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ISBN 0-7876-4691-1 ISSN 1094-7019 Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 i v P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s National Advisory Board Jennifer Hood:Young Adult/Reference Librarian, Guide in Biography/Memoir for the website Cumberland Public Library, Cumberland, About.com (http://biography.about.com). Au- Rhode Island. Certified teacher, Rhode Island. thor of short stories and book reviews. Received Member of the New England Library Associa- B.A., M.A. (anthropology), and M.L.S. from tion, Rhode Island Library Association, and the Rutgers University. Rhode Island Educational Media Association. Heidi Stohs: Instructor in Language Arts, grades Christopher Maloney:Head Reference Librarian, 10-12, Solomon High School, Solomon, Kansas. Ocean City Free Public Library, Ocean City, Received B.S. from Kansas State University; New Jersey. Member of the American Library M.A. from Fort Hays State University. Association and the New Jersey Library Asso- ciation. Board member of the South Jersey Li- Barbara Wencl:Library Media Specialist, Como brary Cooperative. Park Senior High School, St. Paul, Minnesota. Kathleen Preston: Head of Reference, New City Teacher of secondary social studies and history, Library, New City, New York. Member of the St. Paul, Minnesota. Received B.S. and M.Ed. American Library Association. Received B.A. from University of Minnesota; received media and M.L.S. from University of Albany. certification from University of Wisconsin. Ed- Patricia Sarles: Library Media Specialist, Canar- ucator and media specialist with over 30 years sie High School, Brooklyn, New York. Expert experience. V o l u m e 1 3 v Table of Contents Guest Foreword “Just a Few Lines on a Page” by David J. Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xii Literary Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvii Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xix An African Elegy (by Robert Duncan) . . . . . .1 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Birches (by Robert Frost) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 V o l u m e 1 3 v i i T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s Blood Oranges(by Lisel Mueller) . . . . . . . . .33 For the White poets who would be Indian Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 (by Wendy Rose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Cavalry Crossing a Ford I felt a Funeral, in my Brain (by Walt Whitman) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 (by Emily Dickinson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 The Conquerors (by Phyllis McGinley) . . . . . .65 i was sitting in mcsorley’s (by e. e. cummings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Darwin in 1881 The Idea of Order at Key West (by Gjertrud Schnackenberg) . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 (by Wallace Stevens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Leda and the Swan Daylights (by Rosanna Warren) . . . . . . . . . .100 (by William Butler Yeats) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189 v i i i P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s The Song of the Smoke Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 (by W. E. B. Du Bois) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 We Live by What We See at Night Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 (by Martín Espada) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 To His Excellency General Washington Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 (by Phillis Wheatley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 Cumulative Author/Title Index . . . . . . . . .271 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Cumulative Nationality/Ethnicity Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277 To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time (by Robert Herrick) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Subject/Theme Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Cumulative Index of First Lines . . . . . . . .287 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 Cumulative Index of Last Lines . . . . . . . . .293 V o l u m e 1 3 i x