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Mar Português, "Portuguese sea" by Fernando Pessoa

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Mar Português, "Portuguese sea" by Fernando Pessoa

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Oh salty sea, how much of your salt

Are tears of Portugal!

To get across you, how many mothers cried,

How many sons prayed in vain!

How many brides were never to marry

In order to make you ours, oh sea!

Was it worth it?  Everything is worthy

If the soul is not small.
Who wants to go beyond Bojador,(*)

Must go beyond sufferance.

God gave the sea peril and abyss,

Yet upon it He also mirrored the sky.

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I really enjoy this poem by, in such short verses, conveying so much of the Portuguese history of the discoveries era, by including the cries of the mothers who missed their sons which gone to navigate and the Portuguese triumph to pass the "bojador" cape. I believe its structure of first asking a rhetorical question and then answering it allows better interaction with the reader and highlights the importance of the answer. My favourite line is "everything is worthy if the soul is not small" as it is really a motivating quote, which is often said in my culture.

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Come see your life in my crystal glass—
Twenty-five cents is all you pay.
Let me look into your past—
Here’s what you had for lunch today:
Tuna salad and mashed potatoes,
Green pea soup and apple juice,
Collard greens and stewed tomatoes,
Chocolate milk and lemon mousse.
You admit I’ve told it all?
Well, I know it, I confess,
Not by looking in my ball,
But just by looking at your dress.

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I have become very fond of this writer, and the reason behind it is that, throughout her style of righting, she, instead of using it to be able to do fantasy things and therefore, become almost "better" than the reader, she always builds up a seemingly fantastic scenario but then dismantles it, conveying her human characteristics and restrictions, seen where she hints to know the meal of someone throught her "crystal ball", when, she instead, explains to only have figured it out " just by looking at (her) dress".

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Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!

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This poem, even though very simple and not containing any intricate language or text with intricate comparisons or metaphors which have room for different interpretations, was really enjoyable for me to read as I find the scenario he is in so relatable for readers, especially clumsy ones like me, that give a certain humouristic value, particularly with the ending, as if all the judgement on the state of that room was a form of building up a self-critique. I love how it takes life in a playful manner, maybe transmitting people shouldn't pay so much attention in criticizing others, but trying to look at their own problems and tassume them

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 I guess you think you know this story.
 You don't. The real one's much more gory.
 The phoney one, the one you know,
 Was cooked up years and years ago,
 And made to sound all soft and sappy
 just to keep the children happy.
 Mind you, they got the first bit right,
 The bit where, in the dead of night,
 The Ugly Sisters, jewels and all,
 Departed for the Palace Ball,
 While darling little Cinderella
 Was locked up in a slimy cellar,
 Where rats who wanted things to eat,
 Began to nibble at her feet.

 She bellowed 'Help!' and 'Let me out!
 The Magic Fairy heard her shout.
 Appearing in a blaze of light,
 She said: 'My dear, are you all right?'
 'All right?' cried Cindy .'Can't you see
 'I feel as rotten as can be!'
 She beat her fist against the wall,
 And shouted, 'Get me to the Ball!
 'There is a Disco at the Palace!
 'The rest have gone and 1 am jalous!
 'I want a dress! I want a coach!
 'And earrings and a diamond brooch!
 'And silver slippers, two of those!
 'And lovely nylon panty hose!
 'Done up like that I'll guarantee
 'The handsome Prince will fall for me!'
 The Fairy said, 'Hang on a tick.'
 She gave her wand a mighty flick
 And quickly, in no time at all,
 Cindy was at the Palace Ball!

 It made the Ugly Sisters wince
 To see her dancing with the Prince.
 She held him very tight and pressed
 herself against his manly chest.
 The Prince himself was turned to pulp,
 All he could do was gasp and gulp.
 Then midnight struck. She shouted,'Heck!
 Ive got to run to save my neck!'
 The Prince cried, 'No! Alas! Alack!'
 He grabbed her dress to hold her back.
 As Cindy shouted, 'Let me go!'
 The dress was ripped from head to toe.

 She ran out in her underwear,
 And lost one slipper on the stair.
 The Prince was on it like a dart,
 He pressed it to his pounding heart,
 'The girl this slipper fits,' he cried,
 'Tomorrow morn shall be my bride!
 I'll visit every house in town
 'Until I've tracked the maiden down!'
 Then rather carelessly, I fear,
 He placed it on a crate of beer.

 At once, one of the Ugly Sisters,
 (The one whose face was blotched with blisters)
 Sneaked up and grabbed the dainty shoe,
 And quickly flushed it down the loo.
 Then in its place she calmly put
 The slipper from her own left foot.
 Ah ha, you see, the plot grows thicker,
 And Cindy's luck starts looking sicker.

