gorgon’s head, which, seized right,
Could stun us to stone.
Yet they are ours.
We made them.
See here, where the cleats of linemen
Have roughened a second bark
Onto the bald trunk.
And these spikes
Have been driven sideways at intervals handy for human legs.
The Nature of our construction is in every way
A better fit than the Nature it displaces
What other tree can you climb where the birds’ twitter,
Unscrambled, is English?
True, their thin shade is negligible,
But then again there is not that tragic autumnal
Casting-off of leaves to outface annually.
These giants are more constant than evergreens
By being never green.
First Impression
- Telephone Poles by John Updike is a poem about telephone poles and how they impacted our lives visually. While he is preaching about telephone poles, Updike admires the inventors of the telephone pole. Finally, Updike “challenges” Nature by stating that our telephone poles are better than Nature’s “telephone poles.”
Paraphrased
They have been with us our whole lives.
They’ll be here a long time
Our eyes, like a beast looking for his
Prey
In search of a game.
Run through them. They blend along
the streets
Like a race of giants that have been mentioned in mythology.
Our eyes, washed of belief
Life incredulous to their heads of
Bolts, trusses, struts, nuts, insulator, and such
Barnacles as compose
These rusty poles filled with electrical
wires—
Each a Gorgon’s head, which, if used correctly,
Could blind or stun us
Yet we are their creators
See there, where the men
Has roughened a second bark
On the bald trunk. And these spikes
Goes sideways to help
The human legs
The way we create is in every way
Better than the way nature created
What other tree can you climb where the birds
sing,
in clear English? It is true that their
shade is unimportant,
But then again there are no signs of autumn on it
Shaving off leaves annually.
They are more frequent than trees themselvesBecause they are not green.
Syntax and Word Choice
- The poem is written in two stanzas; the first stanza talking about the many features of the telephone poles, where the latter one is about why telephone poles are far more superior to trees. As far as word choice goes, Updike uses modern English and is clear and concise.
Imagery
- Updike uses visual imagery when describing the nature of telephone poles and trees. In addition to visual imagery,
Figurative Language
- Updike uses similes in his poem to describe how humans see telephones everywhere they look. This simile can be found in lines 3-4:” Our eyes, like the eyes of a savage sieving the trees/ In his search for game,”
Tone
- Updike seems to use a relaxed yet persuasive tone. In the first stanza, Updike uses a relaxed tone to describe the nature of the telephone pole. In the second stanza, Updike uses a persuasive tone to persuade the reader to choose telephone poles than trees.
Theme
- The overall theme of Telephone Poles is that people should take more time to appreciate nature. In the poem, Updike states that: “The Nature of our construction is in every way/ A better fit than the Nature it displaces.” This is a clear example that people are adapting to a more industrialized world where trees are becoming “obsolete.”
Conclusion
- After re-reading and analyzing the poem, I was able to see Updike’s viewpoint on telephone poles versus trees. In a way, humans are becoming more technology-dependent and are slowly forgetting the simpler forms of resources. Humans need to advance forward but at the same time, remember where our original source of energy came from.
To An Athlete Dying Young, By: A.E. Housman
Original
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.
To-day, 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 were 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.
First Impression
- This poem by A.E. Housman talks about a runner, who wins a race for his hometown, yet is met with a terrible fate. Within the poem, Housman talks about how the runner would prepare for his races and how he brought life back into his hometown. In the end, Housman promises that the people will celebrate his victory, even after his death, and that the runner’s legacy will live on forever.
Paraphrased
That time you won that race for your town
We hoisted you through the market;
Men and children stood cheering,
And at home we celebrated loudly.
Today, the runners ran the course,
We brought you home shoulder-high,
And brought you down at your home,
The hero of a still, silent town.
Smart man, to wake up earlier than usual
From the fields were limited glory
And where the shrooms grow
It decays quicker than a rose
The eyes of the camera
Cannot see you crossing the line,
And silence sound worse than cheers
After the earth stopped their ears:
Now you will not endure this torture.
Of those who ran till they couldn’t,
Runners whom their reputation outran
And the name died before the man.
So set, before your name fade.
Placed in a coffin,
And lower the coffin
For the still-defended champion.
