Poetry: Looking at poetry through a different lens by Zanae ARI

In Langston Hughes Mother to Son..

zari2 — 2017-01-06 17:17:18 UTC

Eden by David Woo

2017-01-06 17:19:22 UTC

In the poem Eden, the author writes a comparison of his life to a so called "paradise". During the time of the poem, David had moved away from his parents, to another city. As he writes about his lifestyle, on where he use to live, he states "to my parents' old age" meaning that his parents were becoming older. When he compares his old lifestyle to a paradise, like "Eden", he realizes that he should cherish each moment with them and wants to be with his parents, even though it's like "hell", rather than a paradise land. He regrets leaving his parents because he states that "Her smile of affection melts into the back of my head" meaning he is thinking about when she smiles at him and how he misses it. He also states "wonder why I despised this place so" he is questioning himself on why he didn't like the place and why he moved away from it, showing a bit of regret. He ends his poem with his perspective on what he prefers over, paradise or his life with his parents by saying "to the man and woman who teach me now as they could not before to prefer real hell to any imaginary paradise." - Nadia Vilaisaeng

Farewell by Francisca Aguirre

2017-01-06 17:19:35 UTC

In the poem Farewell the author is writing about saying goodbye she doesn't specify to who she's saying goodbye to but she explains how saying goodbye or Farewell is not a big deal or not very important in her poem she says "To say goodbye means so little. We said goodbye to our childhood and it came after us like dogs tracking our steps." When she said this my understanding was that we can't never say goodbye and not return in a sense that goodbye isn't forever. Francisca also explains in the poem that saying goodbye isn't enough because when you do say goodbye your sinking a knife into's someones back "..because saying goodbye is never enough ,because to say goodbye completely might be to find the spot where to turn's one back,the spot to sink oneself into the final no while life slowly seeps out.

-Nallely B.

Peony by Marilyn Chin

2017-01-06 17:19:49 UTC

In Peony, the author was originally from Hong Kong, in which the majority of people there were Buddhist, so during her poem she ties in the words of Buddha to relate to the overall message. She adds the quote "Sit, contemplate, what did Buddha say? Old age, sickness, death, no one owns eternity" to explain her story of a girl who is on the verge of dying. By using this quote we can see that her culture, and religion has shaped the way she thinks about the world, and how it fits into her poems. We can also see on how growing up in Hong Kong they way of thinking she has about death, and how she respects her religion and ties everything back to it.
-Grace Barber

What I Am by Terrance Hayes

2017-01-06 17:19:55 UTC

Terrance Hayes is an African American poet who writes about social issues in his time of life. In "What I Am", he talks about how most people judge him by stereotypes. He often repeats the phrase "no one really knows what I am", in different forms. He does this to suggest that many people make assumptions based on his race, no one knows what he is actually like. He also says, "Ain't I American".This because many people may treat him as less of a person, even though he is equal.

To Live in the Zombie Apocalypse by Burlee Vang

2017-01-06 17:19:56 UTC

In this poem the author writes about what's it like live to live in a world where no one cares about where you end up, just what you portray as. Burlee Vang shows the reader that no matter how hard you try to be independent and unique, eventually, you will follow the crowd, and there's no stopping that. And once one person follows the crowd, ten more people join, and so on, so forth. The author also shows that when you stick out, you're targeted. And that just means, you'll have to learn to fall back, and fit in. - Connie Phan

Still I Rise- Maya Angelou

2017-01-06 17:19:56 UTC

In Maya Angelou, 'Still I Rise' she is basically addressing the white people discriminating the blacks. I believe she is also referring to the whites would throw you under the bus, but she uses the saying, "still I rise" to show that you should still hold your head high despite what people do or say. You should laugh it off, not really caring even so comment on what people think. Her writing style in this poem is so unique and distinct that you can feel what some of our black must have been going through.

When you are old by W.B Yeats

2017-01-06 17:19:57 UTC

In 'When you are old', by W.B. Yeats, the author tells his love that when she is older he hopes that he thinks of how she let a person who truly loves her go. In Yeats' poem, money mattered to people . Yeats was a struggling poet, while the woman he loved was rich and famous. The poem talks about the author's love and 'how many loved your moments of glad grace, and loved your beauty with love false or true. This woman was loved by many whether it was true love or not, but they only loved her for her looks and money. Yeats hope that when she is old and alone, she remembers her beauty and fame that she no longer have, and the possibility of the true love she could have had.

~Keniyah Evans.

Nothing But Death by Pablo Neruda

2017-01-06 17:20:09 UTC

The author is a Chilean poet-diplomat born on July 12th, 1904 in Chile. During his lifetime he occupied numerous diplomatic positions and served as a senator for the Chilean Communist Party. In 1948, president Gonzalez Videla outlawed communism and issued an arrest for Neruda. Some of Neruda's friends helped hide him from the authorities and he soon escaped into Argentina through a mountain pass.

