Walking the Dog


Two universes mosey down the street
Connected by love and a leash and nothing else.
Mostly I look at lamplight through the leaves
While he mooches along with tail up and snout down,
Getting a secret knowledge through the nose
Almost entirely hidden from my sight.

We stand while he's enraptured by a bush
Till I can't stand our standing any more
And haul him off; for our relationship
Is patience balancing to this side tug
And that side drag; a pair of symbionts
Contented not to think each other's thoughts.

What else we have in common's what he taught,
Our interest in shit. We know its every state
From steaming fresh through stink to nature's way
Of sluicing it downstreet dissolved in rain
Or drying it to dust that blows away.
We move along the street inspecting shit.

His sense of it is keener far than mine,
And only when he finds the place precise
He signifies by sniffing urgently
And circles thrice about, and squats, and shits,
Whereon we both with dignity walk home
And just to show who's master I write the poem. 


Howard Nemerov 


I like this poem a lot. Obviously Howard Nemerov has spent a lot of time walking dogs because this poem describes it perfectly. I like how he describes the person and the dog as two universes. This is a nice way to describe it because of how people and animals see the world differently. I also like the part where the author says, "We stand while he's enraptured by a bush Till I can't stand our standing any more And haul him off."This is exactly how I feel when I am walking my dog so it is funny to see someone else thinking the exact same thing I do.

It's Up to You by Unknown Author
One song can spark a moment
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile can bring a friendship,
One handclasp can lift a soul,
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam can light a room,
One candle can wipe out darkness,
One laugh can conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer,
One hope can raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true,
One life can make the difference,
You see. it's up to you.

I guess this poem is inspirational, but I mean if you need to look to a poem for inspiration you are probably already screwed up enough that the poem is not going to help. This poem is about how one person can make a difference. The poem does this through extreme repetition. The author starts  every line with the same word. About two lines in I got bored and skipped to the end. Not a very good job writing if you ask me.

"Once there came a man"

by Stephen Crane

 

 

Once there came a man

Who said:   

“Range me all men of the world in rows.”

And instantly   

There was a terrific clamor among the people

Against being ranged in rows.

There was a loud quarrel, world-wide.

It endured for ages;

And blood was shed

By those who would not stand in rows,

And by those who pined to stand in rows.

Eventually, the man went to death, weeping.

And those who stayed in the bloody scuffle

Knew not the great simplicity. 

 

 

On my first read through the thing that popped out to me was," Range me all men of the world in rows." I did not know that the word "range" could be used as a verb. After a deeper read through I feel that Crane is talking about the pointlessness of religious conflicts. Crane says," those who stayed in the bloody scuffle knew not the great simplicity." This refers to that all modern religions at their core are pretty much the same. Hurting and killing people is bad. It is just when people bring on their own opinions that trouble starts, like how in the poem," By those who would not stand in rows, And by those who pined to stand in rows." Crane uses a lot of loaded words such as ages, blood, death and weeping. He really drives home how long and deadly these conflicts have been. He also uses the word scuffle. Scuffle brings up thoughts of small meaningless fights, like two kids wrestling on the playground. This  contrast in word choice emphasizes how bloody, but yet stupid these religious conflicts are.

A Dream Within a Dream

By Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow —

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone? 

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of the golden sand —

How few! yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep — while I weep!

O God! Can I not grasp

Them with a tighter clasp?

O God! can I not save

One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream?

 

I picked this poem becasue the title reminds of Inception. This poem has some pretty striking imagery in the second stanza. I think Poe is talking about how time is precious but it slips past you like sand in your hand, and no matter how hard you try you cannot keep the things that matter to you. By saying that everything is a dream within a dream Poe means that things we take as important are actually meaningless and that our lives are also meaningless. Poe seems like kind of a downer. Even if our lives are meaningless or not real that does not mean a person could not enjoy their life.

Song

   


No One by Alicia Keys

I just want you close
Where you can stay forever
You can be sure
That it will only get better

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'coz
Everything's gonna be alright

People keep talking
They can say what they like
But all I know is
Everything's gonna be alright

And no one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel
For you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

When the rain is pouring down
And my heart is hurting
You will always be around
This I know for certain

You and me together
Through the days and nights

I don't worry 'coz
Everything's gonna be alright

People keep talking
They can say what they like
But all I know is
Everything's gonna be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel
For you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try
Try to divide something so real
So 'til the end of time
I'm telling you there is no one

No one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you



I picked this song because as I was driving home it  came on the radio and I had not heard it in a really long time. It reminded me that I had to do this poetry response too. I like it because it has a good beat and Alicia Keys has a great voice. There is also a part where there is a cool noise, it sounds like an organ. I also like the lyrics, they are very positive. "I don't worry 'coz Everything's gonna be alright," these are the positive lyrics I'm talking about. I think a lot of people worry about things they shouldn't because how can you live a happy life if you are always worrying about things.

A Cold Rain Starting

A cold rain starting
And no hat --
So? 


Matsuo Basho 




This is a haiku by the famous samurai poet Basho. Much like a renaissance man samurai were supposed to be excellent warriors as well as skilled in other areas such as art and poetry. I like this poem because it is low key and mello. I think in the translation it lost the rhythm aspect of haiku's but as Basho said "So?" I like Basho's calm attitude towards what the world gives him. He takes it all it in stride and is able to enjoy life.

Fast rode the knight by Stephen Crane

Fast rode the knight
With spurs, hot and reeking,
Ever waving an eager sword,
"To save my lady!"
Fast rode the knIght,
And leaped from saddle to war.
Men of steel flickered and gleamed
Like riot of silver lights,
And the gold of the knight's good banner
Still waved on a castle wall.
. . . . .
A horse,
Blowing, staggering, bloody thing,
Forgotten at foot of castle wall.
A horse
Dead at foot of castle wall. 

