who wrote i thank You God for most this amazing day?
e. e. cummings
what does the speaker express in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
his love of and delight in the wonders of God and nature
what does cummings’ unusual placement of words create in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
a sense of the untamed energy of the world
what does cummings describe in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
a spring day that renews his appreciation of the wonders of God
what is the subject matter of i thank You God for most this amazing day?
a spring day
on the day that cummings describes in i thank You God for most this amazing day, what seems to be happening?
the universe is reborn
what does cummings wonder, with such a glorious day in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
how can anyone can question the existence of God
why does cummings only capitalize God and You in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
to emphasize God’s power and majesty
what are the literary devices in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
English (Shakespearean) sonnet; tome; inversion; approximate rhyme; imagery
what is the rhyme scheme in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
abab/cdcd/efef/gg English/Shakespearean sonnet)
what is the tone in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
praise, celebration; ecstatic moos
what is the inversion in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
most this/ blue true/human merely being
what is the approximate rhyme in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
trees/you; no/you; and/opened
what is the imagery in i thank You God for most this amazing day?
green trees; blue sky; sun; wings
who wrote she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
emily dickerson
what is the excellent example of an extended metaphor in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
setting sun = untidy housewife
what is the subject matter in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
sunset
what does the speaker see in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
a wondrous sight in the evening sky – a sunset
what is the rhyme scheme in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
abcb/defe/ghih – the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme in each stanza
what does she sweeps with many-colored brooms compare?
the sunset to a housewife who sweeps the sky with many-colored brooms and leaves traces of each color
what does the sweeping motion leave in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
streaks f color we see as the sun settles behind the horizon
until when does the speaker watch the sunset in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
the speaker watches the sunset until the stars come out; then she goes in (after dark)
what are the literary devices in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
personification; speaker; extended metaphor
what is the personification in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
sunset takes on human activities
what is the speaker in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
a keen observer of nature; a person watching the sunset; imaginative/seems enchanted and cannot leave until the sunset is completely over/addresses a “housewife”
what is the basic literary device in she sweeps with many-colored brooms?
extended metaphor
who wrote sea fever?
john masefield
what is the subject matter of sea fever?
longing to go out to sea
what does the speaker have strong attachments to in sea fever?
all facets of sea life and wishes to return to it
what beckons the speaker in sea fever?
loneliness, the feel of the wind and the salt spray, and the cries of the gulls
what is the refrain that is repeated at the beginning of each stanza in sea fever?
“I must go down to the seas again”
what does the refrain “I must go down to the seas again” emphasize in sea fever?
it emphasizes the idea that the speaker feels compelled to go to sea
what does the speaker describe life at sea as in sea fever?
“the vagrant gypsy life,” which suggests that he sees the sea as a wandering life without attachments
what does the speaker compare the sea wind to in sea fever?
a sharpened knife, implying that life at sea is hard
what does the speaker look forward to after his exciting life at sea is over in sea fever?
a peaceful life
what are the literary devices in sea fever?
speaker; repetition; tone; imagery; alliteration; personification
what is the speaker in sea fever?
an experienced seaman who has been ashore too long and feels the need to return to the sea; cheerful philosophy of life
what is the repetition in sea fever?
..
.
what is the tone in sea fever?
wistful, wants to return but is not sure he can
what is the imagery n sea fever?
…
what is the alliteration in sea fever?
…
what is the personification in sea fever?
“lonely sea;” “sea’s face;” “w” and “wh” sounds mimic the sound of the wind
what does the repetition of “must” and “all I ask” suggest in sea fever?
“must” = urgency and “all I ask” = needs
who wrote oranges?
gary soto
what does the speaker recall in oranges?
the 1st time he ever walked with a girl
what kind of poem is oranges?
narrative poem
how old is the boy in oranges?
12
what elements does a narrative poem have?
a traditional plot structure – exposition, conflict, climax, and resolution
what is the climax in oranges?
the drugstore lady takes 5 cents and orange as payment rather than embarrass the boy or the girl by asking her to choose a less expensive piece of candy
what is the imagery in oranges?
