Hello minions...muhahahaha! Just kidding! I was watching Despicable Me. So our blog this week is about a subject near and dear to me...Poetry!!!!! Oh, how I love poetry!!
Poetry is what we say when our hearts are full
when we come to words in moments where clarity
is a bird flitting about our head, a rarity--
lost and elusive. Here is where we twist and try to pull
hoping to make meaning out of all that is chaos
to finally remove ourselves from life's confining box.
Poetry is how we find the questions no one will answer
and pose the ones grown in sadness, in fear, the him or the her.
It is rooted in the belief that words can save us, keep us,
protect us, but instead what we find is a new breed of justice
sworn to uphold a belief. We walk with our heads a little bit higher
for these words together build within those who listen a fire
meant to consume, and in the end truly inspire.
What I want you to do for this week is post your favorite poem. If it is really long, just post a small part or it--a couple stanzas. Once you post it, tell us why it is your favorite. We all come to poetry for different reasons. Please share yours. Happy posting!!!!!
108 comments:
Where the Sidewalk Ends
By Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
Where the Sidewalk Ends talks about the different paths that you can take in life and there conclusion. It also explains that even though problems arise in your life, you can get through them if you follow the right path. Overall, this is my favorite poem because of the positive effect it reflects on you. It helps you stay optimistic about the bad event we all face in life and in the end, makes you a stronger person.
Look Well to This Day
Look well to this day,
For it and it alone is life.
In its brief course
Lie all the essence of your existence:
The Glory of Growth
The Satisfaction of Achievement
The Splendor of Beauty
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is but a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
I personally really enjoy this poem because I find it to be very inspirational. It is saying how we should be happy with each day and live it to the fullest. This poem reminds me not to dwell or get upset over the small things and to live every day to its best!
SCAFFOLDING
Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;
Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.
And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.
So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.
Seamus Heaney
I am not much of poem enthusiast, but Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney is a poem that shows a relationship between a foundation of a building and the foundation human relationships. It is a poem that doesn't need to be read twice to be understood. Even for the most novice of poem readers, this poem can prove its point. This is why I enjoy this poem. I like poem that don't need multiple readings to find meaning. It's a poem that any individuals can relate to, as all humans form some form of relationship.
Your True Self
By Unknown
To show your true self would be a crime
You don't want anyone to know that you cry
You act so happy to make them smile
But behind closed doors nothing's worth while
You cry when you spend the night
Because I'm the only one who will listen
All those you were there for turn their backs
But I'm always here for you and you know that
So tell me all secrets
And feed me no more lies
And I'll try and help you through and this pain inside.
This is my favorite poem because it shows true friendship. It tells you that you should always be yourself and those who care about you and love the real you will stick around, but those who don't aren't worth your time.
Generations Past
Days fly by quickly
and children move on.
Before we know it
the ‘old times’ are gone.
But as we look back
at generations gone by,
We, reflect on the memories
that serve as a tie.
Binding us together
with future and past;
and building a story
that forever will last.
When I read this poem it reminds me that every day I am building a story. The poem expresses “but as we look back…that will forever last”, I think of this as putting new pages in life that cannot be erased. It shows that we have a limited time and need to be enjoying life. Living every day to the fullest, it is easy to say and hard to do. The poem also says that we need to look back on generations. Parents and Grandparents help us to live life. They provide a solid platform until we can venture out on our own. Generations Past is a symbol of life. The lives lived, and the lives still being lived. I am building a story every day that will last forever.
Lydia Sch. 2
"I Love You All"
By Linda C Fine
I have lived to love
and loved to live
but when the love is gone
will my life be over
My heart is filled with love and joy
it beats with every stroke of laughter
My family and friends are the reason I live
When they all move on will my life be gone
Every holiday, every
when that piece is gone I will miss you all
for my heart stops beating
my life has come to an end
for this reason I tell you now
every salty tear, every whining weep
is just a cry from inside trying to say
I LOVE YOU ALL
"I Love You All" is one of my favorite poems because my family and friends are my life. It is true for myself that my loved ones make up my heart and I couldn't imagine living in a life without them. The author feels if all of her family and friends were gone her life would be over, for me I feel the same. Also, not everyone can live forever so it's better to tell them now how much you care about them and how much they mean to you.
~Olivia W. 2
a change in perspective
A change in perspective
will change a sunshine filled hour
into a melting, hot, and unbearable eternity.
A change in perspective
will change a meadow of flowers
into a plot of weeds.
A change in perspective
will change a barren wasteland
into a field of opportunity.
A change in perspective
will change a bleak, dark room
into a place of sweet rest.
A change in perspective
is all anyone needs
so go and change.
Make flowers out of weeds.
inspired by Phillip Kenneth Starck
Tis poem is one of my favorites because it is very true. THe way you change your perspective can totally change the way things are too you. It reminds you to stay positive and keep a good, positive perspective.
My favorite poem is probably "The road not taken" by Jack Frost.
Tworoads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to way,I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.
I am not quite sure why I like this poem, it is just peaceful and relaxing for me to read. I really enjoy the meaning of this poem.
~Kristen P. 7\8*
My Childhood
My childhood was the time when I was innocent
When the world seemed to be fair
When my universe was around my toys
My childhood was the time when I lived in dreams
When everyone was selfless
When everyone appeared to be a friend
My childhood was the time when my life was full of colors
When sorrows never knocked my door
When smile was gift presented to everyone
My childhood was the time when love was pure
When there were no obligations
When tenderness prevailed
My childhood was the time which is long gone
Tears flow from my eyes when I go back in my childhood
My childhood will never come back but
The child in me will never go.
When I first saw this poem, I thought that everything about it was true in my life. I always thought that being older was something to look forward to but looking beck now, I think "Why did I ever want to be this way?" Looking back on my life makes me think that everything then was nothing to worry about and everything was pure. I didn't have to worry about anything and nothing really ever bothered me unless something like my parents splitting up at the age of eight. Looking back has some good things like everything that seems funny because I was even the one laughing when I was the one hurt. Then there's the bad things like my dog named Diogi, we had to give him up and that was really sad because he was the one who I could play with and hold all the time. I look back in childhood and think wow I had the best life, and now its all ruined because of all the mistakes I made because of some things that happened in my childhood.
~Amanda Caspary 3*~
Life is a Journey
Unknown
Sail, explore the vastness
Feast on the bounty
There is more to life
In between pain and despair
Surf, ride along the possibilities
Chances can’t be scarce
To those who search
Success won’t be far away
Float; run with the wind of change
Lots of riddles to be solved
Life is a quest, a voyage
Uncertainties make it a challenge
Getaway, leave the crib of doubt
In your hand, the power
Inside you, the great fire
Let it flare; shine and be at the top
Life is a Journey is my favorite poem because is speaks about taking chances and living your life to the fullest. No matter what happens, life still goes on and it is always possible to come out on top. This poem inspires me to always look on the bright side of things and to live without regrets.
