If I could go back
back in time, back to my past
I would say sorry
Explication:
This is a haiku I wrote about regrets, as the title suggests. I believe the words ring true for everyone who has made a mistake in his/her past. The haiku follows the standard 5-7-5 syllable format.
Regrets fits in with my theme of the transience of youth. Time goes by so very fast and often we wish we could have done things differently in the past.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Happiest Day, by Edgar Allan Poe
The happiest day - the happiest hour
My sear'd and blighted heart hath known,
The highest hope of pride and power,
I feel hath flown.
Of power! said I? yes! such I ween;
But they have vanish'd long, alas!
The visions of my youth have been -
But let them pass.
And, pride, what have I now with thee?
Another brow may even inherit
The venom thou hast pour'd on me
Be still, my spirit!
The happiest day - the happiest hour
Mine eyes shall see - have ever seen,
The brightest glance of pride and power,
I feel - have been:
But were that hope of pride and power
Now offer'd with the pain
Even then I felt - that brightest hour
I would not live again:
For on its wing was dark alloy,
And, as it flutter'd - fell
An essence - powerful to destroy
A soul that knew it well.
Explication:
"The Happiest Day" or, "The Happiest Day, the Happiest Hour" is a six quatrain poem . It was first published as part of in Poe's first collection Tamerlane and Other Poems. Poe may have written it while serving in the army. The poem ties in with my theme of the transience of youth as it discusses a self-pitying loss of youth.
"The Happiest Day" has a standard rhyme scheme ABAB. The poem echoes a universal characteristic: looking back, we all wish we could have done things differently. Poe also portrays his sense of imminent death. His past tense first person passive voice emanates a feeling of submissiveness toward the arrival of death. But then, The line "highest hope of pride and power" alludes to heaven and and the glory of God. It seems Poe toys with the reader's emotions by swinging back and forth from positive to negative tones. Poe also uses apostrophe, "And, pride, what have I now with thee" to dramatize Poe's pensive and capture the reader's attention.
This poem was indeed thought-provoking and I found that I could connect with Poe's sense of regret and longing to redo his past.
My sear'd and blighted heart hath known,
The highest hope of pride and power,
I feel hath flown.
Of power! said I? yes! such I ween;
But they have vanish'd long, alas!
The visions of my youth have been -
But let them pass.
And, pride, what have I now with thee?
Another brow may even inherit
The venom thou hast pour'd on me
Be still, my spirit!
The happiest day - the happiest hour
Mine eyes shall see - have ever seen,
The brightest glance of pride and power,
I feel - have been:
But were that hope of pride and power
Now offer'd with the pain
Even then I felt - that brightest hour
I would not live again:
For on its wing was dark alloy,
And, as it flutter'd - fell
An essence - powerful to destroy
A soul that knew it well.
Explication:
"The Happiest Day" or, "The Happiest Day, the Happiest Hour" is a six quatrain poem . It was first published as part of in Poe's first collection Tamerlane and Other Poems. Poe may have written it while serving in the army. The poem ties in with my theme of the transience of youth as it discusses a self-pitying loss of youth.
"The Happiest Day" has a standard rhyme scheme ABAB. The poem echoes a universal characteristic: looking back, we all wish we could have done things differently. Poe also portrays his sense of imminent death. His past tense first person passive voice emanates a feeling of submissiveness toward the arrival of death. But then, The line "highest hope of pride and power" alludes to heaven and and the glory of God. It seems Poe toys with the reader's emotions by swinging back and forth from positive to negative tones. Poe also uses apostrophe, "And, pride, what have I now with thee" to dramatize Poe's pensive and capture the reader's attention.
This poem was indeed thought-provoking and I found that I could connect with Poe's sense of regret and longing to redo his past.
Nothing Gold Can Stay, by Robert Frost
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.
Explication:
"Nothing Gold Can Stay" is one of Robert Frost's most famous poems. "Nothing Gold Can Stay" is featured in both the 1967 novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and its 1983 film adaptation.
The poem is written in 4 pairs of rhyming couplets to make a total of 8 lines. The poem contains metaphors comparing nature to gold. There is also a reference/allusion to the Garden of Eden from the Bible. The Garden of Eden is symbolic of a brief time in human history of perfect harmony and utopia. It is the "gold" that Frost speaks of. But even Eden "sank to grief", echoing Frost's theme that nothing too good can last forever. The diction is very simple - no word is longer than two syllables. The poem is written in iambic trimeter (a line with three strong stresses usually spread across six syllables).
