Poetry for Students. Volume 6

313 Pages·1.905 MB·English

by  Napierkowski M.R.

PfS-V6FM.QXD 7/1/1999 8:14 AM Page iv
Poetry for Students
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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
PfS-V6FM.QXD 7/1/1999 8:14 AM Page v
National Advisory Board
Dale Allender: Teacher, West High School, information science, Emporia State University,
Iowa City, Iowa. Kansas.
Dana Gioia:Poet and critic. His books include Katherine Nyberg: English teacher. Coordi-
The Gods of Winter and Can Poetry Matter? He nator of the language arts department of Farming-
currently resides in Santa Rosa, CA. ton Public Schools, Farmington, Michigan.
Carol Jago: Teacher, Santa Monica High Nancy Rosenberger: Former English teacher
School, Santa Monica, CA. Member of the Cali- and chair of English department at Conestoga High
fornia Reading and Literature Project at University School, Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
of California, Los Angeles. Dorothea M. Susag: English teacher, Simms
Bonnie J. Newcomer: English teacher, Be- High School, Simms, Montana. Former president
loit Junior-Senior High School, Beloit, Kansas. of the Montana Association of Teachers of English
Editor of KATE UpDate, for the Kansas Associ- Language Arts. Member of the National Council of
ation of Teachers of English. Ph.D. candidate in Teachers of English.
V o l u m e 6 v
PfS-V6FM.QXD 7/1/1999 8:14 AM Page vii
Table of Contents
Guest Foreword
“Just a Few Lines on a Page”
by David J. Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xii
Literary Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xix
Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxi
Beware: Do Not Read This Poem
(by Ishmael Reed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Brazil, January 1, 1502
(by Elizabeth Bishop) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
V o l u m e 6 v i i
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T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Come with Me (by Robert Bly) . . . . . . . . . . .29 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 “More Light! More Light!”
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 (by Anthony Hecht) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Cool Tombs (by Carl Sandburg) . . . . . . . . . . .44 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Onomatopoeia (by Eve Merriam) . . . . . . . . .132
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
A Far Cry from Africa (by Derek Walcott) . .59 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Piano (by D. H. Lawrence) . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
The Heaven of Animals (by James Dickey) . .74 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 (by Robert Lowell) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Helen (by H.D.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Queen-Ann’s-Lace
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 (by William Carlos Williams) . . . . . . . . . . .177
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Lord Randal (by Anonymous) . . . . . . . . . . .104 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
v i i i P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s
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T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234
Theme for English B (by Langston Hughes) .192 We Real Cool (by Gwendolyn Brooks) . . . .241
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
There’s a Certain Slant of Light The Wood-Pile (by Robert Frost) . . . . . . . . .250
(by Emily Dickinson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Historical Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
Critical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
To My Dear and Loving Husband Glossary of Literary Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
(by Anne Bradstreet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227
Cumulative Author/Title Index . . . . . . . . .285
Author Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227
Poem Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Cumulative Nationality/Ethnicity
Poem Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 Subject/Theme Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293
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Just a Few Lines on a Page
I have often thought that poets have the easi- tually travel to different times and different cul-
est job in the world. A poem, after all, is just a few tures, but the poems get into our minds, they find
lines on a page, usually not even extending margin what little we know about the places they are talk-
to margin—how long would that take to write, ing about, and then they make that little bit blos-
about five minutes? Maybe ten at the most, if you som into a bouquet of someone else’s life. Poets
wanted it to rhyme or have a repeating meter. Why, make us think we are following simple, specific
I could start in the morning and produce a book of events, but then they leave ideas in our heads that
poetry by dinnertime. But we all know that it isn’t cannot be found on the printed page. Abracadabra.
that easy. Anyone can come up with enough words,
Sometimes when you finish a poem it doesn’t
but the poet’s job is about writing the right ones.
feel as if it has left any supernatural effect on you,
The right words will change lives, making people
like it did not have any more to say beyond the ac-
see the world somewhat differently than they saw
tual words that it used. This happens to everybody,
it just a few minutes earlier. The right words can
but most often to inexperienced readers: regardless
make a reader who relies on the dictionary for
of what is often said about young people’s infinite
meanings take a greater responsibility for his or her
capacity to be amazed, you have to understand what
own personal understanding. A poem that is put on
usually does happen, and what could have hap-
the page correctly can bear any amount of analy-
pened instead, if you are going to be moved by
sis, probing, defining, explaining, and interrogat-
what someone has accomplished. In those cases in
ing, and something about it will still feel new the
which you finish a poem with a “So what?” atti-
next time you read it.
tude, the information provided in Poetry for Stu-
It would be fine with me if I could talk about dentscomes in handy. Readers can feel assured that
poetry without using the word “magical,” because the poems included here actually are potent magic,
that word is overused these days to imply “a really not just because a few (or a hundred or ten thou-
good time,” often with a certain sweetness about it, sand) professors of literature say they are: they’re
and a lot of poetry is neither of these. But if you significant because they can withstand close in-
stop and think about magic—whether it brings to spection and still amaze the very same people who
mind sorcery, witchcraft, or bunnies pulled from have just finished taking them apart and seeing how
top hats—it always seems to involve stretching re- they work. Turn them inside out, and they will still
ality to produce a result greater than the sum of its be able to come alive, again and again. Poetry for
parts and pulling unexpected results out of thin air. Students gives readers of any age good practice in
This book provides ample cases where a few sim- feeling the ways poems relate to both the reality of
ple words conjure up whole worlds. We do not ac- the time and place the poet lived in and the reality
x P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s
PfS-V6FM.QXD 7/1/1999 8:14 AM Page xi
F o r e w o r d
of our emotions. Practice is just another word for with one hand, while the other hand pulls some sort
being a student. The information given here helps of trick that most of us will never fully understand.
you understand the way to read poetry; what to look I can’t even pack all that I need for a weekend into
for, what to expect. one suitcase, so what would be my chances of stuff-
With all of this in mind, I really don’t think I ing so much life into a few lines? With all that Po-
would actually like to have a poet’s job at all. There etry for Students tells us about each poem, I am
are too many skills involved, including precision, impressed that any poet can finish three or four
honesty, taste, courage, linguistics, passion, com- poems a year. Read the inside stories of these
passion, and the ability to keep all sorts of people poems, and you won’t be able to approach any
entertained at once. And that is just what they do poem in the same way you did before.
David J. Kelly
College of Lake County
V o l u m e 6 x i