Monday, February 22, 2010
recitation poem
Consider the poem you chose for your recitation. Identify the poem and the poet. 1) What do you think the poem is about? If you chose a poem that tells a story, then reflect instead on why you think that the poet chose to tell this particular story in a poem. 2) In 100 to 150 words, explain why you chose this poem for your recitation.
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Poem: “The Road Not Taken”
By: Robert Frost
1) I think this poem is about the changes in life, when someone is walking along happily until they come to a fork in the road and suddenly they are forced to make a very tough (or even not so tough) decision in life. Robert Frost also says in the poem, “I doubted I should ever come back,” after choosing to take the other road, and “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” I think that means that he chose to try something new in life, something that most people wouldn’t normally choose to do, and that he was very happy with his decision.
2) I chose this poem mostly because I was in a rush and I couldn’t decide, so I flipped to a random page in the book (in the section called “Autumn”) and came across a page illustrated with a painting of a forest populated with trees that had yellow leaves. I decided that I would memorize whatever poem went with that painting (I like it an awful lot!), and after reading the poem over and over, I couldn’t settle on any other poem in the book. Also, when I told my mom which poem I had decided to memorize she said that it was one of her favorites, and I felt happy that I had chosen a well-loved poem.
"The First Snowfall" by James Russell Lowell
1. I think the poem is about death and mourning. The poem does give subtle hints about someone's death such as, "I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn, where a little headstone stood.." and "Folded close under deepening snow." I think the poem is about a father, who is still in mourning after a death, supposedly his daughter. In the poem, it says, "Flake by flake, healing and hiding. The scar that renewed our woe." The scar could be referring to two things: his other daughter, or the snow. The woe is most likely referring to his daughter's death, which could mean that the memories of the death of his daughter could be fading because of his other daughter, the one who is still alive.
2. I chose the poem "The First Snowfall" for my recitation because it was very interesting. The first time I read the poem, I was left with some questions unanswered, knowing that I had to read it again and again before I could really understand the true meaning. The poem was also very easy to memorize; it rhymed and was a decent sized poem. I was debating between two poems: "The First Snowfall" by James Russell Lowell and "Out, Out" by Robert Frost. I knew that Robert Frost was a more famous poet, but The poem "The First Snowfall" was to my liking a little bit more.
"Password" by Naobi Shihab Nye is about a person who reflects back on his or her childhood, missing the subtle, relaxing activities he or she did as a child. Although those activities might not have meant much to him or her as a child, they mean a lot more to her as a busy adult. This poem is a good example of how the author vents out her feeligs about her life and about her childhood.
I chose this poem for my recitation because it's not a strict, fitting poem. It's a flowing poem, with a relaxing tone. The poem is a perfect representation of the author's writing style, as well as the author's feelings when she wrote this poem.
The poem conveys the author's messages to the reader in a simple way. It is easy to read, and easy to recite. If the poem was recited well, it would pack a lot of expression, emotion ,and meaning to the audience.
The poem also puts the reader in their happy place. It makes them notice the little things, and making "the strangest parts of ourselves growing dear."
1) I believe in my poem, “Over the Hills And Far Away,” it describes how fast childhood passes. It tells of how the boy used to spend his evenings daydreaming and then suddenly he became an old man wondering how quickly and how fast his childhood escaped him.
2) I chose this poem, because of two reasons. One, it reminded me of a similar that goes along the lines over the hills and through the woods to grandmothers house we go. Remembering this joyful poem sent fascinating memories of my time in elementary school to my brain. Of the teachers and how easy the homework was then.
Second, when I read this poem it reminded me of how quickly my child hood was passing before my eyes from the time I was a 5 year old to where I am now. How fast school passes and how the memories of my friends in elementary school slowly escape my mind. I want to share the message this poem gives with the entire class. To smell the roses in life, instead of rushing life quickly.
The poem I chose for the recitation is “Venus and Adonis” by William Shakespeare. This poem is about the love shared between Venus and Adonis. The story is of how Venus is trying to daunt Adonis into love, even though Adonis is clear on the fact that love is something that he looks down upon. Eventually, however, he gives in and they fall in love. This signifies change, where even though you thought something couldn’t happen, it happened. Troubles arise on the battlefield where Adonis is killed, and Venus weeps. This seemed to say that good things always come with the bad, and you should never take anything for granted, because you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. It’s a lesson of being grateful and reserved, but also living life to the fullest.