And we will place a crown on his head
And it will compliment his deeds,
And find it unwhitered on its head
The wreath quicker than a girl’s
Syntax and Word Choice
- The poem is written into seven stanzas, with four lines per stanza. Furthermore, the poem follows the pattern of aabbccdd. The language is, for the most part, straightforward. The only difference in stanzas is in the last stanza, Housman includes intermediate words like, unwithered and garland briefer.
Imagery
- In the fourth stanza, Housman says, “Eyes the shady night has shut…”while alludes to the camera capturing the moment the runner crosses the finish line. In addition to the runner’s success, Housman includes the runner’s burial to allude to his death.
Figurative Language
- There are not any signs of similes or metaphors; however, the poem is ironic because the runner’s hometown is celebrating his death instead of feeling grief or distress.
Tone
- The main tone of this poem is more of a sympathetic yet ironic tone. As the poem progresses, Housman and the townspeople feel some grief for the runner, yet they started to celebrate as the runner was being buried.
Theme
- The overall theme in To an Athlete Dying Young is, to live your life to the fullest. Housman alludes to the fact that life is like a race course, in which our destination is the finish line. Housman subliminally states that at the end of your life, all you have are your achievements and your memories.
Conclusion
- After using SWIFTT on To an Athlete Dying Young, I can understand the point that A. E. Housman is trying to get across: Live your life to the fullest. Furthermore, Housman wants his readers to take chances and create memorable achievements.
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.
To-day, 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 were 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.
First Impression
- This poem by A.E. Housman talks about a runner, who wins a race for his hometown, yet is met with a terrible fate. Within the poem, Housman talks about how the runner would prepare for his races and how he brought life back into his hometown. In the end, Housman promises that the people will celebrate his victory, even after his death, and that the runner’s legacy will live on forever.
Paraphrased
That time you won that race for your town
We hoisted you through the market;
Men and children stood cheering,
And at home we celebrated loudly.
Today, the runners ran the course,
We brought you home shoulder-high,
And brought you down at your home,
The hero of a still, silent town.
Smart man, to wake up earlier than usual
From the fields were limited glory
And where the shrooms grow
It decays quicker than a rose
The eyes of the camera
Cannot see you crossing the line,
And silence sound worse than cheers
After the earth stopped their ears:
Now you will not endure this torture.
Of those who ran till they couldn’t,
Runners whom their reputation outran
And the name died before the man.
So set, before your name fade.
Placed in a coffin,
And lower the coffin
For the still-defended champion.
And we will place a crown on his head
And it will compliment his deeds,
And find it unwhitered on its head
The wreath quicker than a girl’s
Syntax and Word Choice
- The poem is written into seven stanzas, with four lines per stanza. Furthermore, the poem follows the pattern of aabbccdd. The language is, for the most part, straightforward. The only difference in stanzas is in the last stanza, Housman includes intermediate words like, unwithered and garland briefer.
Imagery
- In the fourth stanza, Housman says, “Eyes the shady night has shut…”while alludes to the camera capturing the moment the runner crosses the finish line. In addition to the runner’s success, Housman includes the runner’s burial to allude to his death.
Figurative Language
- There are not any signs of similes or metaphors; however, the poem is ironic because the runner’s hometown is celebrating his death instead of feeling grief or distress.
Tone
- The main tone of this poem is more of a sympathetic yet ironic tone. As the poem progresses, Housman and the townspeople feel some grief for the runner, yet they started to celebrate as the runner was being buried.
Theme
- The overall theme in To an Athlete Dying Young is, to live your life to the fullest. Housman alludes to the fact that life is like a race course, in which our destination is the finish line. Housman subliminally states that at the end of your life, all you have are your achievements and your memories.
Conclusion
- After using SWIFTT on To an Athlete Dying Young, I can understand the point that A. E. Housman is trying to get across: Live your life to the fullest. Furthermore, Housman wants his readers to take chances and create memorable achievements.
War is Kind, By: Stephen Crane
Original
Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind,
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,
Little souls who thirst for fight,
These men were born to drill and die.
The unexplained glory flies above them.
Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--
A field where a thousand corpses lie.
Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Swift blazing flag of the regiment,
Eagle with crest of red and gold,
These men were born to drill and die.
Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
Make plain to them the excellence of killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.
Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind!
First Reaction
- War is Kind by Stephen Crane is a poem about the misfortunes of war. Crane also writes about how women cry over their husbands and sons being drafted into war. However, Crane wanted the women to know that the women should not cry because, “War is Kind.”