After being awarded a Nobel Prize, Neruda returned home to Chile and read before 70,000 people at the Estadio Nacional. However, during the coup d'etat lead by Augusto Pinochet, Neruda was hospitalized with cancer. He died on September 23, 1973 on Isla Negra.

Nothing But Death was written during the time he was ordered to be arrested. It details the fraility of life and how it can disappear in the blink of an eye.

Darkness by Cassie

2017-01-06 17:20:15 UTC

In Darkness by Cassie she writes about the effect and what's its like to live with depression or as she describes a darkness that never goes away. She says in the poem that "Darkness is like a plague that never goes away" She describes the feelings and the new surrounding environment. or lack thereof within the darkness that's consumed you and everything you once knew or loved. as she writes "All you see is the shadows of everyone you once knew" She even states that "There is no more love love,laughter nor happiness" which would completely describe rock bottom

Beginning Cherokee by Qwo- Li Driskill

2017-01-06 17:20:21 UTC

In this poem the author was dealing with lack of opportunities due to her being a female in the Cherokee lifestyle. She wasn't able to express who she was because of her culture arranging her life in order to become a "proper" Cherokee women. She had to follow rules and take lessons far from home. Which distanced her and her family. The author felt like she had lost everything, but later on accepted who she and her culture was. The author then realized the lessons she took weren't for nothing they helped her out in situations she thought she wasn't prepared for before. She was grateful for being a Cherokee women
- Olivia Dominguez

The Little Mute Boy by Federico

2017-01-06 17:20:35 UTC

In this poem, he writes about a boy that can't speak. The author was from Madrid, Spain and when he was writing this poem, his country was in civil war. During that time he was trying to find a way to get out of the war. In the poem the little boy is trying to find his voice.

The streets-Octavio Paz

2017-01-06 17:20:36 UTC

In this poem "The streets" , Octavio talks about life in the streets .It can be dangerous and difficult in many ways. Being in the streets leads to obstacles turning to every corner can led to something else worse. Meaning you walking blind in the dark . Lines 3 & 4 have a deep meaning as it talks about " and rise ,and I walk blind ,my feet stepping on silent stones and dry leaves'.The author saying that he doesn't know whats next for him ,but keeps going forward.

~Isaiah (Obeyzay )Scroggins

Guest House by Rumi

2017-01-06 17:20:44 UTC

In “Guest House”, the author uses a metaphor throughout the poem that refers to humans as being like a “guest house”. The poem talks about welcoming in whatever comes knocking at our door, whether it's good or bad. The author encourages that we are open to change because we can never be sure of what will happen in our lives. The author had his own experience of having to deal with the bad. When he was starting out as a poet much of his writing was influenced by his mentor. His mentor made him see how much more meaning his life had, and furthered the depth of his writing. They went their separate ways but years later they reunited . Rumi had a son. Rumi's son murdered his mentor and sent Rumi into a deep depression. Having to accept the death of his dear friend is what inspired the Rumi to write the poem "Guest House".
- Cecilia Sierra

Kissing In Vietnamese by Ocean Voung

2017-01-06 17:20:55 UTC

In kissing in Vietnamese the author writes about his grandmother and what that kiss feels like to him. In his poems he uses experiences from when he lived in Vietnam and his love for his family. He specifically wrote about his grandmother because in this culture, family is very important. He writes about how his grandmother kisses no other, how as she kisses him, he feels a sense of comfort and love. He uses metaphors an similes in his writing to compare the kiss, like "as if bombs are bursting"or "history never ended". As he writes he also describes his grandmother as if she were gong to disappear, he feels as if the kiss were a sign for his grandmother to never let him go.
-Kimberly Bui

Peony by Marilyn Chin

2017-01-06 17:20:56 UTC

in the poem there was the story of how the life was for the person she made out to be a flower. When times got tough for that said flower she asked them to "sit, contemplate, what did Buddha say?" They were probably going through a hard time when this was written they may have been sick. Towards the end they express there time is over and to look away from the sun. ending with " Don't despair , little one ,we are done" meaning all the tough hardships are gone and everything is going to get better from there.

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou

2017-01-06 17:22:49 UTC

In the "Caged Bird" the author is basically comparing her life to that of a bird trapped in cage. The author experienced racial discrimination and was raped a a young age by her mother's boyfriend. She was so traumatized by these events that she went mute.

uccession by Jeffrey Brown

2017-01-06 17:29:58 UTC

in this poem "Succession" the author writes about his childhood because he says " i drive slowly into the tranquil streets of my youth " then he says "here is where i learned to ride a bike" but the this sentence relates to the title " on this hill that is no hil at all . And still I fell.

2019-06-14 15:08:47 UTC

we can't never say goodbye and not return in a sense that goodbye isn't

2021-04-19 13:29:08 UTC

To live in the Zombie Apocalypse