I chose this poem for the recitation because of the delicate story woven by two strong, and powerful gods. Their story, even though spoken through the eyes and feel of immortals, can be seen throughout the world and related to by many different people. It’s a story that people find heart-warming, because of their not-so-innocent beginning that starts them off to a sweet journey that lasted until Adonis’s last breath, and even continued thereafter. It’s a story of lust and passion that turns into true love after a great deal of trial and error. There is probably nothing comparable to a love story, but a love story such as the tale of Venus and Adonis could foreshadow your journey or it could even be a retelling of one passed. William Shakespeare spun a great story from myths and imagination, and that is precisely why I chose this poem.
I think the poem “ All the Clocks” by James Laughlin is referred to a group of people who weren’t appreciated, though they might be important. This might have happened during a certain period of time. The actual words of the poem talk about the clocks going on a strike because no one appreciated them. I think he chose clocks to represent what he truly means because, the clocks are ticking and ticking non stop working just like a some people, no one ever notices them except for when someone needs the time and is not appreciated. I chose this poem because something about this poem intrigued me. I thought it was funny the way he shows the importance of clocks and what he thinks about it. This poem made me thing about what would really happen if all the clocks in the world had stopped working. Since everything is based on time, we would not know when to go to school, work, or when to sleep (that is if someone wants to sleep at a specific time). I liked the way he wrote this poem though it may not rhyme, it still has some catchy sense to it. It also painted a picture in my mind of what he would do if this really happened.
1) I chose “The Road not Taken” by Robert Frost. It might be a story that is written in poem form. I think it is about a person with a situation where they had a decision on something. They had to decide on one thing. It had to be one way or the other and they can’t change the decision. The poet made it seem like the person did not make the right decision. The person decided to take an easy way out of the decision. So the person is describing and wondering how the other decision might have been better.
2) One reason I chose this poem because obviously it had the right amount of words. But another reason why I decided to choose this poem was because it has a strong meaning. It is sort of like a story where it could be a real-life situation. One other reason why I chose this poem is because there are a lot of other interpretations of this poem. I want to find other interpretations as I read the poem constantly because it might change the way I look at the poem. One other reason I decided to choose this poem because it has different styles as well. Also it sort of gives an image in my mind. Imagining a person traveling and having to stop at two roads. But they do not know which one they should take.
1) The poem I chose was “Remembrance”, by Emily Bronte. This poem is about the pain of memory. The author does not want to remember her dead lover, because it would be too painful and hard for her to come back to reality. While the world around her is changing, and other problems come upon her, she is afraid to forget, but also to remember. She does learn though to treasure life more, even if she is not happy. She refuses to let herself mourn after her lover, and never be able to go on with life, but she is afraid that if she lets herself remember her happy days even just a little bit, she will not be able to face the world. This poem shows how a tragic death or loss of something treasured in someone’s life can destroy or/and benefit the person. It shows how people cannot help dwelling on the past, and never face the future. While it is easier, they will never be able to live life to the fullest extent. It can also benefit one, because it shows them how fast a life can be taken away, and can teach them to treasure life more.
2) I chose this poem, because I thought the author’s perspective on what the consequences of memory were was very interesting, and in some cases true. I could also reflect on the meaning of this poem, because sometimes I like to dwell on the past as well, and not face the future. This poem also talked of the consequences, which I thought was really interesting to read. Since I had to recite the poem aloud in the front of class, I liked how each stanza repeated the same rhythm and rhymed, which would make it easier for me to memorize it.
My poem is called “The Tuft of Flowers” by Robert Frost.
1. I think this poem is about Robert Frost or someone else trying to help another person mow the grass. But as they are doing that, the narrator witnesses the other person spare a small bunch of flowers that he was going to cut while mowing the grass. Eventually, the narrator helps the other person mow the grass, extolling virtues of how people should work together. What Robert Frost is trying to convey in this poem is his love for nature and that it should live. He also explains that cooperation with others is also necessary for this to happen.
2. I chose this poem because it has a very discrete message that is hidden for the reader to find. The poem is also very beautiful because it has a very good rhythm and rhyming sense varying from hexameter to heptameter. The theme of the poem is very nice because it describes the beauty of nature and that to preserve it cooperation between man and nature alike is necessary. In summary, I chose this poem mainly because Robert Frost was able to convey a discrete and well-hidden message by using an artistic way of poetry with a dreamy rhyming and rhythm sense.
My poem is "In a Dark Time, by Theodore Roethke.
1) I believe my poem is about many things becoming clear during a difficult or stressful ordeal. The opening line, “In a dark time, the eye begins to see” emphasizes the theme of this poem. Also, the poem has many lines about the narrator meeting, hearing, or knowing something.
2) I chose this poem because I didn’t really understand what it was about, and it looked interesting. Much of the poem didn’t make sense to me, so I chose it partly to see what it meant and signified. For example, the last stanza doesn’t make much sense, even after looking at it for a while.
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