Before we look into the poetry we have to study I would like to look into the poetry we actually enjoy, like, understand…embrace; in the hope that one day we may look back on the poems we’ve studied and realise we’ve made them our own.
So your first task this year will be to share a poem that you have enjoyed or a poem someone else has enjoyed and recommended to you. I will be expecting to read your poems and commentaries about why you’ve selected that particular poem.
So, let’s get started. I’ll go first. I’ve chosen a poem that a friend recommended. It’s very well written and the writer (W. Whitman) has made a very effective and powerful use of words. It’s wonderful to read aloud because it transmits amazing energy. It’s a poem written about the murder of Abraham Lincoln. Hope you like it!
O Captain! My Captain!
O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up–for you the flag is flung–for you the bugle trills; 10
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths–for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; 20
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.Walt Whitman
I kept the right ones out
And let the wrong ones in
Had an angel of mercy to see me through all my sins
There were times in my life
When I was goin’ insane
Tryin to walk through
The pain
When I lost my grip
And I hit the floor
Yeah, I thought I could leave, but couldn’t get out the door
I was so sick and tired
Of livin’ a lie
I was wishin that I
Would die
Chorus:
It’s Amazing
With the blink of an eye you finally see the light ohhh
It’s Amazing
When the moment arrives that you know you’ll be alright yeaah
It’s Amazing
And I’m sayin’ a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight
That one last shot’s a Permanent Vacation
And how high can you fly with broken wings?
Life’s a journey not a destination
And I just can’t tell just what tomorrow brings
You have to learn to crawl
Before you learn to walk
But I just couldn’t listen to all that righteous talk
I was out on the street
Just tryin’ to survive
Scratchin’ to stay
Alive
Chorus
I like this song very much because it is very well sung by and has very good lyrics. It tells much about the life of the singer.I know it by heart and it’s my favourite song.
It’s a great song, Tomás. I like it a lot too. Actually, I was at the Velez stadium MANY years ago when Aerosmith came to Argentina for the first time and they sang this song. It was one of the highlights that night. Thanks for sharing it!
Lenny.
Positive Mental Attitude
By John W Fenn
I’m one hell of a guy.
You should give me a try.
I’m the kind you
could take home to mother.
I can fix anything
with a nail and some string,
and I really am
quite a good lover.
I’m a nice kind of fellah
and I’d like to tell ya,
I’m nothing at all
like my brother.
I am clever and smart
and I have a good heart.
And you’ll find I’m
an excellent lover.
I’m a wonderful bloke.
Now this isn’t a joke.
I’m a man quite unlike
any other.
I am sweet, I am kind
and I’m certain you’ll find,
I am such
an incredible lover.
So if you feel that way
and you want me to play.
Just ring up
and give me a call.
I’ll be with you tout suite.
For I’m dying to meet.
And I’m sure that we’ll
both have a ball.
I chose this poem because I found it pretty humorous and also it also felt like a rap, which I really enjoyed.
The Voice by Thomas Hardy(a contemporary poet)
This poem was written by Hardy after the death of his first wife Emma. They had got divorced so, when she died Thomas felt guilty about it. He wishes that Emma would be there and imagines her calling him. Hardy hears her saying that she had changed, that she is not the same one “When you had changed from the one that was all to me”. He remembers her the way they had first known. He asks her to appear. Hardy is really confused in the first stanzas he thinks that he hears her but then he gets confused and he is not sure of it, he thinks that it might be the wind, at the end he listens her again.
Through out the poem, the language is related with a loss of an important person, in this case, Emma, he misses her so much and he wants to see her again, “woman much missed”, “let me view you “. This language creates an effect of sadness and regret.
In conclusion Thomas Hardy in this poem shows his feelings of sadness, regret and he also misses Emma. We can see how the mood changes finishing with a desolate mood of him.
Lucila Lafuente, Sofia Honens, Serena Griffin and Guido Ciccone
Violet Hill- Coldplay:
Was a long and dark December
From the rooftops I remember
There was snow
White snow
Clearly I remember
From the windows they were watching
While we froze
Down below
When the future’s architectured
By a carnival of idiots on show
You’d better lie low
If you love me
Won’t you let me know?
Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God
Priests clutched onto bibles
Hollowed out to fit their rifles
And the cross was held aloft
Bury me in armor
When I’m dead and hit the ground
A love back home unfolds
If you love me
Won’t you let me know?
I don’t want to be a soldier
Who the captain of some sinking ship
Would stow, far below
So if you love me
Why’d you let me go?
I took my love down to Violet Hill
There we sat in snow
All that time she was silent still
So if you love me
Won’t you let me know?
If you love me,
Won’t you let me know?
I choose these song because i really like it and i really like a lot of song of coldplay. i lik the music and the lyrics, i enjoy this song. And for me is romantic so i like that too
By Anthony Kisley
Maybe I can’t write a sentence or one word at all,
But does that mean you can push me against the wall?
Maybe I can’t read as good as the rest of the class,
But does that mean you have to trip me as I walk past?
Maybe I can’t kick a ball as far as the best,
But does that mean I stand out from the rest?
Maybe I can’t shout as loud as you can,
But does that really make me any less of a man?
Maybe I’m a different colour, a different race,
But does that give you the right to hit my face?
Maybe my glasses make my face look round,
But does that mean you have to throw them to the ground?
Maybe I’m poor, and have no money,
But does that mean you can mock me so your friends think you’re funny?
Maybe I wear clothes by Adidas or Nike,
But does that give you the right to steal things I like?
Maybe I’ll never win, and I’ll always lose,
But could you leave me alone? Do I get to choose?
Maybe you don’t care if I’m alive or dead,
But you won’t be the one visiting a hospital bed.
If there was only one thing that I wish would sink into your head,
“We are all the same. We all bleed red…”
A very interesting poem especially these days Lucas, it seems to be getting harder and harder to co exist peacefully. It’s written in a very straightforward way, impossible to miss the meaning it is trying to convey. Why have you chosen it?
Lenny.
This poem shows a reality, that we are all the same, but people do not seem to care about and put aside the worst part of it.
What do you mean by “put aside the worst part of it”?
A Boy Named Sue by Shel Silverstein
Well, my daddy left home when I was three,
and he didn’t leave much to Ma and me,
just this old guitar and a bottle of booze.
Now I don’t blame him because he run and hid,
but the meanest thing that he ever did was
before he left he went and named me Sue.
Well, he must have thought it was quite a joke,
and it got lots of laughs from a lot of folks,
it seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I’d get red
and some guy would laugh and I’d bust his head,
I tell you, life ain’t easy for a boy named Sue.
Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean.
My fist got hard and my wits got keen.
Roamed from town to town to hide my shame,
but I made me a vow to the moon and the stars,
I’d search the honky tonks and bars and kill
that man that gave me that awful name.
But it was Gatlinburg in mid July and I had
just hit town and my throat was dry.
I’d thought i’d stop and have myself a brew.
At an old saloon in a street of mud
and at a table dealing stud sat the dirty,
mangy dog that named me Sue.
Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
from a worn-out picture that my mother had
and I knew the scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray and old
and I looked at him and my blood ran cold,
and I said, “My name is Sue. How do you do?
Now you’re gonna die.” Yeah, that’s what I told him.
Well, I hit him right between the eyes and he went down
but to my surprise he came up with a knife
and cut off a piece of my ear. But I busted a chair
right across his teeth. And we crashed through
the wall and into the street kicking and a-gouging
in the mud and the blood and the beer.
I tell you I’ve fought tougher men but I really can’t remember when.
He kicked like a mule and bit like a crocodile.
I heard him laughin’ and then I heard him cussin’,
he went for his gun and I pulled mine first.
He stood there looking at me and I saw him smile.
And he said, “Son, this world is rough and if
a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough
and I knew I wouldn’t be there to help you along.
So I gave you that name and I said ‘Goodbye’.