“frost cracking beneath my steps” – hearing; dog barking – hearing; “face bright with rouge” – comparing rouged faced to a light or other source of brightness – seeing; bell sounds as they enter drugstore – hearing; “candies tiered like bleachers” – comparing stacks of candy to seats in stadium of gym – seeing; car hissing – hearing; “fog hanging like old coats between the trees” – suggests fog is very thick – seeing; orange is so bright against the “gray of December” that is looked like a fire in his hands
what are the contrasts between the setting and the actions/emotions of the characters in oranges?
cold December day, bleak and foggy; actions and emotions of 2 show warmth and tenderness (smile at her, touches her shoulder, buys her candy, takes her hand)
what are the literary devices in oranges?
onomatopoeia; similes; and imagery
who wrote sonnet 71?
william shakespeare
who is sonnet 71 addressed to?
a close friend (of the speaker)
what do the images of death emphasize in sonnet 71?
death’s dinality – dwelling with worms. compounded with clay – suggests death as an elemental change and a decaying process
what is the subject matter of sonnet 71?
death (don’t mourn)
what does the speaker say to his friend in the 1st quatrain of sonnet 71?
not to mourn for him any longer than the time it takes the death bell (at the church) to ring
what does the speaker say to his friend in the 2nd quatrain of sonnet 71?
they should forget the speaker if he reads the poem because reading the poem will be painful; the speaker would rather be forgotten than cause grief
what does the speaker say to his friend in the 3rd quatrain of sonnet 71?
asks friend not to say his name if he should read the poem, but let love die
what does the couplet mean in sonnet 71?
world will laugh if the friend grieves for him, suggesting world is wise enough to know that continued grief is futile because it will not bring back the dead
what is the literary device in sonnet 71?
alliteration
what is the only line in sonnet 71 that does not have alliteration?
9
who wrote sonnet
countee cullen
what does sonnet explore?
the ways and lengths of time people love
what does quatrain 1 of sonnet describe?
the different durations of love – some love for a little while, some a very long while, and some rare few love forever
what does quatrain 2 of sonnet describe?
three ways to declare one’s love (crucifix, blood, silence)
what does quatrain 3 in sonnet present?
the idea that none of the ways to love may be better or worse than the others
what does the couplet in sonnet describe love as?
a rare and tantalizing fruit for which we all reach
what are the literary devices in sonnet?
English/Shakespearean Sonnet; Metaphors; Analogy
what is the rhyme scheme in sonnet?
abab/cdcd/efef/gg
what are the metaphors in sonnet?
“measure of a poet’s song” – shows that love can be short; “ribbon width of a summer’s day” – showing that one day is brief compared to years and years.
what are the analogies in sonnet?
hungry people will eat anything; thirsty people will even drink salty water; people desperate for love will settle for loving just about anybody
what is the subject matter of sonnet?
definition of love
what are the images in sonnet?
“golden crucifix,” “blood,” iron oath” (woven from silence) – three ways to declare one’s love
what is the strongest way to show love?
silence (kino and juana)
who wrote one art?
elizabeth bishop
what is the subject matter of one art?
loss
what happens in each stanza of one art?
the speaker’s losses increase in value:keys, places, destination, 3 houses, realms (lands), continent, time, names, her mother’s watch, 2 cities, 2 rivers, her beloved
the speaker’s losses are exaggerated (hyperbole) to finally lead up to the greatest loss, what is it? one art
the loss of a loved one, which is far greater than any material loss
what does the repetition of “like” and emphasis on “Write it!” imply, in the last line of one art?
the speaker does feel her loss is a disaster
why is the “art of losing” ironic? one art
it is ironic because usually an art is something we strive to perfect because it gives us pleasure
why is the art of losing a loved one ironic?
it is ironic because it is not easy to master, and the speaker is not able to master it (indicated by the last line) even though she says she can
why is the title “One Art” ironic?
it is ironic because the art of losing a loved one is not the same as the art of losing a key; the word “One” refers to the fact that she was in a relationship – part of a couple – and now she is alone. He left her. It is a play on words.
what are the literary devices in one art?
the poem is a villanelle; verbal irony; metaphorical losses
what is the verbal irony in one art?
speaker does not mean what she says (writes). The speaker has not mastered the art of losing.
what is the rhyme scheme of one art?
only two rhymes -aba/aba/aba/aba/aba/abaa – all end rhymes rhyme with “master” or “intent.”
who wrote La Belle Dame sans Merci?
john keats
what is the poem, La Belle Dame sans Merci?
a dialogue between a stranger and a knight who seems to be ill
when is the setting in La Belle Dame sans Merci?
late autumn (marsh grass is withered from the lake; birds are not singing; harvest is done; squirrel’s storage place is full)
what evidence is in La Belle Dame sans Merci that indicates that the knight is ill?