 

I think this is a pretty cool poem. First, it pulls you in with the exciting opening. I mean who doesn't love knights killing bad guys, dragons and other awesome cliches. Than after those weird dots, I'm not really sure what those are maybe periods, he draws your focus onto how the knight has injured the horse and completely forgotten about it. This was probably a more realistic take to how knights view their horses, because in movies like  the Lord of the Rings  the good guys always were shown to care for their horses. In that one scene Gandalf calls his horse from who knows where and it came running. The poem is like a metaphor for how people become blinded by their own ambition and end up hurting those who helped them. It is kinda like Macbeth, except it wasn't nearly as long. An interesting part of this poem is the capitalization of the title. In most titles the first word and other key words are capitalized, but in this title only the first word is.

Aliens Have Landed!
by Kenn Nesbitt

The aliens have landed!
It’s distressing, but they’re here.
They piloted their flying saucer
through our atmosphere.
They landed like a meteor
engulfed in smoke and flame.
Then out they climbed immersed in slime
and burbled as they came.
Their hands are greasy tentacles.
Their heads are weird machines.
Their bodies look like cauliflower
and smell like dead sardines.
Their blood is liquid helium.
Their eyes are made of granite.
Their breath exudes the stench of foods
from some unearthly planet.
And if you want to see these
sickly, unattractive creatures,
you’ll find them working in your school;
they all got jobs as teachers.


     This is the second poem I've responded to by Kenn Nesbitt, probably because I found it on the same website, but Kenn might be my favorite poet. Most of his poems follow the same formula, they all describe something in a lot of funny and bizarre details, and then in the last line or two he says what he is describing and it is something funny and unexpected.
      I really like how Kenn describes the aliens in this poem. His descriptions are so vivid and describe the aliens in terms of every sense so the reader feels like you  are right next to one of the aliens.  The part about their bodies being like cauliflower really speaks to me, because my mom made some spicy cauliflower for dinner the other night. It was pretty good. " Their eyes are made of granite." is  a very imaginative line. I mean just imagine how weird it would be to see something with granite eyes. Those aliens must have really strong necks.
     I like this poem because it is imaginative funny.
     

My Dog is Running Faster

My dog is running faster
than he's ever run before
in a supersonic circle
in the middle of the floor.

He started somewhat slowly
but he quickly gathered steam,
and continued gaining speed
until his spinning was extreme.

He's turned into a whirlwind,
like a funnel cloud of fog,
so it's hard to even focus on
my whirling dervish dog.

He's like a small tornado
or a canine hurricane.
Why it doesn't make him dizzy
I'm unable to explain.

I only know he has this
most unusual of traits,
and he loves to chase his tail around
while wearing roller skates.

--Kenn Nesbitt



      I like this poem a lot. I have a dog and I love to wrestle and play her. I spend a huge portion of my day either walking or playing with her, so I can relate to Kenn. In the first stanza Kenn states, "running faster than he's ever run before in a supersonic circle" I like this metaphor for two reasons. First, it creates such mental picture in my mind of the dog spinning in a blur. Second,  the phrase sounds very comic bookish, like the author is describing the Flash. While a think that the Flash is one of the lamer members of the JLA, I still like how the wording makes me think of comics.
     In the third stanza Kenn says, " so it's hard to even focus on my whirling dervish dog." I like how the author snuck an exotic metaphor into such a simple poem. While, I have not heard the phrase "whirling dervish" before I have never know exactly what a whirling dervish was. So, since I did this on the computer, I thought," why not do a Google search for it." To my surprise a whirling dervish is part of some Eastern European dance. The targeted audience of this poem would probably not know this so I find it kind of ironic because how often do English teachers tell their students to write for their intended audience. Although, for all I know Kenn Nesbitt could just  be some weird guy that put a poem on a website and not a respected author like Joseph Conrad.
     I also like how Kenn adds a comedic ending to the poem. The beginning of the poem pulls you in and the end makes you laugh which is a nice balance. The beginning and the end or the most important parts of most things, because nobody ever remembers what happened in the middle.
     The comic bookish and exotic metaphors along with comedic factor of this poem makes it very enjoyable.

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
    by Dr. Seuss


I like this poem a lot. I found this poem on a "poetry for children website", so I knew that I would like it.  I also like this poem because it is about choice. This country was born by people wanting to be able to make their own choices. The poem says that you should not let anybody tell you what to do, but if you make a wrong choice then you have nobody to blame but yourself.

Gardener By Shel Silverstein

Gardener By Shel Silverstein 

We gave you a chance
To water the plants.
We didn’t mean that way– –
Now zip up your pants.

I like this poem for three reasons. One, it is short. The foundation of any good poem is that it does not take a long time to read. Second, it's funny. If I'm gonna read  a poem it should either illuminate problems with our society or make me laugh. Obviously this one does the latter. Third and almost as important as the first, there is no analysis that needs to be done. If you have to do some analysis with this poem then there is something wrong with you. If more poems just said what they meant and did not need to be analyzed everybody's life would be easier.

AP English Poetry Responses: Shakespeare's Sonnet 1

My biggest problem with this poem is the title. A title is like a thesis statement, it sets the tone for the poem and tells the reader what to expect. If Shakespeare is such a great poet and play write why can't he come up with a "Shakespeare's Sonnet 1" is a boring and unimaginative title, especially when it is compared to the rest of the poem which is full of vivid imagery. Maybe this contrast is what he was going for but I doubt it.

Uhhhh

I have a dog