Testament
By:Taras Shevchenko
When I am dead, bury me
In my beloved Ukraine,
My tomb upon a grave mound high
Amid the spreading plain,
So that the fields, the boundless steppes,
The Dnieper's plunging shore
My eyes could see, my ears could hear
The mighty river roar.
When from Ukraine the Dnieper bears
Into the deep blue sea
The blood of foes ... then will I leave
These hills and fertile fields --
I'll leave them all and fly away
To the abode of God,
And then I'll pray .... But till that day
I nothing know of God.
Oh bury me, then rise ye up
And break your heavy chains
And water with the tyrants' blood
The freedom you have gained.
And in the great new family,
The family of the free,
With softly spoken, kindly word
Remember also me.
This is my favorite poem because it is showing love for my country and its beauty. This is also showing his protection over Ukraine and watching it over and guarding it from Russia and Poland.
SUCCESS
To laugh often and much
to win the respect of intelligent people
and affection of children; to earn the
appreciation of honest critics and
endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best
in others; to leave the world a bit
better, whether by a healthy child
a garden patch or redeemed
social condition; to know even
one life has breathed easier because
you have lived. This is to have
succeeded.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
This poem, Success by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is one of my favorite poems, and since I am not a big fan of poetry, that just proves it is good. This is my favorite poem because it straight out tells the definition of success in the words of the average person, it does not give any text-book definitions; just thoughts. The author, Emerson, has obviously reached success, whether one believes it to be money or reaching happiness, and can tell about it due to his experience. This just gives the impression that success is possible, but you just need to go get it. Basically, the poem serves as an inspiration that feeds my soul (with soul food :D ).
My favorite poem is probably Buttercups and Daisies because its just makes me happy everytime i read it. it is by Mary Howitt
now tell me this does not make you want to smile :).....
Buttercups and daisies-
Oh the pretty flowers,
Coming ere the springtime
To tell of sunny hours.
While the trees are leafless,
While the fields are bare,
Buttercups and daisies
Spring up here and there.
This poem Talks about how springtime is coming about after the long winter.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Author unknown
This is absolutely one of my favorite poems. There are many times in my day where I simply feel like giving up. Im tired of doing homework, tired of studying, and tired of having to read for classes. And in these times I find myself thinking "What is all this for, so I can see an A on my report card?" I obviously know that homework is much more important than that. We all complain, but without homework, where would we be? Its one thing to know something, but to apply that knowledge is completely different. In times where I feel like quitting, I read this poem to myself slowly and quietly. My eighth grade teacher shared this with me last year, and since then, It has really impacted my outlook. Another reason that I enjoy the poem is that I feel it is easy to relate to. There are times in everyones life where we feel like quitting, and the poem discusses this feeling in different circumstances. The final line is one of the most powerful for me... "It's when things seem worse that you must not quit." When things are at their worse, this is the time where we want to quit. The poem says that it is in these times that we must especially not quit and be strong. I have been empowered by this poem, and it has driven me to do many things that I may not have done without it.
~Ryan M. 2
"The time has come," the Walrus
said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--And whether pigs have wings."
The Walrus and the Carpenter
-Lewis Carroll
I was first introduced to this poem on the PBS kids show Arthur, when it was read by the animated Jack Perlutsky, and reintroduced to it when my sister wrote the poem and drew pictures to go along with it. Not only does this poem remind me of my childhood and my sister, but I love the poem itself. It is full of imagination and creativity. I have always associated poems with rhymes, which this one rhymes and has a steady rhythm. The imagination is a reason I enjoy this poem so much. For one, a Walrus is making his statement, which is comical in itself. Then the Walrus brings in random topics in which they were going to discuss-topics that have no relation to each other whatsoever. This poem makes me smile every time I read it, the fun and random spirit it has radiates through the words.
Leah W. 1
You are the sunlight in my day,
You are the moon I see far away.
You are the tree I lean upon,
You are the one that makes troubles be gone.
You are the one who taught me life,
How not to fight, and what is right.
You are the words inside my song,
You are my love, my life, my mom.
You are the one who cares for me,
You are the eyes that help me see.
You are the one who knows me best,
When it's time to have fun and time to rest.
You are the one who has helped me to dream,
You hear my heart and you hear my screams.
Afraid of life but looking for love,
I'm blessed for God sent you from above.
You are my friend, my heart, and my soul
You are the greatest friend I know.
You are the words inside my song,
You are my love, my life, my Mom
Source: A Poem For Mom http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/a-poem-for-mom#ixzz1p7M1HZfl
www.FamilyFriendPoems.com
This is my favorite poem because my mom has always been there for me. Through the fights with my friends and loves ended she will never not love me. She was always there when I was sick to make me feel better and there will never be something that brings us apart. I love her more than anything on the world.
Hey Guys!! Sophmore here, and this is a peoem that I STRONGLY suggest that YOU READ for it is quite AMUSING!!! :D
~The Bagel
By: David Ignatow
"I stopped to pick up the bagel
rolling away in the wind,
annoyed with myself
for having dropped it
as if it were a portent.
Faster and faster it rolled,
with me running after it
bent low, gritting my teeth,
and I found myself doubled over
and rolling down the street
head over heels, one complete somersault
after another like a bagel
and strangely happy with myself."
So this poem seems to be about making mistakes (dropping the bagel) and getting annoyed with ourselves. We will obviously try to fix the mistake (chasing after the bagel), but sometimes the best part of making a mistake is just laughing at ourselves. We all make mistakes, and yes they make us look like fools, so yes people might laugh at you...but that's because it's funny, so laugh with them! Do not get too overwhelmed if your bagel rolls away because honestly, it is not that big of a deal. So here's some advice: if your bagel rolls away, laugh!!!!
~aPerkins~
Crayons
I had a box of crayons,
all shiny straight and new.
I lent a friend a crayon,
and OOPS it broke in two.
My friend said she was sorry,
but I said, I don't care,
Cuz now we both can color
with one crayon we can share
I really like this short poem because i first read it when i was six years old and i loved it so much i memorized it. its so positive and its looking at the bright side of things
Oh captain my captain.
Walt Whitman
O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart! 5
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
2
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills; 10
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck, 15
You’ve fallen cold and dead.
3
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; 20
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
-This is my favorite poem because I love the meaning behind it. In such a great time, something tragic can happen and did happen (refering to Abe Lincoln after the civil war). I have always loved this poem for no real great reason but it is my favorite.
-Sarah P. 1*
Still I Rise
By Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Still I Rise is about having confidence in yourself, and not letting anyone get you down. Today in our society we place such a high value on what others think of us, and sometimes we fashion our own lives off of the opinions of others. I like this poem because I think it sends a good message. It tells us that we should all be the person we want to be and we shouldn't let anyone change that.
The Raven
By: Edgar Allen Poe
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore--
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
"'Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door--
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul has spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!--quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadows on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted--nevermore!
This is my favorite poem because I love the metaphor of the raven which represents his conscience.
254
"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—
I've heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.