I knew you’d have to get tough or die. And it’s
that name that helped to make you strong.”
Yeah, he said, “Now you have just fought one
helluva fight, and I know you hate me and you’ve
got the right to kill me now and I wouldn’t blame you
if you do. But you ought to thank me
before I die for the gravel in your guts and the spit
in your eye because I’m the nut that named you Sue.”
Yeah, what could I do? What could I do?
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun,
called him pa and he called me a son,
and I came away with a different point of view
and I think about him now and then.
Every time I tried, every time I win and if I
ever have a son I think I am gonna name him
Bill or George – anything but Sue.
I chose this poem because I think it’s a funny story and I like comedy.
You’ve certainly managed to surprise me, Alejo. The poem you’ve chosen is humorous but it also contains a vary valuable message.
Lenny.
True colours by Cyndi Lauper
You with the sad eyes
Don’t be discouraged
Oh I realize
It’s hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Make you feel so small
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
Show me a smile then,
Don’t be unhappy, can’t remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you’ve taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I’ll be there
And I’ll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
I chose this song because it is one of my favourite songs and when I first listened to it, I thought it was great but I couldn’t understand what Cyndi Lauper wanted to say by “true colours”. Now I understand that “true colours” means “the real you, that you have to be yourself; and in this way you will have true friends that will love you just the way you are.”
Great choice, Damasia! A very beautiful song with a great message. Thanks for sharing it.
Lenny.
I want to post this poem too. SONG OF THE ENCHANTRESS
He came like a dream in the dawn of life,
He fled like a shadow before its noon;
He is gone, and my peace is turned to strife,
And I wander and wane like the weary moon.
O, sweet Echo, wake,
And for my sake
Make answer the while my heart shall break!
But my heart has a music which Echo´s lips,
Though tender and true, yet can answer not,
And the shadow that moves in the soul´s
eclipse
Can return not to the kiss by his now forgot;
Sweet lips! he who hath
On my desolate path
Cast the darkness of absence, worse than
death!
PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
I found this poem in an old book from my grandmother, I really like it, I know the vocabulary is a bit difficult but after looking up some words I understood it.
It’s a trully beautiful poem Serena, some lines are really breathtaking. I’m happy you feel like sharing more than the strictly required.
Lenny.
All you need is love. The Beatles
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easy
Nothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
It’s easy
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be
It’s easy
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
All you need is love
(All together, now)
All you need is love
(Everybody)
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love is all you need
Love is all you need
Love is all you need
Yesterday
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah.
I chose this song because it is one of my favourites and I love The Beatles, and I totally agree whith the lyrics.
Great choice, Serena! The simplicity of The Beatles to talk about the most important things in life is what makes them timeless geniouses! Thanks for sharing it!
Lenny.
The Smile on your face ( Paul Brant )
It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don’t say a thing
The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes
Saying you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand
Says you’ll catch me where ever I fall
You say it best
When you say nothing at all
All day long I can hear people talking at loud
But when you hold me near
you drown out the crowd
try as they may they could never define
What’s been said between your heart and mine
The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes
Saying you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand
Says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best
When you say nothing at all
The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes
Saying you’d never leave me
The touch of your hand
Says you’ll catch me where ever I fall
You say it best
When you say nothing at all
I’ve chosen this song, first because it’s my favorite song and because I really like the lyrics and the sound, the way in which He shows his love to a woman. It’s a romantic song from the well known movie ”Notting Hill”. A very good movie, I recommend it.
A beautiful song, Violeta!!! Notting Hill does have a lovely music band, it’s difficult to say which one’s the best. This is definitely one of them!!! The “you light up the dark” bit is my favourite. Thanks for sharing it!
Lenny.
I Will Be Here
by Nicole George
Whenever you’re sad,
or feeling blue,
Just call on me.
I’ll be here for you.
Whenever you’re happy,
or feeling sad,
Just call on me.
You are going to be glad that you had.
‘Cause I’m gonna be there
with open arms.
I’m going to be there
to bear your arms.