The poem is remarkably easy to follow, but the message is profound. The rhyming adds to the surface effect of simplicity. The diction is simple, but meticulously chosen. The poem is truly more than meets the eye.
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.
Explication:
"Nothing Gold Can Stay" is one of Robert Frost's most famous poems. "Nothing Gold Can Stay" is featured in both the 1967 novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and its 1983 film adaptation.
The poem is written in 4 pairs of rhyming couplets to make a total of 8 lines. The poem contains metaphors comparing nature to gold. There is also a reference/allusion to the Garden of Eden from the Bible. The Garden of Eden is symbolic of a brief time in human history of perfect harmony and utopia. It is the "gold" that Frost speaks of. But even Eden "sank to grief", echoing Frost's theme that nothing too good can last forever. The diction is very simple - no word is longer than two syllables. The poem is written in iambic trimeter (a line with three strong stresses usually spread across six syllables).
The poem is remarkably easy to follow, but the message is profound. The rhyming adds to the surface effect of simplicity. The diction is simple, but meticulously chosen. The poem is truly more than meets the eye.
Those Winter Days, by Robert Hayden
Sundays too my father got up early
And put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?
Explication:
This sonnet was written by Robert Hayden as a tribute to his foster father. The theme of the poem is revolves around his traumatic childhood. Witnessing fights and suffering beatings, Hayden lived in a house fraught with chronic angers whose effects would stay with the poet throughout his adulthood. On top of that, his severe visual problems prevented him from participating in activities such as sports in which nearly everyone was involved. But among all this hardship, his foster father gave him love and affection.
On that point, this poem also addresses Hayden's lack of appreciation for the love of his foster father, because when he was a child, he did not understand that love came in many ways, not only in kisses and hugs. This is summed up in the last stanza when he asks himself, "What did I know, what did I know of love's austere and lonely offices." Key to this theme is also the line "Sundays too my father got up early", meaning that not only did his father work on the weekdays for the family, but also on what should have been his day of rest.
Like all sonnets, "Those Winter Days" is 14 lines and written in iambic pentameter. When there is no interruption of the meter of iambic pentameter, there is a sense of order in the poem. This is ironic as Hayden's childhood was chaotic and turbulent. The poem fits in well with my theme of childhood, because the poet is addressing his childhood and the love of his foster father. The entire poem except the last two lines is a synecdoche representing his foster father's love. For example, "cracked hands that ached from labor" represents how hard his foster father worked to support the family.
This poem, drawing from the poet's harsh experiences, is sincere and beautifully written. It captures the emotions of the poet growing up and brings the reader into his world.
And put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?
Explication:
This sonnet was written by Robert Hayden as a tribute to his foster father. The theme of the poem is revolves around his traumatic childhood. Witnessing fights and suffering beatings, Hayden lived in a house fraught with chronic angers whose effects would stay with the poet throughout his adulthood. On top of that, his severe visual problems prevented him from participating in activities such as sports in which nearly everyone was involved. But among all this hardship, his foster father gave him love and affection.
On that point, this poem also addresses Hayden's lack of appreciation for the love of his foster father, because when he was a child, he did not understand that love came in many ways, not only in kisses and hugs. This is summed up in the last stanza when he asks himself, "What did I know, what did I know of love's austere and lonely offices." Key to this theme is also the line "Sundays too my father got up early", meaning that not only did his father work on the weekdays for the family, but also on what should have been his day of rest.
Like all sonnets, "Those Winter Days" is 14 lines and written in iambic pentameter. When there is no interruption of the meter of iambic pentameter, there is a sense of order in the poem. This is ironic as Hayden's childhood was chaotic and turbulent. The poem fits in well with my theme of childhood, because the poet is addressing his childhood and the love of his foster father. The entire poem except the last two lines is a synecdoche representing his foster father's love. For example, "cracked hands that ached from labor" represents how hard his foster father worked to support the family.
This poem, drawing from the poet's harsh experiences, is sincere and beautifully written. It captures the emotions of the poet growing up and brings the reader into his world.