~Emily Dickinson
I love this poem particularly because it tries to explain the unexplainable. How could one define hope? it is such a feeling and state that it can't really be comprised down to a few words, but the speaker of this poem knows what hope is to them, and they describe it as a bird. I have a large amount of respect for creative metaphors and comparisons, and I think that this poem captures hope well as "the thing with feathers". I feel as if Emily Dickinson not only writes a beautiful definition, but also, with her closing lines, gives the real idea that just a hope doesn't make the world better. The speaker never was asked anything by hope, and I like how this is the final thought rather than something gooey and happy. This poem by Emily Dickinson is my favorite poem because of the flowing and beautiful language used to explain a real thing.
A. Jankovsky 7-8 period
Isn't It Funny?
it's funny how hello is always accompanied with goodbye,
It's funny how good memories can start to make you cry,
It's funny how forever never seems to really last,
It's funny how much you'd loose if you forgot about your past,
It's funny how friends can just leave you when you're down,
It's funny how when you need someone they're never around,
It's funny how people can change and think they're so much better,
It's funny how many lies can be packed in one ''love letter'',
It's funny how people can forgive even though they can't forget,
It's funny how one night can contain so much regret,
It's funny how ironic life turns out to be,
But the funniest part,
Is that none of it is funny...
To me.
When people say that it was funny when someone does something bad and they say they're sorry, they almost are never true. The saying "it's funny" doesn't always mean a good thing.
Gigi
© Derek Chandler
Grandmothers are always here to comfort you,
No matter what you do.
They dry your tears; help you conquer your fears,
And say they will love you for all your years.
Mine always told me to give it my all,
To never give up, even if I fall.
She was always there when I needed a friend
And time with her I loved to spend.
Oh that day, that horrible day,
The day I was informed and I had much dismay.
I didn’t know what to say or do,
I was sad and heartbroken and didn’t know if I could push through.
The funeral was depressing and I couldn’t help but cry.
My tears were like rain, I felt like I could just die.
I miss her so much; I wish she was here,
But even though she’s gone, I still hear her whisper "I love you" in my ear.
This is not my favorite poem..but for this month it is..a year ago on the 31st my Grandmother died of many things, everyday i try to push through for her. Always think she is watching over me, and protecting me. I feel her here sometimes. She's in my dreams to reassure she is fine..but i always wonder how she really feels. My grandma was my best friend, she judged me, but now in days that's normal. I love my grandma, everyday, that will no change ever.
Last comment AlisonAnderson 5/6th
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and is tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom
The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
I chose this poem because I feel like many people can relate to it, including me. Sometimes life makes you feel exactly like a caged bird; however, this doesn't usually make you want to sing. I like that the caged bird sings of freedom because it inspires you to, even if you are feeling down, to 'sing of freedom' or pus past it and don't let it bring you down. I turn to poetry when I have nothing else to do or I need some inspiring. I, personally, like Maya Angelou's poetry when I am looking for inspiration.
Corrine Luzier ^
2*
I Am Waiting
By Mackenzie Hernandez
I am waiting for Blues to find her own clues,
For barney to realize we love him too,
I am waiting for kids to give up their toys and share,
To finally look where I’m going and stop tripping over air,
I am waiting for Batman to be recognized as better than Superman,
For girls to realize that orange skin isn’t a real tan,
I am waiting for something I am allowed to burn,
Or maybe just realize that fire really does hurt.
This is only the first stanza in a poem that my cousin wrote when she was in high school. This is one of my favorite poems because it is modern and true and, one cannot see it here because this is only the first stanza, but as the poem continues, she elaborates on more important issues and the subjects get more sophisticated than cartoons and it shows how we grow up and leave behind what mattered to us in the past to find our passions that we will use to create a good life for ourselves in the future.
~Katie D. 7/8º
All That is Gold Does Not Glitter
By J.R.R. Tolkien
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
This is my favorite poem not only because it's from my favorite movie -the Lord of the Rings- but also because it holds deep meaning in all of it's simplicity. It's such a beautiful poem that talks straightforwardly about some of the great exceptions to failure. Not all those who are old lose their strength, and something broken can be remade. Personally, my favorite line of the poem is "Not all those who wander are lost" because it really speaks to me. I feel like I look at the world through the eyes of a child; I am a drifter and a thing full of curiosity. Yes I am a wanderer, but that doesn't mean I don't know where my feet are taking me.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I enjoy this poem because it talks about how when a person makes a decision they don't know how it will effect them in the long run or what it could lead to in the future. Life is a mystery filled with unknown and by following your gut and going for your dream, something many people don't do, it can lead to a great outcome.
Why I Love You
by:udiah
You give to me hope
And help me to cope
When life pulls me down
You bring me around
You teach me to care
And help me to share
You make me honest
With kindness the best
From you I learned love
With grace from above
It's for you I live
And I want to give
this is a quote about a true friendship someone has with their true love and they are best friends and it makes me realize this could happen to me someday and it is all true with what it is saying that's why i like this poem.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
--Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I like this poem because I think it describes the true meaning of love. I keep it on my night stand as a reminder that love truly does exist in the world.
SCAFFOLDING
Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;
Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.
And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.
So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.
Seamus Heaney
I am not much of poem enthusiast, but Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney is a poem that shows a relationship between a foundation of a building and the foundation human relationships. It is a poem that doesn't need to be read twice to be understood. Even for the most novice of poem readers, this poem can prove its point. This is why I enjoy this poem. I like poem that don't need multiple readings to find meaning. It's a poem that any individuals can relate to, as all humans form some form of relationship.
Rachel Javorsky 7/8
You start dying the second you're born
so don't let you life be an 80 year-long scorn
about how you should be more careful in the things that you do
live life on the edge and try everything you can get yourself through
don't be a slave to every rule in the book
because back on your life you will look
and regret chances you have never taken
and all the things you have mistaken
yet on the contrary I want you to see
don't rob yourself of whatever you want your life to be
don't throw your life away on one stupid decision
don't get yourself killed and make yourself stop living
the key is not to live as a dare-devil
but to take opportunities you thought you could never
life is pen, you cannot erase
but the spice of life is variety which is also in good taste
-Wyatt Campbell
Hands down, this is my absolute favorite poem, no questions asked. Live life to the fullest; take risks and do what you want. Have fun and don't have regrets. For one aspect, I like the rhyme scheme. However, it's the meaning behind the poem that I favor. I live by the motto, "Live it up", meaning to take risks and take chances, be who I want to be, not who someone tells me to be. This poem describes everything that I put forth in life, how I love chances, and try not to live with mistakes, because as the poem states, "Life is pen, you cannot erase".
Kaylee Lhotsky, 7/8
And Still It Isn’t Done
By David Pekrul
I haven't got the energy to do the things I should,
I need to get a few things done, and would if just I could,
But time slips by and gets away, and still it isn't done,
Although I promised it would be, by setting of the sun.
I know I said it once before and now I say again,
I'll try to get the ceiling fixed before it starts to rain,
But clouds are forming in the sky and still it has a hole,
And now the rain is coming down and it will take its toll.
The yard is just a muddy pond where children have to play,
And though I said I'd plant a lawn before the end of day,
I find there isn't any time with many things to do,
And I will get so little done before the day is through.