I may be young,
or tiny like a bug,
but when you’re sad
I swear to God,
I give the biggest hugs.
So when you’re lonely
or just plain blue,
Just think of me,
or this poem,
And I’ll come to you.
I chose this poem because I feel really connected with everything which the author has mentioned. And, in my opinion, this is what friendship is really about!
Lovely poem on friendship, Isabella! Great thoughts in very simple language. Thanks for sharing it!!!
Lenny.
Somewhere only we know – KEANE
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I’ve been dreaming of?
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
And if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
And if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?
I chose this song because I love it, and i like the way it’s written because you can interpret it as you like, for example; ‘somewhere only we know’ , I think it could be a feeling, a place, a time or a message.
I’m A Fan
It’s football season again
I hope my team does well this year
Football season again
I’m a fan
It’s football season again
Spread that ball across the field
Football season again
I’m a fan
Through the cold and the rain
I’ll be there at the game
A voice screaming to be heard
I’ll cry sometimes, sometimes I’ll smile
As my voice echoes through the crowd
I’m a fan, I’m a fan, I’m a fan
It’s football season again
I hope my team does well this year
Football season again
I’m a fan
It’s football season again
Tackle hard and play it fair
Football season again
I’m a fan
And at the end of the year
We’ll be dressed in the gear
As they turn to salute the crowd
And we’ll stand with pride
‘Cause they’re our side
And we’ll sing their praises loud
We’re the fans, We’re the fans, We’re the fans
Colin Coplin
I have chosen a poem that my father recomended. It is very well written and the writer, colin coplin is a manchester city fan like me. I liked a lot this poem because it is related with football and I love playing football and going with my father to the stadium.
Wonderful Guido! I love the story behind the poem and I find the sound and rhythm of the poem very appealing too! Thanks for sharing it!!!
Lenny.
We sign our cards with letters BFF
Youve got a million ways to make me laugh
You lookin out for me you got my back
So good to have you around
You know the secrects I could never tell
And when Im quiet you break through my shell
Dont feel the need to do a revel yell
Cuz you keep my feet on the ground
Youre a true friend
Youre here till the end
You pull me aside
When somethin aint right
Talk with me now
And into the night till its alright again
Youre a true friend
You dont get angry when I change the plans
Somehow youll never have a second chance
Wont say “I told you” when Im wrong again
Im so lucky that I found…
A True Friend
Youre here till the end
You pull me aside when somethin aint right
Talk with me now and into the night
Till its alright again
True friends will go to the ends of the earth till they find
the things you need
Friends hang on through the ups and the downs
cuz theyve got someone to believe in
A true friend
Youre here till the end
You pull me aside when something aint right
Talk with me now and into the night
No need to pretend
Ooh
Youre a true friend
youre here till the end
you pull me aside when something aint right
Talk with me now and into the night
Till its alright again
Youre a True Friend
Youre a True Friend
Youre a True Friend
I have chosen this song because I really like it, besides the lyrics are very nice and I am a huge fan of Miley Cyrus.
Great lyrics, Agus! A true hymn to Friendship. Is BFF best friends forever? Thanks for sharing this.
Lenny.
Messy Room by Shel Silverstein
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!
When I first read this I thought it was funny and simple but then I realised that it had a deeper meaning: before judging someone’s else life you should look at your own life.
Wow Ramiro, you can certainly speak about layers of meaning! A very good choice with a very wise theme, I think we all make the mistake of judging others at one time in our lives. Thanks for sharing!!!
Lenny.
William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer ´s day?
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date,
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
I like this poem because when I read it I remember when we worked on it in 7 grade.
I really enjoyed the poem. The day we analized it I was with maru and dama it was really fun.
:S my poem has already been chosen i`ll post another one then
Fix You – cold play
WHEN YOU TRY YOUR BEST, BUT YOU DON´T SUCCEED
WHEN YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT NOT WHAT YOU NEED
WHEN YOU FEEL SO TIRED, BUT YOU CAN´T SLEEP
STUCK IN REVERSE
WHEN THE TEARS COME STREAMING DOWN YOUR FACE
WHEN YOU LOSE SOMETHING YOU CAN´T REPLACE
WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE, BUT IT GOES TO WASTE
COULD IT BE WORSE?