Paraphrased
Do not cry, women, because war is kind,
Because your men chose to fight for our country
And the frightened solider runs alone
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Rough, loud drums of the regiment
Men who live to fight,
They were born to fight and die.
The unknown outcome overcomes them,
The battle is great, fighting on the battlefield
A place where many men died.
Do not cry, lady, because war is kind,
Because your forefathers have been extinct,
Raged in battle, choked and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Huge flag of the regiment,
With an red and gold eagle crest,
These men were born to fight and die
Point to them the action of the battlefield,
Make sure they know the feeling of killing
In a field where many man died.
Mothers whose hearts sink low
On the bright feel of your son,
Do not weep.War is Kind!
Syntax and Word Choice
- Some of lines in the poem depict the actual actions of war, while other lines describes the misery of women in respects to wartime. Also, Crane uses repetition by repeating the phrase, “War is kind.”
Imagery
- One of the images that Crane repeats in the poem is the image of thousands of bodies lying on the battlefield. More examples of imagery in the poem were the flag’s symbol, the beat of the drums, and the son’s button.
Figurative Language
- There are not any traces of similes and metaphors. However, there are allusions to Lucifer (god of the underworld) and Ares (god of battle).
Tone
- The tone of this poem is considered ironic and somewhat dark. The main reason for a dark tone is the way Crane repeats the phrase, “War is kind.” Also, Crane light hearted words to describe war.
Theme
- The theme that Crane was implying is “War is kind.” Crane wanted to show the women that war was a beautiful thing, when in reality, war was cold and dark. Overall, the real theme is “War is horrifying.”
Conclusion
- After reading the poem for a second time, I can fully understand that Crane wanted to make war seem like it was nothing to worry about. However, Crane subliminally uses an ominous tone to describe both the reality of war and the misery of the family.
Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind,
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,
Little souls who thirst for fight,
These men were born to drill and die.
The unexplained glory flies above them.
Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--
A field where a thousand corpses lie.
Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Swift blazing flag of the regiment,
Eagle with crest of red and gold,
These men were born to drill and die.
Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
Make plain to them the excellence of killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.
Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind!
First Reaction
- War is Kind by Stephen Crane is a poem about the misfortunes of war. Crane also writes about how women cry over their husbands and sons being drafted into war. However, Crane wanted the women to know that the women should not cry because, “War is Kind.”
Paraphrased
Do not cry, women, because war is kind,
Because your men chose to fight for our country
And the frightened solider runs alone
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Rough, loud drums of the regiment
Men who live to fight,
They were born to fight and die.
The unknown outcome overcomes them,
The battle is great, fighting on the battlefield
A place where many men died.
Do not cry, lady, because war is kind,
Because your forefathers have been extinct,
Raged in battle, choked and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Huge flag of the regiment,
With an red and gold eagle crest,
These men were born to fight and die
Point to them the action of the battlefield,
Make sure they know the feeling of killing
In a field where many man died.
Mothers whose hearts sink low
On the bright feel of your son,
Do not weep.War is Kind!
Syntax and Word Choice
- Some of lines in the poem depict the actual actions of war, while other lines describes the misery of women in respects to wartime. Also, Crane uses repetition by repeating the phrase, “War is kind.”
Imagery
- One of the images that Crane repeats in the poem is the image of thousands of bodies lying on the battlefield. More examples of imagery in the poem were the flag’s symbol, the beat of the drums, and the son’s button.
Figurative Language
- There are not any traces of similes and metaphors. However, there are allusions to Lucifer (god of the underworld) and Ares (god of battle).
Tone
- The tone of this poem is considered ironic and somewhat dark. The main reason for a dark tone is the way Crane repeats the phrase, “War is kind.” Also, Crane light hearted words to describe war.
Theme
- The theme that Crane was implying is “War is kind.” Crane wanted to show the women that war was a beautiful thing, when in reality, war was cold and dark. Overall, the real theme is “War is horrifying.”
Conclusion
- After reading the poem for a second time, I can fully understand that Crane wanted to make war seem like it was nothing to worry about. However, Crane subliminally uses an ominous tone to describe both the reality of war and the misery of the family.
The Oven Bird, By: Robert Frost
Original
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 sing 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.
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.