 Next day, the Prince went charging down
 To knock on all the doors in town.
 In every house, the tension grew.
 Who was the owner of the shoe?
 The shoe was long and very wide.
 (A normal foot got lost inside.)
 Also it smelled a wee bit icky.
 (The owner's feet were hot and sticky.)
 Thousands of eager people came
 To try it on, but all in vain.
 Now came the Ugly Sisters' go.
 One tried it on. The Prince screamed, 'No!'
 But she screamed, 'Yes! It fits! Whoopee!
 'So now you've got to marry me!'
 The Prince went white from ear to ear.
 He muttered, 'Let me out of here.'
 'Oh no you don't! You made a vow!
 'There's no way you can back out now!'
 'Off with her head!'The Prince roared back.
 They chopped it off with one big whack.
 This pleased the Prince. He smiled and said,
 'She's prettier without her head.'
 Then up came Sister Number Two,
 Who yelled, 'Now I will try the shoe!'
 'Try this instead!' the Prince yelled back.
 He swung his trusty sword and smack
 Her head went crashing to the ground.
 It bounced a bit and rolled around.
 In the kitchen, peeling spuds,
 Cinderella heard the thuds
 Of bouncing heads upon the floor,
 And poked her own head round the door.
 'What's all the racket? 'Cindy cried.
 'Mind your own bizz,' the Prince replied.
 Poor Cindy's heart was torn to shreds.
 My Prince! she thought. He chops off heads!
 How could I marry anyone
 Who does that sort of thing for fun?

 The Prince cried, 'Who's this dirty slut?
 'Off with her nut! Off with her nut!'
 Just then, all in a blaze of light,
 The Magic Fairy hove in sight,
 Her Magic Wand went swoosh and swish!
 'Cindy! 'she cried, 'come make a wish!
 'Wish anything and have no doubt
 'That I will make it come about!'
 Cindy answered, 'Oh kind Fairy,
 'This time I shall be more wary.
 'No more Princes, no more money.
 'I have had my taste of honey.
 I'm wishing for a decent man.
 'They're hard to find. D'you think you can?'
 Within a minute, Cinderella
 Was married to a lovely feller,
 A simple jam maker by trade,
 Who sold good home-made marmalade.
 Their house was filled with smiles and laughter
 And they were happy ever after.

-- Roald Dahl

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I really like this poem as it explores a humanistic interpretation of Cinderella, removing from the original's story the some of the "fantasy" factor and making it almost a metaphor to the consumerist society we live in with cinderella's wish evolving "earrings and diamond brooch" and in other parts as well. However, its ending is more positive by ending up with a "decent man", instead of being defined by his monetary worth, his kind attitude and charmer perhaps?
Also, I enjoy the way we read an unfiltered way of speaking, almost as if we are reading what would only be said in people's minds but wouldn't actually be said out loud. Lastly, and most importantly, I find his writing really funny to read as his rhyme scheme allows quick narrative rhythm...

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The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.

Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each.

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I first read this poem in the GCSE, and immediately grew fond of it due to its use of metaphors, sibilances and naturalistic descriptions to transmit the narrator's journey until his encounter. What I like about it is the secrecy factor within that love, as nowadays, it isn't a common thing to keep a relation secrecy for social reasons anymore, (not referring to betrail). Ultimately, I believe it is lovely his way of transmitting his emotions via naturalistic metaphors such as startled waves which evoke anxiety maybe and lighted match that conveys the heat of love. Lastly, and ultimately, I really enjoy its ending, as in most poems I've read about don't have such happy, almost "perfect" and "fairylike" endings.

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Love's Philosophy - Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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Love's Philosophy - Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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he fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In another's being mingle-
Why not I with thine?

See, the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower could be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea; -
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

Percy Bysshe Shelley

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Firstly, I find reading this poem extremely satisfying and easy to read, through its word choice, rhythm, and rhyme. Then, I really enjoy the use of natural imagery "sunlight, mountains..." that seems to suggest the sense of love being something innocent, simple and inevitable. Lastly, I really like the open-clause ending as it can be interpreted different ways: One is her rhetorical philosophy where she isn't loved back, or she is rather emphasizing that her life doesn't make sense without him, the same way it wouldn't without nature.

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"Word" by Ribka Sibhatu Translated from Italian.

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"Word" by Ribka Sibhatu Translated from Italian.

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Word

Holy word
inscrutable essence
land of the wandering
woman!

Touch the daughter
who walks between
shadow and light
courage and fear.

Play melodies
that give shape
to the world
where she belongs.

Speak words
that emit a fragrance
and carry the soul
through time and through space.

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What I enjoy about this poem it the poem's intention is to be read by, therefore have the "world" as the receptor. Also, It is written in such way that it is very challenging to understand its meaning, which I find quite intriguing as if only the poet knows what she is about to tell the "world" about, even though there is a clear reference for a feminine character along the narrative "She".  In terms of the structure, I like the antithesis used such as "shadow and light" since they again, contribute to un unstraightforward interpretation.

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We Wear The Mask - Poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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We Wear The Mask - Poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

Paul Laurence Dunbar

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I really like this poem because it is really relatable to society nowadays, as even though we now have the rights of opinionating how we intend to, we even so still hide things to each other and pretend to be or have who we are or have not. I got furtherly more fascinating once I learned about the reasoning behind the poet's writing and his intentions, where I found out that "the mask "in the poem '' is a metaphor for a social performance that African Americans would often put on to avoid negative consequences associated with telling the truth about their experiences with racial injustice or their feelings about it.