33 john daniels

A Choice
Paul Dunbar
THEY please me not--these solemn songsThat hint of sermons covered up.'T is true the world should heed its wrongs, But in a poem let me sup,Not simples brewed to cure or easeHumanity's confessed disease,But the spirit-wine of a singing line, Or a dew-drop in a honey cup!

1. What phrases are repeated? No phrases are repeated.

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? A dew drop in a honey cup.

3. Explain metaphors. - Sermons covered up- preachers lie to get you to believe something.
Spirit-wine of a singing line- a single line can mean everything.

A dew-drop in a honey cup- the one thing that stands out causes everything to change.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? All the lines rhyme with another line but some lines rhyme inside the line. Those lines are the ones that change the poem.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. When everything is the same it’s not enjoyable. When something is different it’s a lot cooler than other things.

He Had His Dream
Paul Dunbar
He had his dream, and all through life,Worked up to it through toil and strife.Afloat fore'er before his eyes,It colored for him all his skies: The storm-cloud dark Above his bark,The calm and listless vault of blueTook on its hopeful hue,It tinctured every passing beam -- He had his dream.He labored hard and failed at last,His sails too weak to bear the blast,The raging tempests tore awayAnd sent his beating bark astray. But what cared he For wind or sea!He said, "The tempest will be short,My bark will come to port."He saw through every cloud a gleam -- He had his dream.

1.What phrases are repeated? He had his dream.

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? Storm clouds, beam, sails, the sea.

3. Explain metaphors. Storm-cloud dark- Things got worse and depressing
Through every cloud a gleam- there is hope in the bad.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? The rhythm kinda reminds me of waves in the ocean. It starts out big then it crashes and another comes.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. You should always pursue your dreams even if it gets hard because there is always hope if you believe.


Life
Paul Dunbar
A CRUST of bread and a corner to sleep in, A minute to smile and an hour to weep in, A pint of joy to a peck of trouble, And never a laugh but the moans come double; And that is life!A crust and a corner that love makes precious, With a smile to warm and the tears to refresh us; And joy seems sweeter when cares come after, And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter; And that is life!

1. What phrases are repeated? A crust. And that is life

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? A crust of bread, smile and tears, laugh and moans.

3. Explain metaphors. I don’t see metaphors I see scenes of people’s lives.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? In the first stanza life seams all depressed. In the second stanza life is worth living. He doesn’t even change the words he just switches them around.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. Life can seam so much better if you look at it in a different view. In the first stanza he says “never a laugh but the moans come double”. In the second stanza he says “a moan is the finest of foils for laughter”. You just need to look at things a couple of times.

When All is Done
Paul Dunbar
When all is done, and my last word issaid,And ye who loved me murmur, “He is dead,”Let no one weep, for fear that I should know,And sorrow too that ye should sorrow so.When all is done and in the oozing clay,Ye lay this cast-off hull of mine away,Pray not for me, for, after long despair,The quiet of the grave will be a prayer.For I have suffered loss and grievous pain,The hurts of hatred and the world’s disdain,And wounds so deep that love, well-tried andpure,Had not the pow’r to ease them or to cure.When all is done, say not my day is o’er,And that thro’ night I seek a dimmer shore:Say rather that my morn has just begun,--I greet the dawn and not a setting sun,When all is done.

1. What phrases are repeated? When all is done.

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? Oozing clay. Silent funeral. Deep wound. Night, dim shore, dawn, and setting sun.

3. Explain metaphors. The quiet of the grave will be a prayer.- When he is dead he will be happy because his life was terrible.
I greet the dawn and not a setting sun- Don’t worry about him because he knows he’s going to a better place.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? Every other stanza has an extra line with just one word. I don’t think it changes the poem though.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. I think the meaning is that if your life is really bad death would be a way out. He say’s “The quiet of the grave will be a prayer”. Paul Dunbar must have had a terrible life. He’s states that he has suffered loss and grievous pain so it must be bad. I personally don’t think death is a way out of anything. There is always another way.