But there's 'tomorrow', not 'today,' and I will do it then,
I'll fix the ceiling; plant the lawn before you count to ten,
But you have counted many times and still it isn't done,
And though I try to do my best, I'm back where I've begun.
Please learn a lesson from my tale and don't procrastinate,
For if you do what I have done, you'll always come in late,
And have to formulate at lie to justify your deeds,
You'll not enjoy the home and lawn; instead you'll pull the 'weeds'.
This poem speaks about how human nature forces us to put things off and to leave things to the last minute. I feel I can connect to this because I personally know I procrastinate a lot, and I find myself coming up with similar excuses of “not having enough energy” and “always having tomorrow”. Additionally, I also feel that I can connect with the idea of how leaving things can take its toll upon that person. From experience, I have learned the hard way about this, by leaving papers and assignments to the last minute, and getting bad grades or being stressed out. Also, I can correlate with the idea of breaking promises out of lack of interest and indifference. For instance, I know a lot of times with my parents and my schoolwork I find myself rushing to complete what I said would get done a while ago. Overall, I can see a reflection of myself within this poem; by analyzing the details and the excuses of each, I begin to see how procrastination takes over my life. Also, I feel this poem helps me to recognize the full severity of procrastination and its damage.
Stop Thief!
by Shel Silverstein
Policeman, policeman,
Help me please.
Someone went and stole my knees.
I'd chase him down but i suspect
My feet and legs just won't connect.
"Stop Thief!" is my favorite poem and it always has been because my grandma would always read it to my sister, brother and I. She would do a certain voice and make us laugh. We all memorized the poem when we were little kids and just never forgot it. Now every time I hear the poem or recite it to myself, I think of her, and how much I love and miss her.
You Will Not Miss Me When I am Gone
By Ryan Adams [Condensed Version]
Car goes past the window in the room
the lamp by the bed burned out last night and its almost afternoon
seashore lined with bars
Broadway girls missing into the mouth of the moon
mid-autumn
and you will not miss me when I am gone
Heaven and Earth
Body and Soul
last light of day
flowers in the cold
sand and sea
how happy we used to be
memory
oh you
two tickets for the movies foolishly bought in line
one stub just me
I do this s*** all the time
think for two
on my sea-lined shore of fake bars
with fake lights and fake nights
and fake drunks with fake drunk fights
there are holes in my wallet pocket
from where my lonely chair rubs
as I write nothing but alibis
and you will not miss this when I am gone
I leave with my head hung as low as a gong for now
for you are strong
and weighted to the ground
and you will not miss me when I am gone
This is my favorite poem though I only could post a few lines. I am not a huge fan of poetry, but there are a few poems like this, which seem to really captivate me. This poem shows this love that has ended and the time passing after it, compared to how things used to be. I really like this poem because Ryan Adams does not write it in a cliche or powdered way. He writes it in a way that makes it easy to understand with lines that are used as metaphors but could be real situations. I really just like how he has a matter of fact tone and isn't trying to prove anything.
- Maddy G. 1st Period
Still I Rise
by Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
I really like the repetition, sound, and beat of this poem. It lets me to believe that no matter what dreams that I may have, I can rise and will reach them. The message is clear in this poem: No matter how much someone tears you down, you can and will rise above them.
-Amanda C 7/8* period
Happiness, you see, is just an illusion of Fate,
A heavenly slight of hand designed to make you believe in fairytales.
But there's no happily ever after.
You'll only find happy endings in books.
Some books.
Quote from the book "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins
"Burned" is easily one of my most favorite books and surprisingly it is all written in free verse poetry. This is just one exert from the book. Even though this passage is dark and cynical, I like it because it describes the book an portrays the attitude of the narrator. The varying sentence structure impacts how the poetry is read and builds suspense. Will this book be one I the few that does have a happy ending? When I first read this in the book, it got me hooked to discover how the story will end.
Fear has a sterile form
grows without life
stealing minutes from your dreams
insistent steps to create forms that you should have done
Instead it keeps you like a dragon on a leash
and allows you to breathe only the dust of those dreams burning
as sacrifices to the shadows altars
How many times have you wanted to shake instead of waiting?
How many times have you cut out the bodies of the past
of this skin that I've never hidden?
The world collapses in her fear of making mistakes
not to find food in the trash of others
among nations that share not to be spying on the nights
between the certainty of death without hope
without whispers that we should close their eyes
we live in fear
dying of life ....
This is my favorite poem because it explains what fear can do and it shows what fear has on a person.
When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.
-Robert Frost
This is probably my favorite poem. I absolutely love this poem because the meaning is so clear and explains how life is short and we should make the most of it in a way. It is called "A time to talk" because we all should take time out of our day or in the middle of doing something to talk. Communication is what makes relationships strong so we should take the time to talk.
lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy jane, she wanted a drink of water so she waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for it to rain.
i love this poem because sometimes in life we dont want to do things we have to do sometimes so we depend on others to do it for us
-Kaitlyn Pieper
lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy jane, she wanted a drink of water so she waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for it to rain.
i love this poem because sometimes in life we dont want to do things we have to do sometimes so we depend on others to do it for us
-Kaitlyn Pieper
Lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy Jane, she wanted a drink of water so she waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for it to rain.-Shel Silverstein
I love this poem because sometimes in life we want things but we don’t want to achieve them yourself you depend on others to do it for you
-Kaitlyn Pieper
Lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy Jane, she wanted a drink of water so she waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for it to rain.-Shel Silverstein
I love this poem because sometimes in life we want things but we don’t want to achieve them yourself you depend on others to do it for you
-Kaitlyn Pieper
Lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy Jane, she wanted a drink of water so she waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for it to rain.-Shel Silverstein
I love this poem because sometimes in life we want things but we don’t want to achieve them yourself you depend on others to do it for you
-Kaitlyn Pieper
Lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy lazy Jane, she wanted a drink of water so she waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for it to rain.-Shel Silverstein
I love this poem because sometimes in life we want things but we don’t want to achieve them yourself you depend on others to do it for you
-Kaitlyn Pieper
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."'
Edgar Allan Poe-The Raven
It is my favorite because it has a deep dark meaning, and reading it makes me happy.
The History Teacher
Billy Collins
Trying to protect his students' innocence
he told them the Ice Age was really just
the Chilly Age, a period of a million years
when everyone had to wear sweaters.
And the Stone Age became the Gravel Age,
named after the long driveways of the time.
The Spanish Inquisition was nothing more
than an outbreak of questions such as
"How far is it from here to Madrid?"
"What do you call the matador's hat?"
The War of the Roses took place in a garden,
and the Enola Gay dropped one tiny atom on Japan.
The children would leave his classroom
for the playground to torment the weak
and the smart,
mussing up their hair and breaking their glasses,
while he gathered up his notes and walked home
past flower beds and white picket fences,
wondering if they would believe that soldiers
in the Boer War told long, rambling stories
designed to make the enemy nod off.