Son of Man, by Phil Collins from the 1999 animated film "Tarzan"
Oh, the power to be strong
And the wisdom to be wise
All these things will
come to you in time
On this journey that you're making
There'll be answers that you'll seek
And it's you who'll climb the mountain
It's you who'll reach the peak
Son of Man, look to the sky
Lift your spirit, set it free
Some day you'll walk tall with pride
Son of Man, a man in time you'll be
Though there's no one there to guide you
No one to take your hand
But with faith and understanding
You will journey from boy to man
Son of Man, look to the sky
Lift your spirit, set it free
Some day you'll walk tall with pride
Son of Man, a man in time you'll be
In learning you will teach
And in teaching you will learn
You'll find your place beside the
ones you love
Oh, and all the things you dreamed of
The visions that you saw
Well, the time is drawing near now
It's yours to claim it all
Son of Man, look to the sky
Lift your spirit, set it free
Some day you'll walk tall with pride
Son of Man, a man in time you'll be
Son of Man
Son of Man's a man for all to see
Explication:
"Son of Man" is a song written by British singer Phil Collins for the soundtrack of the 1999 animated film "Tarzan". Who could forget the sincere but courageous character of the ape-human in the last film of the Disney Renaissance that captured so many hearts worldwide, old and young? And the soundtrack should deserve no less credit for the final outcome and went on to win an Academy Award for Original Song ("You'll be in my Heart"). "Son of Man" is another great song in the Tarzan Soundtrack. The song fits in with my theme (childhood, youth, growing up) in two ways: (1) Disney was a predominant part of my childhood and (2) the song is about growing up and finding out who you are and where you belong.
The rhyme scheme in this song is ABCBEFGF: a simple 4-line rhyme. This makes it easy enough for the writer to rhyme lines and portray the theme of growing up at the same time. "Son of man" is repeated throughout the song as the title usually is. But the echo of "Son of man" has an enduring effect on the listener. The center of the son, Tarzan, grew up with gorillas and was adopted by the animals, but deep inside, he is still a man, a son of man. The refrain/chorus starts at "Son of man look to the sky" and ends at "Son of man, a man in time you'll be". The tone of the song is uplifting and inspirational.
This song is one of my favorite Disney songs. It portrays a simple, but significant and universal theme: the coming of age. Some of the lines are very enduring and is why the soundtrack is not like other childhlike Disney soundtracks. My favorite line is "In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn".
"Journey to the Past", written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty for the 1997 animated film "Anastasia"
Heart don't fail me now
Courage don't desert me
Don't turn back now that we're here
People always say
Life is full of choices
No one ever mentions fear
or how the world can seems so vast
on a journey to the past
Somewhere down this road
I know someone's waiting
Years of dreams just can't be wrong
Arms will open wide
I'll be safe and wanted
Finally home where I belong
starting now, I'm learning fast
On this journey to the past
Home, love, family
There was once a time
I must've had them too
Home, love, family
I will never be complete until I find you
One step at a time
One hope then another
Who knows where this road may go
Back to who I was
Onto find my future
Things my heart still needs to know
Yes, let this be a sign
Let this road be mine
Let it lead me to my past
And bring me home
At Last
Explication:
This is a song from the animated film "Anastasia" and was written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The film's plot is based around the urban legend that Anastasia, youngest daughter of the last monarch of imperial Russia, in fact survived the execution of her family during the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. The song is sang by Anastasia who has forgotten her past and finds herself on a path to revisit her foggy past and uncover the secret of her childhood. This fits in with my theme of childhood in two ways: it is about a journey to one's past and childhood and the film is also one of my childhood favorites.
For most of the poem, the rhyme scheme is ABCDECFF. There is repetition of "on this journey to the past" echoing the title as many songs do. The bridge starts at "home, love, family" and ends at "I will never be complete until I find you. The tone of the song changes from uncertainty and nervousness in the beginning to optimism at the end.
Anastasia is one of my favorite animated films of all time and "Journey to the Past" is one of my favorite songs. The song is sincere and dynamic and the melody is serene and peaceful.
A Bedtime Story, by Orlando
There once was a monster called Loch
Who went blind one day at the dock
Next day a boy came
And laughed without shame
For well placed on Loch's head was a sock
Explication:
This is a limerick I wrote about a monster that we have all heard of in our childhood, The Loch Ness Monster. I called the poem "A Bedtime Story" because this poem really represents all the stories and monsters we heard about in our childhood. All of us were scared of course, but we always tried to find a way to push the frightening images of giant ogres and fire-spewing dragons from our minds. Humor was my way of reducing my fear of these monsters.
A limerick is a five-line poem in anapestic or amphibrachic meter with a strict rhyme scheme (aabba). Anapestic meter consists of two short syallbles followed by a long one. Amphibrach is a metrical foot that consists of a long syllable between two short syllables. The purpose of the limerick is to be witty or humorous and playful in nature. As such, they are often the first poems that children write. Coincidentally, the limerick was the first type of poem I wrote in elementary school. This limerick is anapestic in meter. Hopefully the joke is clear enough for readers to understand.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)