19 Christian--Life is Fine

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!



1. What words or phrases are repeated? Why does the poet repeat these words?

• Life is fine
• gonna see me die

2. What images (using any of the five senses.Vvisual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory) does the poet use.

Visual

• I went down to the river
• I might've sunk and died
• I thought about my baby

Auditory

• I came up once and hollered
• I came up twice and cried
• I stood there and hollered
• I stood there and cried

Tactile

• I went down to the river
• But it was cold in that water
• I took the elavator

Olfactory

• I went down to the river

Gustatory

• None
  

3. Explain the metaphors.

• "But for livin I was born"
• I think that means you have to get a little taste of life, the eal life to feel like you were "born" again.

4. Is there a regular rhythm?Is there regular rhyme?How do rhythm and/or rhyme affect the poem?

• Yes
• Yes
• It affects the poem to teach us the flow of the poem.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Use text examples from each stanza.

• I think the theme of the poem is that a man just hates life and keeps on trying to die,"I might've jumped and died." However God keeps giving him chances to give the narrator an extra push of what's out there in there in the world.

6. Write you reaction (what you liked or didn't like, agreed or disagreed with)

• I liked how Langston really repeated so the audience could remember more and I also liked how he really put the poem of how the message should be.