This is my favorite poem because it is real. This piece demonstrates society as it is today pretty efficiently. We all want to be perfect, which I believe is part of the human nature. In order to protect the children from the horror of the world they live in it is sugar coated, making us and the world we live in seem perfect. However this poem talks about how the children "torment" others on the playground. Children naturally will loose their innocence as life goes on, so why not just be real with them?
- Haley Y. 1st period
Paper Weight Pig
By Jesse Korman
Stand clear of the closing doors.
Punch in your sleazy dignity.
It's almost time to eyeball those interns.
Eight hours of conference calls.
Eight hours of brown nosing.
Eight hours of boardrooms.
Put down the pen paperweight pig.
Insatiable wants and greed.
Put down the pen paperweight pig.
Hang your head for what you lead.
The weekends are the only time I really live.
The cancer lies within us all.
They can't whisper when they wanna scream.
They can't work as a team.
Kiss your wife, not that intern.
Corporate world has no u-turn.
If you applied, then just don't return.
Money under the table for congressmen.
For those broken environment regulations.
Anything is possible in the corporate world.
Million dollar compensation for executives.
While posting billion dollar quarter loses.
As Mrs. Perrin knows, I am not one for poetry, but i particularly like this piece. I feel this piece speaks for those that have to work in cubicles. And more importantly, speaks about all the corruption that exists in private industry. The poem really speaks for itself.
I'm not going to post a poem, because no one poem is my favorite poem. I believe that everyone is born different from each other. No matter how many things two friends may both like or both do, there is always going to be at least one thing that makes them different. People are like snowflakes; the likelihood of two being exactly the same is almost impossible, and even if two are the same, they will probably never be in the same area long enough to meet each other.
This is why I have no favorite poem. Each and every poem is a way for the author to express themselves and their thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. This means they are showing that among people, different is normal.
I did say that I don't have one favorite poem, but I do have a few favorite poems.
The Good Left Undone by Rise Against
My Creed by Dean Alfange
The Eye of Soul by Oliver Mbamara
"Nothing Gold Can Stay"
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost
This is one of my favorite poems called "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost. I am not entirely sure why I like this poem so much, but I would guess that it has to do mostly with the imagery that is created in the poem. I can picture the entire poem easily and it is a very serene and beautiful picture; the sunrise illuminating everything with golden light then subsiding as the day starts. I just think it is a beautiful poem and there really isn’t any other reason why I like it.
C. Lenhoff- 1.
Dreams
By: Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
I love this poem because it signifies the importance of dreams. Hughes writes, "For when dreams go, life is a barren field, frozen with snow." When you picture a barren field frozen with snow, you think of nothing. Hughes is saying that when you let a dream go, you are nothing. I think that this is an important concept. It shows that without dreams, we are nothing. I believe that's absolutely true. That is why I love this poem.
-Jacki K. 1*
One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy belly
Of Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.
-Shel Silverstein
This poem shows all the different ways and personalities of people. No one knows what you might end up as. Life changes with the rest of the world. Each puzzle piece is different, but once together it forms a complete picture. This goes along with life, family and friends. Each person is an addition to the ending picture or life.
The Weight of Nothing
Amy Uyematsu
III
we’ve all seen them—
looking at their empty
outstretched palms,
and we’re fooled, thinking
about what isn’t there.
sighing, they marvel
at all they’ve held in those hands,
their history revealed
in the thickened joints,
the full weight of their desire—
even now, incredible
hands still opening
and grasping
when there’s nothing to keep.
IV
without my friend Nothing
on the page, I’d never have to write
another poem. but Nothing waits
here, waving me on, inviting me
to rap and rant, pray sing, testify
what is, was, could, and always will be.
I greet all that’s coming,
contained as sheer breath
into word, born
to crave and engrave the emptiness
that Nothing can’t stop giving.
I really enjoy this poem because it proposes the complex idea that nothing is actually something. The first half of what I posted tells about people who have worked so hard and have earned nothing but tired hands. Maybe it is a homeless person, or even somebody in not such a desperate situation, but still has gained little in life. They look at their hands and realize despite all they have worked for, they have nothing and that lack of possession is scary and stressful. If one has not a penny to their name, what are they to do with life? They can't do anything with life, they must simply be, they can't life. The second half speaks of the poets own frustrations, of when she has no inspiration or ideas for a poem, and she sits there thinking while a blank sheet of paper with nothing on it stares back at her. The nothingness is stressful in this situation too, upsetting the poet, while she racks her brain for something to write about.
I love this poem, mainly because of the abstract idea it proposes; nothing is something. Nothing is around us and stresses us, and is a large part of the world. She speaks of nothing as if it were a person, physically there, discouraging and scaring all of its victims. I like this poem mainly because of the last stanza, when the poet has writers block, because this often happens to me. I get upset staring at a blank sheet of paper so much so, that I forget to take a break and look for inspiration.
Natalie S. 1*
Little Beast
By Richard Siken
History repeats itself. Somebody says this.
History throws its shadow over the beginning, over the desktop,
over the sock drawer with its socks, its hidden letters.
History is a little man in a brown suit
trying to define a room he is outside of.
I know history. There are many names in history
but none of them are ours.
"Little Beast" has been my favorite poem ever since I stumbled upon it, I love the flow and word choice, but this particular stanza always stood out the most. My favorite line is, "History is a little man in a brown suit trying to define a room he is outside of." The author is trying to show that often history doesn't show the real, bare facts.
Morgan D, 2nd period
My favorite poem is "The road not taken" by Jack Frost.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to way,I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.
I like this poem a lot because we looked at it last year and it has a really good message to it. Life will always give you different "paths" to take, just take the one right for you.
Identity Of I
Identity is not what I promise others
Identity is what I do when I am alone
Identity is what I think of others
Knowing all the hatred they've shown
Identity is what every wound reminds me
Identity is what I learn and what I pass by
Identity is what I see in the mirror
After giving my best try
Identity is what I make out of my given chance
Identity is what I accept and what I deny
No one else has control over me
Life is about me, and what I identify
This is one of my favorite poems because it expresses the identity of yourself and how it's who and what you really are. It's bigger than your personality and character. It's the you that nobody else can see.
Lydia Stephens 2*
I am a poet hoarder, lover, enthusiast, etc, so I cannot pick my favorite poem of all time- I simply do not have one. But, my favorite poem this month is Indian Summer by Dorothy Parker:
In youth, it was a way I had
To do my best to please,
And change, with every passing lad,
To suit his theories.
But now I know the things I know,
And do the things I do;
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you!
My mother introduced me to this poem a little bit ago. She adores all of Parker's work. Directly, this poem is about how she would change for each man who was brought into her life, but now after experience she has learned that if someone does not love her, for her, they can exit her life. This poem has given me a new perceptive and gives me the confidence to hold my head up high and except my flaws; which is why I love this poem.
WhatIf By Shel Silverstein
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow talle?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
the nighttime Whatifs strike again!
Jared Svoboda
The Dash
By: Linda Ellis
I read of a revernd who stood to speak
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning... to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
For the dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own;
the cars... the house... the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard...
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
(You could be at "dash mid-range.")