LIGHTS WILL GUIDE YOU HOME
AND IGNITE YOUR BONES
AND I WILL TRY TO FIX YOU
HIGH UP ABOVE OR DOWN BELOW
WHEN YOU TOO IN LOVE TO LET IT GO
IF YOU NEVER TRY YOU´LL NEVER KNOW
JUST WHAT YOU´RE WORTH
Letras4U.com » letras traducidas al español
LIGHTS WILL GUIDE YOU HOME
AND IGNITE YOUR BONES
AND I WILL TRY TO FIX YOU
TEARS STREAM DOWN YOUR FACE
WHEN YOU LOSE SOMETHING YOU CANNOT REPLACE
TEARS STREAM DOWN YOUR FACE
AND I…
TEARS STREAM DOWN ON YOUR FACE
I PROMISE YOU I WILL LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES
TEARS STREAM DOWN YOUR FACE
AND I…
LIGHTS WILL GUIDE YOU HOME
AND IGNITE YOUR BONES
AND I WILL TRY TO FIX YOU
I really like the song , the rithm is great and the letter is really moving.
I couldn’t agree more! Great rhythm and lyrics. Eugenio likes this one two, look at the poem I left with is comment, you may like that too. Thanks for sharing!!
Lenny.
Sonnet 18
William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date,
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
I have choosen this poem because I like it most and it sounds tuneful. I like the theme too: Nice summer’s day is short, however the beauty of poetry can last forever.
Mica, this sonnet is one of my favourite too, Shakespeare’s genious at work! This one’s a clear example of many layers of meaning. Apart from the ones you’ve mentioned he is also saying that her beauty has been made immortal in the lines of the sonnet and she will always live in those lines. Really inspiring!!!! Thanks for sharing your poem!!!!
Lenny.
Viva La Vida lyrics
Songwriters: Berryman, Guy Rupert; Buckland, Jonathan Mark; Champion, Will; Martin, Christopher A J;
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world
It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
(From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/coldplay-lyrics/viva-la-vida-lyrics.html)
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?
I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
I’ve chosen this song-poem because I think it is a great song, and it has a very interesting story. He uses the imagery of sound. It is about a man that rules the world, and he describes the world in which he lives in.
Great song, Ma. Paula! I didn’t know it so I looked it up in youtube. It’s really interesting especially because it has many historical references.
Thanks for sharing your song!!!
Lenny.
Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed–
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There’s never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek–
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one’s own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean–
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today–O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I’m the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That’s made America the land it has become.
O, I’m the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home–
For I’m the one who left dark Ireland’s shore,
And Poland’s plain, and England’s grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa’s strand I came
To build a “homeland of the free.”
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we’ve dreamed
And all the songs we’ve sung
And all the hopes we’ve held
And all the flags we’ve hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay–
Except the dream that’s almost dead today.
O, let America be America again–
The land that never has been yet–
And yet must be–the land where every man is free.
The land that’s mine–the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME–
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose–
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath–
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain–
All, all the stretch of these great green states–
And make America again!
Analysis:The poem “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes purposefully is reminiscent of Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing” in which Whitman is optimistic about this land of democratic opportunity. Hughes, however, writing from a black man’s perspective, is much less optimistic about what American has been or will be. While Whitman’s’ poem was very unstructured in blank verse, Hughes’s poem is more tightly controlled with rhyme, tone, rhetorical questions, and more unified with repeated anaphora.
I’ve chosen this poem because I agree with the writer, and is very interesting this thing that he wrote about.
By Francisco Moereno.
What a wonderful choice, Francisco! L. Hughes is one of the most important American poets ever! His words are very powerful and very accessible at the same time. It’s great to find poems that we can agree with.
Thanks for sharing it!