“lily on the brow” – forehead is overly pale; “with anguish moist and fever dew” – sweating because of anguish and fever; “on thy cheeks a fading rose fast withereth too” – the redness fades from his cheeks
what happens in the 4th stanza of La Belle Dame sans Merci?
the knight beings to explain why he is ill; he met a beautiful lady in the meadows, he fell in love and she acted like she loved him, they are exotic food; she told him she loved him in a strange language
what does La Belle Dame sans Merci mean?
the beautiful lady without pity (the lady without a heart)
what might have accounted for the poem La Belle Dame sans Merci?
Keats had a hopeless life and love, which might account for the sense of coldness and impending doom found in the poem
what type of poem is La Belle Dame sans Merci?
literary ballad – written by a known author
what is the rhyme scheme of La Belle Dame sans Merci?
abab/cdcd/efef/gg – same rhyme scheme as “She Sweeps With Many-Colored Brooms” – second and fourth lines rhyme
what is the setting in La Belle Dame sans Merci?
everything in nature is decaying/dying and so is the knight. He will not recover from this experience.
He will die.
what is the subject matter of La Belle Dame sans Merci?
unreturned love
who wrote the laboratory?
robert browning
what the laboratory an excellent example of?
dramatic monologue
what is the laboratory about?
a jealous, spurned woman seeking revenge. The poem never says, “I am a woman.”
what is the setting in the laboratory?
a chemist’s shop
who does the speaker in the laboratory speak to?
a chemist who is preparing poison for her
what does the speaker imagine when she watches the preparation of the poison in the laboratory?
she imagines her former boyfriend and his new love together, laughing at her.
what does the speaker compare the chemist’s job to in the laboratory?
the job of the devil’s blacksmith. It indicates that she is committing an act that allies her with the devil and the powers of darkness.
what is the woman a good example of in the laboratory?
how appearances can be different from reality – on the outside, she is a beautifully dressed woman and appears refined; on the inside, she is hateful, jealous, and revengeful, planning an ugly murder
what is the subject matter of the laboratory?
evil (jealousy, revenge)
what is the rhythmic pattern of the laboratory?
anapestic tetrameter
who wrote the lake?
ted hughes
what is the lake?
beneath its calm disguise, is really a living receptacle for trash
what view does the speaker take towards the lake?
a hostile view of the activities of the lake, who he sees as an omnivorous eater
what is the lake compared to?
a leaf insect and an armadillo (leaf insect is camouflaged; armadillo (with its hard shell) can look inedible)
what is the lake portrayed as?
a greedy monster; snuffles at his feet, snucks and slobbers the stones, snorts through its lips, smacks its chops
what are the literary devices in the lake?
implied and extended metaphor
what is the subject matter in the lake?
deception (appearance vs. reality)
what are the implied and extended metaphors in the lake?
lake = greedy monster (the poem never states that the lake is a monster, so the metaphor is implied as well as extended)Tone – hostile (no rhyme scheme)Other metaphors – lake = armadillo andLake = crazed eel being battered to death
who wrote mirror?
sylvia plath
who is the speaker in mirror?
a mirror (silver, four cornered, and hangs on a wall); speaker is nonhuman.
how is the mirror personified?
meditating, seeing, swallowing, and having a heart
who wrote ex-basketball player?
john updike
what is ex-basketball player about?
an ex-basketball “star” whose life has become ordinary
what is the tone of ex-basketball player?
ironic
what sense emerges from ex-basketball player?
wasted potential
why is the title of ex-basketball player that? why not “Flick Webb” or “Gas-Station Attendant?
Flick has no present life; He has no career; He has no identity; Title reflects the disappointing attitude the speaker has toward the subject.(Alternative titles would emphasize a function or a name and bring his life into the present. He is a has-been with no future.)
what kind of poem is ex-basketball player?
lyric poem – does not tell a story
what is ex-basketball player?
a character study, contrasting Flick’s past glories with his present life. The poem gives the thoughts and emotions of the speaker toward the subject.
what is the subject matter of ex-basketball player?
wasted potential
who wrote once by the pacific?
robert frost
what is happening in once by the pacific?
the speaker is viewing the Pacific Ocean as a storm gathers
what does “pacific” mean?
“peaceful”
what is the tone in once by the pacific?
threatening
what does west (coast) mean symbolically?
death (where the “sun dies” every day)
what does din mean? once by the pacific
loud noise
what is the rhythmic pattern of once by the pacific?
iambic pentameter
what is the rhyme scheme of once by the pacific?
aabbccddeeffgg