If we could just slow down enough
to consider what is real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that special dash
might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is read
and your life's actions are rehashed...
will you be proud of the things said
about you spent your dash?
I came across this poem at a funeral in southern Ohio for my father's-friend's-mother's death. I never even met the women so I was, admittEdly, a little bored. This was framed on one of the walls in the lobby so I read it. I fell in love with this poem. It's so true and using the dash on a tombstone as a metaphor for life is actually rather ingenious. It's like all our life boils down to one little line and we sure as heck better make it worth it. Thinking about this poem makes me enjoy life a little bit more because it reminds just how uncertain life can be.
-Angela G. 2*
Dreams by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
The reason why this is my favorite poem is because it is realistic. It’s not about fairy tales, and it does not give away false information. I believe in dreaming, whether I am awake or asleep. This poem describes why people should dream. Dreams can turn a fantasy into a reality. Dreams make a person human. Dreams are what everyone has, and how they choose to make it come true is their choice. I have a dream, and that is to go to college to become a doctor. This poem helps me aim for my goal, by telling me to not give up on my goal.
The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The Road Not Taken is my favorite poem of all time. I've always held it to a high standard because I remember my mom reading it to me when I was younger and not knowing exactly what it meant. Now that I do, I love to read the poem over and over again and looking at what Robert Frost has to say about making decisions and how he interprets them.
rieWhere the Sidewalk Ends
By Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
I enjoy this poem for mainly one reason. It is a poem about different "sidewalks" (paths) you can take in life. I think this especially relates to high school because in high school you need to realize and decide where you are going to be most successful in life and need to go down that path.
Ethan Engelke 2
Casey at the Bat
By Ernest Thayer
The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.
I like this poem because it has kind of two sides to it. There is the physical problem and mental dilemma also. Casey thinks he is so great that he doesn't need all the strikes so he lets two perfectly fine pitches go by. Then by the time he has only one strike left he swings and misses. He thought he was so amazing at baseball that he just needed one swing and he could hit any ball. This has the important message of don't get too big for your britches.
Losing Life to Fear
In fear of being heard,
In fear of being understood,
In fear of not being heard,
In fear of not being understood,
In fear of being misheard,
In fear of being misunderstood,
In fear of hearing too much,
In fear of understanding too much,
In fear of saying too much,
In fear of saying too little,
In fear of not being like others,
In fear of loosing my individuality,
In fear of being the attraction,
In fear of being ignored,
In fear of being too different,
In fear of being too common,
In fear of following others,
In fear of disobeying others,
In fear of being too gullible,
In fear of being too stubborn,
In fear of responsibility,
In fear of expectations,
In fear of being trusted,
In fear of being mistrusted,
In fear of your lack of response,
In fear of your over-reaction,
In fear of eternal silence,
In fear of noisy communication,
In fear of your acceptance,
In fear of your rejection,
In fear of exciting you,
In fear of upsetting you,
In fear of loving you,
In fear of hating you,
In fear of your love,
In fear of your hatred,
In fear of being loved,
In fear of being hated,
In fear of thinking,
In fear of existing,
In fear of being myself,
In fear of being another,
In fear of knowing myself,
In fear of neglecting myself,
I lost my voice;
I lost my identity;
I lost my self.
-Unknown
I chose this poem, about fear, because I feel it relate's to my life, rather to everyone's at one point in thier life. the poem contradict's itself when it list's thing's we fear of doing to little, or doing to large. Everyday I go through one or more of the thing's in this poem. An average person has a fear, regret or decision they carry around. It can be realted to the contradiction's in this poem, loveing to little, or love to much. When we are forced to make a decison that will effect us later in life.
This poem also mention's a human's being when they are in fear of being themself or in fear of being another, or trying to be pleasing to another. This connect's greatly to my life when I am forced to face the decison to go along wiht the group, or to be a individual.
-Cheyenne W. 1
Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Nothing gold can stay by Robert Frost.
I chose this poem for my favorite because it teaches me that everything changes, and it teaches me to get used to change. I think it also just naturally shows the beauty in nature. This poem just holds a special place in my heart for it is probably the only poem that I can receite by heart.
Jennifer W. 7/8~
I gave you a chance to water the plants i didnt mean that way now zip up you pance. by Shel Silverstein. This poem was very catchy and funny, and short. James Helms
No end to success
Success is not the triumph over regress,
Success is the power to suppress.
Success is not the money or the fame,
Success is, knowing you are still the same.
Success is not the power or the pride.
Success is the knowing how to hide.
Success is not a gift or gain,
Success is accepting and believing in your name.
Success is not a point or goal to seek,
Success is, believing you have never reached the peak.
Success is
Jeff Rushton
This poem is my favorite because it is very inspirational. It shows success can be achived and that makes me happy. This poem is awesome.
Five little leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day
The first one said, “I’d like to play!”
The second one stood beside a rainbow.
The third one waved and said, “Hello!”
The fourth one said, “Good luck to the bold.”
The fifth one said, “Just don’t touch my gold!”
Plink, plink went the harp – they all danced around,
Then five leprechauns ran off with a bound.
St Patricks Day is a special day in our family. It is my dad's birthday. We always dressed up and worn green. I learned this poem when I was three or four.
Five little leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day
The first one said, “I’d like to play!”
The second one stood beside a rainbow.
The third one waved and said, “Hello!”
The fourth one said, “Good luck to the bold.”
The fifth one said, “Just don’t touch my gold!”
Plink, plink went the harp – they all danced around,
Then five leprechauns ran off with a bound.
St Patricks Day is a special day in our family. It is my dad's birthday. We always dressed up and worn green. I learned this poem when I was three or four.
Emily L 7/8*
Messy Room by Shel Silverstein
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
This is one of my avert poems because to me its about a person who sees the problem in life but he does not acknowledge it is his problem until he sees what it has done. This relates to me in the way as when i see a problem i try my best to correct it.
JeffAnzo 1st
As Long As You Love Me
By Kiera Finney
as long as you love me
i'll stay by your side
i'll be your companion
your friend and your guide
as long as you love me
as long as you care
i'll do anything for you
i'll go anywhere
i'll bring you the sunshine
i'll comfort your fears
i'll gather up rainbows
to chase all your tears
as long as forever
my love will be true
for as long as you love me
i'll only love you
I love this poem because it talks about love and being true to your love. Anyone can find someone who they fall in love with but what make the love true is staying with it so long with faith. This poems all about faith and trust and it doesn't just have to be with another person it could mean with a family member. Family will always be there to turn to. The truest of loves are the people who can go to each other for anything no matter how hard it is, they can trust them with anything.
Kayla Cameron 5/6
One of my favorite poems is,
"The Raven"
by Edgar Allan Poe
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'
In this single stanza I enjoy hearing the repeating rhymes following down each line. The feel of the poem seems powerful and dark, clearly describing the emotions of the reader as later on he speaks of his lost love. Then there is the symbolism in the raven continuosly repeating, "Nevermore" this shows the true realization that the man will never have his sweet Lenore back from the dead. I like how this poem moves along with this narrator truly showing his feelings as a confrontation with a ghastly raven that appears a demon of hell.