Lenny.
sonnet 29 Shakespeare
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings
I`ve chosen this poem because as Shakespeare uses an old fashonable english, it called my attention. Also i love the romantic mood of these poem.
Every line is full of meaning!!! A great sonnet, not one of the most famous ones but very inspiring, the last couplet is absolutely delightful. Thanks for sharing your poem!!!
Fix you:
When you try your best, but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
And high up above or down below
When you’re too in love to let it go
But if you never try you’ll never know
Just what you’re worth
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I…
Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down on your face
And I…
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
I chose this poem /song by coldplay because its my favourite song of the group and it gives a message to people not to give up
Great music, great lyrics. I love the fact that it’s not just about not giving up but also about not being alone, in a way it’s saying that when you’re down and out somebody will “fix you”, a comforting thought, don’t you think?
Your song reminded me of this old poem. Check it out.
Thanks for sharing your song!!
Lenny.
Dont Quit!
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road youre trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Dont give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victors cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when youre hardest hit
Its when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Anonymous
Here Comes The Sun- The Beatles
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it’s all right
Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it’s all right
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it’s all right
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it’s all right
It’s all right
I chose this song because it inspires me, since its very positive. I interpret it like after a storm, the sun will always come. (As if bad situations will be solved.)
I also chose it because it is from my favourite band and I really love the song.
The simplicity of The Beatles is simply superb. They have managed to travel through countries, time…their poetry is certainly immortal. Great choice! Thanks for sharing it!!!
Lenny.
“Hey There Delilah”
Hey there Delilah
What’s it like in New York City?
I’m a thousand miles away
But girl, tonight you look so pretty
Yes you do
Times Square can’t shine as bright as you
I swear it’s true
Hey there Delilah
Don’t you worry about the distance
I’m right there if you get lonely
Give this song another listen
Close your eyes
Listen to my voice, it’s my disguise
I’m by your side
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
What you do to me
Hey there Delilah
I know times are getting hard
But just believe me, girl
Someday I’ll pay the bills with this guitar
We’ll have it good
We’ll have the life we knew we would
My word is good
Hey there Delilah
I’ve got so much left to say
If every simple song I wrote to you
Would take your breath away
I’d write it all
Even more in love with me you’d fall
We’d have it all
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
A thousand miles seems pretty far
But they’ve got planes and trains and cars
I’d walk to you if I had no other way
Our friends would all make fun of us
and we’ll just laugh along because we know
That none of them have felt this way
Delilah I can promise you
That by the time we get through
The world will never ever be the same
And you’re to blame
Hey there Delilah
You be good and don’t you miss me
Two more years and you’ll be done with school
And I’ll be making history like I do
You’ll know it’s all because of you
We can do whatever we want to
Hey there Delilah here’s to you
This one’s for you
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
What you do to me.
I´ve chosen this song-poem because i really like the way it sounds and what he says is really interesting. It is love with distance in the middle, is really interesting.
Well Luli, I didn’t know this song, I looked it up in youtube and I thinks it’s very beautiful. It’s a song that tells a story and it’s also about hope of the times that will come. Thanks for sharing it!!!!
Lenny.
Summer Farm
Straws like tame lightnings lie about the grass
And hang zigzag on hedges. Green as glass
The water in the horse-trough shines.
Nine ducks go wobbling by in two straight lines.
A hen stares at nothing with one eye,
Then picks it up. Out of an empty sky
A swallow falls and, flickering through
The barn, dives up again into the dizzy blue.
I lie, not thinking, in the cool, soft grass,
Afraid of where a thought might take me – as
This grasshopper with plated face
Unfolds his legs and finds himself in space.
Self under self, a pile of selves I stand
Threaded on time, and with metaphysic hand
Lift the farm like a lid and see
Farm within farm, and in the centre, me.
I have chosen this Poem, because I think that it is very interesting the way the Poet describes the summer, I love the way he describes what he sees when this Season comes.
How summery Pili, images play a great role here. It’s very easy to see and even smell a summer day in the countryside. I didn’t know you liked nature so much. Thanks for sharing this!!
Lenny.