First Impression
- Robert Frost’s The Oven Bird is a straightforward poem. In this poem, Frost talks about a bird as he sings throughout the seasons. It seems that the bird is experiencing the change in the wild life as the seasons change. Throughout the poem, Frost usesjoyful words and has a pleasurable feel. However, I cannot pin point the major point of The Oven Bird.
Paraphrased
There is a well known singer,
Who is loud, a summer bird,
Who makes the trees feel alive again.
The bird says the leaves are old and that the flowers need the sun of summer.
He says that the early petals say that fall is over
When the pears and cherry blooms fall from the heavy rain.
And on those sunny days a moment cast;
And comes that other drop we call fall.
The bird says that the dust is over all.
The bird would sing just like the other birds,
But he knows that singing is not singing.
The question that he poses in words
Is what to make of a tragedy.
Syntax and Word Choice
- The Oven Bird is a single stanza that follows the rhyme scheme of AABCBDCDEEFGHG. Most of the lines are viewed from a bird’s P.O.V. Furthermore, most of the lines are related to nature. Frost also includes assonance and two couplets, yet he does not add them at the end.
Imagery
- Robert Frost cleverly uses different words when referring to the seasons. The center image in the poem is the tree. In the poem, the tree symbolizes life, in that, life is essentially short. Also, as the poem progresses, the tree goes into the cycle of life and death.
Figurative Language
- One example of figurative language is the birds understanding the changes in the season. Another example is when the bird is singing about its surroundings; this could be classified as personification.
Tone
- The tone can best be described as calm, in respects to the environment. However at the end of the poem, Frost states that “He says the highway dust is over all… / the question that he frames in all but words / is what to make of a diminished thing.” Those last two lines keep the readers in suspense.
Theme
- The overall theme is that life is short and to not waste your life. Symbolically, the seasons emphasize the idea of life and death where, spring is the beginning of life, summer is the middle of life, fall is the preparation for death, and winter is the moment of death.
Conclusion
- Now that I fully understand the overall theme of The Oven Bird, I feel that I can understand the poem better. In addition, SWIFTT has enable me to see that the tone shifts from happy and cheery to solemn and suspenseful.
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 sing 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.
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.
First Impression
- Robert Frost’s The Oven Bird is a straightforward poem. In this poem, Frost talks about a bird as he sings throughout the seasons. It seems that the bird is experiencing the change in the wild life as the seasons change. Throughout the poem, Frost usesjoyful words and has a pleasurable feel. However, I cannot pin point the major point of The Oven Bird.
Paraphrased
There is a well known singer,
Who is loud, a summer bird,
Who makes the trees feel alive again.
The bird says the leaves are old and that the flowers need the sun of summer.
He says that the early petals say that fall is over
When the pears and cherry blooms fall from the heavy rain.
And on those sunny days a moment cast;
And comes that other drop we call fall.
The bird says that the dust is over all.
The bird would sing just like the other birds,
But he knows that singing is not singing.
The question that he poses in words
Is what to make of a tragedy.
Syntax and Word Choice
- The Oven Bird is a single stanza that follows the rhyme scheme of AABCBDCDEEFGHG. Most of the lines are viewed from a bird’s P.O.V. Furthermore, most of the lines are related to nature. Frost also includes assonance and two couplets, yet he does not add them at the end.
Imagery
- Robert Frost cleverly uses different words when referring to the seasons. The center image in the poem is the tree. In the poem, the tree symbolizes life, in that, life is essentially short. Also, as the poem progresses, the tree goes into the cycle of life and death.
Figurative Language
- One example of figurative language is the birds understanding the changes in the season. Another example is when the bird is singing about its surroundings; this could be classified as personification.
Tone
- The tone can best be described as calm, in respects to the environment. However at the end of the poem, Frost states that “He says the highway dust is over all… / the question that he frames in all but words / is what to make of a diminished thing.” Those last two lines keep the readers in suspense.
Theme
- The overall theme is that life is short and to not waste your life. Symbolically, the seasons emphasize the idea of life and death where, spring is the beginning of life, summer is the middle of life, fall is the preparation for death, and winter is the moment of death.
Conclusion
- Now that I fully understand the overall theme of The Oven Bird, I feel that I can understand the poem better. In addition, SWIFTT has enable me to see that the tone shifts from happy and cheery to solemn and suspenseful.
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