Colton K. 1st
The New Kid on the Block
Jack Prelutsky
There's a new kid on the block,
and boy, that kid is tough,
that new kid punches hard,
that new kid plays real rough,
that new kid's big and strong,
with muscles everywhere,
that new kid tweaked my arm,
that new kid pulled my hair.
That new kid likes to fight,
and picks on all the guys,
that new kid scares me some,
(that new kid's twice my size),
that new kid stopmed my toes,
that new kid swiped my ball,
that new kid's really bad,
I don't care for her at all.
I like this poem because it breaks the idea of sterotypes. Through out the poem the new kid is being referd to as really big and really mean, so we picture in our head a big o'bully: but the story vhanges when the bully is shown to be a girl. It s changes the mood of the peom and kind of makes you chuckle a little. It breaks the sterotype that comes into our heads when we think of bullies.
Rachael S. 5-6
I am not really into poetry but this is the one I would have to chose is
NATURE
by unknown
Nature is mighty
Nature is strong
Nature is usually always right
Nature is rarely ever wrong
Nature is beauty
Nature is moody
Nature is smart
Nature always has the greater part
Nature is blue
Nature is green
Nature is every color possibly seen
Nature is true
Nature is beaming
Nature is dreaming
Nature is in every place
Nature is always with grace
Nature is true
Nature is you
Nature is me
Nature will forever be free.
I chose this because I love Nature and when i am in woods or in a forest i fell in peace with my surroundings and my self.
that is why I would have to chose this poem
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
As a human being, we always have a choice. This choice however, may be right or wrong, depending on what you choose. Blah blah blah, anyways my point is that if you believe the choice you made was the best in your mind, then it is the best for everyone.
Dominic Bosko 1st
Annabel Lee
-Edgar Allen Poe
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
This poem is my favorite because it was one of my first introductions to poetry. Before this, my brushes with the art were limited to Shel Silverstein's "Stupid Pencil Maker" and the "Roses are red, violets are blue" poems that we would make up on the playground. This poem also reminded me of my former best friend. We were friends since we were little and our friendship continued to grow with us. Granted, our relationship was never more than a platonic one, but it was extremely true. Another difference was that I didn't lose him to illness, we just stopped being friends. This poem stirs happy memories that I had with him and because of this, I love it.
The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
This is my favorite poem because it talks about the different paths we have in life and that we must choose wisely since one path will lead to another. We might not be able to take on the other so we should be careful before we leap. It also talks about how the choices seem to be equal to each other and how in life we viewed them to be as equally satisfying as the other. Even when we wish to be able to take the other path, its not always possible so we must choose are path wisely.
-Kyle C. 7/8period.
I don't really like or read poetry so the only pieces of poetry I tend to read are the ones that I find funny. One of my favorites is a poem on an app for my IPod called "Rage Comics." It does not have a name or an author given but it goes like this.
Roses are red,
violets are blue.
A face like yours,
belongs in the zoo.
Don't be sad,
I'll be there too.
Not in the cage,
but laughing at you.
I enjoy this poem because I find it catchy and funny. Poems like this are the only poems I read. Other that this the only other poetry, if you count it as poetry, i would listen to is music.
Faces
By: Ellen Hopkins
I wear many faces,
some way too old
to fit the girl glued
to the back of them.
I
keep my faces in a box,
stashed inside of me.
It’s murky in there,
overcast with feelings I
don’t
allow anyone to see.
Not that anyone cares
enough to go looking.
No one wants to
know
what bothers me. Too
hung up on their own
problems. Sometimes
I think I have to see
the real
Ginger, so I open
the box, search inside.
But no matter how hard
I look, I can’t find
me.
This is one of my favorite poems because I find myself virtually looking inside of my own mind. I love poetry because of the way you can relate to it, the simplest things set off the trigger in your brain that says, "Hey! That's just like me!" I love this poem because like most teenagers, I often find myself doubting who I really am. Am I the kind of girl I've become by hanging out with certain people, or am I the girl I want to be? Life's choices are so confusing and it's hard to find yourself at almost any given moment, unless you're truly sure.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I really like this poem because it shows that through perseverance, one is able to do better things. The narrator in the story took the harder route than everyone else yet, he is able to do better than those who took the easier path in life. I believe this poem also teaches about being different from everyone else. The narrator in the poem chose to be different from everyone else when he chose to take the harder path. I believe this poem teaches me about perseverance and being different from everyone else.
Honestly, it's hard to pick ONE specific poem to be my favorite. I love poetry, so asking me my favorite poem is like asking me what's my favorite note to play on saxophone. Pretty hard choice, it's like being put on the spot. So here goes,it's not my favorite poem, but I really enjoy this poem that I just happened to come across.
A Blind Fisherman
By Stanley Moss
I teach my friend, a fisherman gone blind, to cast
true left, right or center and how far
between lily pads and the fallen cedar.
Darkness is precious, how long will darkness last?
Our bait, worms, have no professors, they live
in darkness, can be taught fear of light.
Cut into threes even sixes they live
separate lives, recoil from light.
He tells me, “I am seldom blind
when I dream, morning is anthracite,
I play blind man’s bluff,
I cannot find myself,
my shoe, the sink,
tell time, but that’s spilled milk and ink,
the lost and found I cannot find.
I can tell the difference between a mollusk and a whelk,
a grieving liar and a lemon rind.”
Laughing, he says, “I still hope the worn will turn,
pink, land, and warm, dined
out on apples of good fortune.
Books have a faintly legible smell.
Divorced from the sun, I am a kind
of bachelor henpecked by the night.
Sometimes I use my darkness well—
in the overcast and sunlight of my mind.
I can still wink, sing, my eyes are songs.”
Darkness is precious, how long will darkness last?
He could not fish, he could not walk, he fell
in his own feces. He wept. He died where he fell.
The power of beauty to right all wrongs
is hard for me to sell.
I really like how the comparison of fishing to life is brought out in this poem. It shows how light can overcome darkness and the author shows this throughout the fisherman.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies
You may trod me infpthe very dirt
But still, like dust, i'll rise
Just like moons, like suns
With the certanity of tides
Just like hopes springing high
Still, i'll rise
I chose this poem as my favorite because i can to relate to it very much. I am going through a time in my like when people are always trying to bring me down.
Yet, i tell me that they can try all they want, i'll still rise back up.
Never Give Up
by Mark Howard
I'll never give up fighting till the end
If I fall along the way I'll get up and try again
But never shall I accept the fact of defeat
I've set goals in life and those I must meet
But never will I let negativity hold me down
Those who think positive I keep them around
Never shall I dwell on things in the past
Bad times come but never do they last
I shall never give in to those who are weaker than I
If I give up now why not lay down and die
Never Give Up
This is my favorite poem because it sends out a meaningful message to the reader. My life motto is to never give up, you don't know what will happen if you try or keep moving forward. Do the things you dream to do, have no regrets. This poem gives that message clearly.
