A Book by Emily Dickinson

There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!


This poem by Emily DIckinson perfectly describes the power of a good book.  A good book should be able to take your mind away from everything and take you to wherever the setting of the book is.       Dickinson compares a book to a frigate and a horse.  At the end of the poem, Dickinson compares the human body to a "frugal chariot."  This says that the body confines and limits the soul, and books are the only way our souls can drift away into our imaginations.

Wealth by Langston Hughes

From Christ to Ghandi Appears this truth- St. Francis of Assisi Proves it, too: Goodness becomes grandeur Surpassing might of kings. Halos of kindness Brighter shine Than crowns of gold, And brighter Than rich diamonds Sparkles The simple dew Of love. In this poem, Langston Hughes explains that love and kindness are greater than any material wealth possessed by any person.  Hughes reveals this through his faith and inspirational people present in his life.  Hughes compares "goodness," "kindness," and "love" to different material riches through metaphor to express the idea that having these qualities is much more valuable than have money or power.

To the River by Edgar Allan Poe

Fair river! in thy bright, clear flow
    Of crystal, wandering water,
Thou art an emblem of the glow
       Of beauty -- the unhidden heart --
       The playful maziness of art
In old Alberto's daughter;

But when within thy wave she looks --
       Which glistens then, and trembles --
Why, then, the prettiest of brooks
       Her worshipper resembles;
For in my heart, as in thy stream,
    Her image deeply lies --
The heart which trembles at the beam
    Of her soul-searching eyes.


In this poem, I think Poe is showing his love for a woman.  He speaks of "Alberto's daughter and compares her to a river.  The river is the "emblem of the glow of beauty" and "her image deeply lies" in his heart.  This poem by Edgar Allan Poe is not as dark and gloomy as some of his others.

Time to Rise by Robert Louis Stevenson

A birdie with a yellow bill
Hopped upon my window sill,
Cocked his shining eye and said:
"Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepy-head!"

This poem is a short and funny poem that applies to all of us.  We always want to sleep in and this poem reminds us that we     should be ashamed of ourselves.  In this poem, Stevenson uses personification and imagery to express his feelings towards the   idea of waking up late.  I can relate to this poem because my dad gets on my case every time I wake up late.

Children's Rhymes by Langston Hughes

By what sends
the white kids
I ain't sent:
I know I can't
be President.
What don't bug
them white kids
sure bugs me:
We know everybody
ain't free.

Lies written down
for white folks
ain't for us a-tall:
Liberty And Justice--
Huh!--For All? 





This poem by Langston Hughes is about the discrimination against African-Americans in the early and mid 1900s.  He questions the phrase "Liberty And Justice For All" and says that he is bothered by things that white children take for granted.  Hughes writes his opinion on the racial discrimination going on at the time through this poem.

Where is the Love - Black Eyed Peas

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)




This song brings into view all the hate going on in this world.  Included in the lyrics are problems like terrorism, gangs, racism, violence, and selfishness.  We are losing our values to greed, we are making wrong decisions, and we are losing respect for each other.  The Black Eyed Peas question where the love is, saying that all of these problems can be solved through love.  The tone throughout the passage is an angry tone, suggesting that we need to fix our world and get rid of these problems by spreading peace and love.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favour fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice. 

In this short poem, Robert Frost tells us that if the world is to end, he would rather have it end in fire.  Frost compares the fire with desire and ice to hate, implying that the downfall of the human race could be caused by desire and hatred.  That, or Frost could have known about the 2012 end of the world situation, and he wants the world to end in fire.

My Beard by Shel Silverstein

My beard grows down to my toes,
I never wears no clothes,
I wraps my hair
Around my bare,
And down the road I goes.




Yet again, Shel Silverstein makes me laugh with one of his many funny poems.  I especially liked this poem because if someone did have a beard down to their toes, they wouldn't have to worry about anything.  This poem is one of those poems that doesn't have a deeper meaning or some kind of significance.  This poem is just a short and funny poem that gets your mind off other things like those major works data sheets.

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


Robert Frost most likely got the setting for this poem from a rural part of New England, much like many of his poems.  This poem exemplifies Frost's love for and his appreciation of nature.  In the last stanza, the second line is kind of confusing.  Other than that the poem is very easy to understand.  I think this poem is just about a man stopping to enjoy some scenery on a snowy night like this one.

A Man Saw A Ball Of Gold by Stephen Crane

A man saw a ball of gold in the sky;
He climbed for it,
And eventually he achieved it --
It was clay.

Now this is the strange part:
When the man went to the earth
And looked again,
Lo, there was a ball of gold.
Now this is the strange part:
It was a ball of gold.
Ay, by the heavens, it was a ball of gold.

In this poem, Crane gives the example of a man that has the perseverance and will power to reach the "ball of gold in the sky."  The man found that it was only clay, but still had enough faith to climb for another ball when he saw it.  This time it actually was gold.  Crane shows with this poem that anybody can try to accomplish something, but he or she won't get anything out of it unless they keep trying.  

  

Happy Thought by Robert Louis Stevenson

The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.  This poem is short and to the point.  There is really not much to get about this poem except that everything in the world is out there, but we just have to go out and get it, and because everything is out there, we should be satisfied.  Stevenson gets the point across in this short poem while expressing his positive and optimistic look on life.

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!

I chose this poem because of the humor Silverstein brings to the questions we think about while we are laying in bed.  These questions are what a child would ask, but we ask ourselves questions about different things like school and work.  Silverstein writes what a kid would get stressed about by personifying the questions as "Whatifs." 

Cottonmouth Country by Louise Gluck

Fish bones walked the waves off Hatteras.

And there were other signs

That Death wooed us, by water, wooed us

By land: among the pines

An uncurled cottonmouth that rolled on moss

Reared in the polluted air.

Birth, not death, is the hard loss.

I know. I also left a skin there.

   I believe this poem is about the changes that are associated with life and death.  The author gives the reader examples of how death is signaling its arrival, but then she says, "Birth, not death, is the hard loss."  With this line, the author is saying that death is not the only thing that can cause pain.  In the last line, the author shows that she has experienced changes due to birth, and she reveals that she has moved on by shedding her old skin.   

new to blogging

Not really sure what I'm doing but I am now officially a blogger. Yesss!!