The Debt
Paul Dunbar
THIS is the debt I payJust for one riotous day,Years of regret and grief,Sorrow without relief.Pay it I will to the end --Until the grave, my friend,Gives me a true release --Gives me the clasp of peace.Slight was the thing I bought,Small was the debt I thought,Poor was the loan at best --God! but the interest!

1. What phrases are repeated? The debt.

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? Money, a grave

3. Explain metaphors. I think the debt isn’t money but something he did. He thought it was small but it had a huge impact on someone.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? Its in a. AB pattern. I don’t think it changes the meaning.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. The message is small things can have a big impact on different people. Even if you think it won’t mean anything people take things in a different way. He says “Small was the debt I thought” and then he says “Pay it I will to the end”.

Bad Morning
Langston Hughes
Here I sit

With my shoes mismated.

Lawdy-mercy!

I's frustrated!

1. What phrases are repeated? None.

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? He’s lying in bed and he’s frustrated.

3. Explain metaphors. No metaphors.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? It’s really short and quick to the point. He never says why he’s frustrated

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. The massage is that it’s not fun being in a bad mood. Don’t do something that you’ll regret in the morning. He says that he is very frustrated.

Still Here
Langston Hughes
been scared and battered.

My hopes the wind done scattered.

Snow has friz me,

Sun has baked me,

Looks like between 'em they doneTried to make me

Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'--

But I don't care!

I'm still here!

1. What phrases are repeated? None.

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? Things beating him down. Him standing in the end.

3. Explain metaphors. The elements are all the things we have to go through. Everyone will face problems in their life.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? It’s sad in the begging because he’s taking about getting beaten. It’s happier in the end because he got through it.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. There are going to be many problems in your life. You’re going to have to face many obstacles but you can get through them. Never give up because there is always a way. He went through the wind and sun but he was still standing.

The Dream Keeper
Langston Hughes
Bring me all of your dreams,

You dreamer,

Bring me all your

Heart melodies

That I may wrap them

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the too-rough fingers

Of the world.

1. What phrases are repeated? Dreams. Bring me all your…

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? Blue-cloud cloth. Too-rough fingers.

3. Explain metaphors. Heart melodies. Dreams come from your heart. Too-rough fingers. Your dreams shouldn’t be affected by the horrors of the world.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? The lines don’t rhyme. Just like your dreams don’t have to have a pattern.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. You should remember your dreams. They come from your heart so they mean a lot. Your dreams are affected by what you experience so you should keep away from evil things.

Ennui
Langston Hughes
It's such a

Bore

Being always

Poor.

1. What phrases are repeated? None

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? A bored poor person.

3. Explain metaphors. No metaphors.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? Every other line is just one word but the rhyme. Those are the important words.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. Being poor is a bad thing. He says that it is really boring.

April Rain Song
Langston Hughes
Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops

Let the rain sing you a lullaby

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night

And I love the rain.

1. What phrases are repeated? Rain. Pools.

2. What images (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory)? A rainy day.

3. Explain metaphors. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. The rain can be magical if you pay attention to it. Let the rain kiss you. When the rain hits you its like a kiss.

4. What rhythm or rhyme scheme does the poem have? How does this affect meaning? When he says what the rain is like he also gives the opposite of that. Like when he says it’s a still pool and then it’s a running pool. It all depends on where the rain is.

5. What is the theme or message of the poem? Give text examples from each stanza. Rain is an amazing. He loves the rain and he wants other people to appreciate it as much as he does.

Same Style Poem

Paul Dunbar

If life was a dream

it would be a nightmare.

If life was an ocean

It would be shark-infested.

But in that dream

You have friends

And in that ocean

You have a raft.

Found Poem

Langston Hughes

Here I sit

My hopes the wind done scattered

But i dont care

It is such a bore

In a blue cloud-cloth

But i love the rain