Paige S. 1st
I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~Dr. Seuss
I like this poem because it is more laid back and doesn't have a serious meaning. Also it rhymes. This poem does have a little bit of meaning and can be taken metaphorically, showing that if you have troubles, you can do something about them to fix them (such as buying a baseball bat and beating them up, hahah)
Touched by An Angel by Maya Angelou
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.
We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.
The poem Touched by an Angel is a very inspirational poem for me. Its a good contrast between my religion and everyday life. It helps me understand all those little things in life and is very motivational.
I have perceiv’d that to be with those I like is enough,
To stop in company with the rest at evening is enough,
To be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough,
To pass among them, or touch any one, or rest my arm ever so lightly round his or her neck for a moment—what is this, then?
I do not ask any more delight—I swim in it, as in a sea.
There is something in staying close to men and women, and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well;
All things please the soul—but these please the soul well.
i enjoy this poem because it expresses love in a different way. it also describes felling in a different way
The Vow
By Malcolm O. Varner
No matter how deep the sadness or wide the pain,
I vow to live for a brighter day will come again.
No matter how many mistakes I’ve made in the past,
I vow to live and in the future avoid them, surefooted and fast.
No matter how many tragedies beyond my control take place,
I vow to live and stay my course within this race.
No matter how poor or rich I may ever be,
I vow to live and aspire to search for the dignity in simplicity.
No matter how much a lover may pierce the inner core of my heart,
I vow to live for like spring I’ll get a new start.
No matter how isolated and alone I may feel,
I vow to live and do something for someone else to heal.
No matter how hopeless my situation my appear,
I vow to live and reflect until my viewpoint is clear.
No matter what happens in this life – good or bad
I vow to live, do my best, and just for living – be glad.
I like this poem because it is very inspirational and gets you motivated. It tells you to "vow" to live your life the way you want to and live it to the fullest.
Today you are you,
that is truer than true.
There is no one alive,
who is youer than you.
-Dr. Suess
I know this poem is short but it reminds me that every person is unique, and you cant let anyone change who you are. We were all made to have differences, but we cant let that get in the way of where we want to be in life.
-Sarah W. 7/8
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
I like the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou because its about not letting anyone or anything in life knock you down or phase you because they don't like who you are or what you stand for. this is an important message to me, i feel that no one should have to change for other people.
ellen 1*
Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.
1. The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20
This peom to me has been inspiring me for years. It reminds me that commformity is not the answer. All of our souls shine different colors and being yourself is the most important thing. Robert Frost makes being different seem like the right thing to do and I love that he does this. The Road Not Taken is a beautiful peom that will always stick with me as a life lesson everyone should learn.
"My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"
This is a small part of the poem "Sick" by Shel Silverstein. I would grow up reading his poetry and this was one of the most memorable poems where a young girl is trying to avoid going to school by listing all of the possible excuses she can, but then she figures out it is Saturday and says she is completey fine. I love the creativity throughout the poem and I just find it to be so whimsical and fun. It is a poem that I think is enjoyable for all kids, just like it was for me.
~Alex H. 2~
Snake Problem
By: Shel Silverstein
It's not that I don't care for snakes,
But oh what do you do
When a 24-foot python says...
I love you
I think part of the reason i love this poem so much is the way my parents would read it to me when i was little. They would read and their voice would change. It's short and sweet and it flows nicely over your tongue. This poem also makes me laugh. It's easy to remember and unique. (great for babysitting) This poem also has a sentimental value to it for me.
hannah m 1
Also, Psalm 23.
When I was down and out of luck
When dark the path, my life had took
When I was at my lowest low
A rope, a helping hand did throw
And pulled me up, out of the pit
And in the dark, a candle lit
And for my hunger gave me "Bread"
Then quenched a thirst inside my head
This loving servant helped me see
There's so much more to this, than me
By helping me, she showed me love
And led me to the One above
And now, alone, as I reflect
I find a spot of self-respect
That had been drowning in my tears
And had not shown itself in years
Let me through life, now walk, not run
Because the help of this true one
Did set me straight and on my way
And I'll remember day to day
I really like this poem because it shows the stuggle in someones life but then comes up with a happy ending. It just shows how one person can make a difference.
Jack b
My favorite poem is my papa's waltz
The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy but I hung on like death such waltzing was not easy
I like this poem because I feel bad for people who are abused
Green Eggs and Ham
by: Dr. Seuss
Do you like
green eggs and ham?I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
I do not like
green eggs and ham.
Would you like them
here or there?
I would not like them
here or there.
I would not like them
anywhere.
I do not like
green eggs and ham.
I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
Would you like them
in a house?
Would you like them
with a mouse?
I do not like them
in a house.
I do not like them
with a mouse.
I do not like them
here or there.
I do not like them
anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
Would you eat them
in a box?
Would you eat them
with a fox?
Not in a box.
Not with a fox.
Not in a house.
Not with a mouse.
I would not eat them here or there.
I would not eat them anywhere.
I would not eat green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
Would you? Could you?
In a car?
Eat them! Eat them!
Here they are.
I would not,
could not,
in a car.
You may like them.
You will see.
You may like them
in a tree!
I would not, could not in a tree.
Not in a car! You let me be.
I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I do not like them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
A train! A train!
A train! A train!
Could you, would you,
on a train?
Not on a train! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! Sam! Let me be!
I would not, could not, in a box.
I could not, would not, with a fox.
I will not eat them with a mouse.
I will not eat them in a house.
I will not eat them here or there.
I will not eat them anywhere.
I do not eat green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
Say!
In the dark?
Here in the dark!
Would you, could you, in the dark?
I would not, could not,
in the dark.
Would you, could you, in the rain?I would not, could not,
in the rain.
Not in the dark. Not on a train.
Not in a car. Not in a tree.
I do not like them, Sam, you see.
Not in a house. Not in a box.
Not with a mouse. Not with a fox.
I will not eat them here or there.
I do not like them anywhere!You do not like
green eggs and ham?I do not
like them,
Sam-I-am.Could you, would you,
with a goat?
I would not,
could not,
with a goat!
Would you, could you,
on a boat?
I could not, would not, on a boat.
I will not, will not, with a goat.
I will not eat them in the rain.
I will not eat them on a train.
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I will not eat them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them ANYWHERE!
I do not like
green eggs
and ham!I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.Sam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat.
And I would eat them with a goat…
And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good, so good, you see!
So I will eat them in a box.
And I will eat them with a fox.
And I will eat them in a house.
And I will eat them with a mouse.
And I will eat them here and there.
Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!
http://7english.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/green-eggs-and-ham-dr-seuss/
I know, it's cheesey and predictable. But this poem really speaks to me. He spends the whole book avoiding Sam, pushing away the unfamiliar. He judges what he doesn't know because it is an unknown. In the end he finds out he likes green eggs and ham.
This teaches something I have been taught for a very long time: Before you judge something, get to know it before making your decision. It is something I try to follow as often as I can. It works out okay for me.
Paul S.
7/8*
Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again. I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins that almost freezes up the heat of life: I'll call them back again to comfort me; Nurse! what should she do here? My dismal scene I needs must act alone. Come, vial.
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