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Annette Lamb

Powerful Poems Assignment Fall 2011 - 90 views

powerful poems assignment poem

started by Annette Lamb on 14 Aug 11
  • Annette Lamb
    #1 Annette Lamb on 14 Aug 11
     
    Some poems leave a lasting impression on the reader. Explore the poetry at Poets.org. Which poems do you find particularly powerful? What do you find interesting about poems? How do they connect with your thoughts or life? Use your notes to write a forum entry in the Diigo class forum.

    Follow these steps:
    1. Explore poems at http://poets.org
    2. Bookmark a poem using the Diigo tools. Be sure to share with the group.
    3. Annotate a poem using the Highlight and Comment tool. Be sure to share with the group.
    4. After taking notes on the poems, post your powerful poem entry in the Diigo class forum.

    To post your powerful poem entry, reply to this forum posting.
  • Annette Lamb
    #2 Annette Lamb on 14 Aug 11
     
    Here's an example of what a posting might look like:


    Hey classmates -

    My powerful poem is called "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.

    Check out my bookmark and notes at http://www.diigo.com/annotated/b4468d61784277a1e657cd4ee866001c

    Although written nearly 100 years ago, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost has meaning today. This poem is personally powerful for two reasons.

    First, hiking is my hobby and I would relate to the back country setting. I've often encountered places where "two roads diverged in the yellow wood."

    Second, I'm attracted to the larger metaphorical meaning of the poem. Frost writes "I took the one less travel by, and that has made all the difference." These lines relate to the important decisions that we make in life. I've often taken the "less traveled roads" in my life and it's truly made all of the difference.
  • christine plant
    #3 christine plant on 14 Nov 11
     
    I initially looked for a favorite poem on poets.org, but did not find it. I then chose to look for poems that I had not read before (or at least couldn't remember having read).

    I selected the Walt Whitman piece, "Spontaneous Me." My bookmark and notes can be found by this link or by pasting this address in your browser: http://diigo.com/0l5q7

    While the entire poem is not specifically meaningful to me, most of it is. The "wet of woods through the early hours" is something that I enjoy when I go camping alone. As I have always been a primitive camper, the early morning walk with my dog has always been my favorite part of camping.

    As for parts of the poem that aren't specific to me personally, I highlighted and added a sticky note to the passage "the oath of procreation I have sworn." I would take seriously any oath I might take, but an oath of procreation would not be one of them. Whitman is far more spiritual than I am, but his work is accessible to everyone.

    -christine
  • Cassaundra Bash
    #4 Cassaundra Bash on 15 Nov 11
     
    By now, many of you may have picked up on my fascination with themes of death, so naturally, the first poet that comes to my mind is Edgar Allan Poe. While many might have chosen _The Raven_, I chose a poem that I've always felt summed up man's basic fears of death in it's last verse--what is death, what is reality, and is life just an illusion? If it is, is what comes after any less so? Here is my bookmark to _A Dream within a Dream: http://diigo.com/0l5ic

    Growing up on a farm, I've been close to death--we've buried so many animals (usually victims of the road or other animals) it's hard to imagine a time when I didn't have some idea of what death was. And while I don't dwell 24/7 on death, I do consider occasionally my own mortality.

    Hopefully this works for you. I've had a bear of a time getting Diigo to do what I want when I want. I had sticky notes inserted since I was having trouble with the comments, but I'm not sure if either has stuck.
  • shumphreylib
    #5 shumphreylib on 16 Nov 11
     
    I attended James Whitcomb Riley High School in South Bend, his Little Orphant Annie poem was listed on Poets.org:
    http://diigo.com/0l6u0

    This poem reminds me of my mom for two reasons. First her name is Ann and she goes by Annie. Second, both her parents died when she was young. While she was fortunate to not have been an orphan, I think she still had a difficult life, even if she doesn't really admit it.

    The way the poem is written I hope is a reflection on how Annie would talk and not a reflection of Hoosiers as Riley is known as the Hoosier Poet. But it is fun to read.

    I also like how the poem has a touch of witch speak and a mention of prayer.

    -Shawn
  • Sean Robinson
    #6 Sean Robinson on 16 Nov 11
     
    Here is a poem by the poet and writer Jim Harrison called "Birds Again." http://diigo.com/0l7l5

    Harrison lived for much of his life in upper Michigan and was and still is an avid hunter and fisherman. He especially enjoys bird hunting. Harrison is also part Indian and this might explain why his life and spirit have always been tethered to nature in some manner or it may be just his personal own sensibilities. Harrison is known for having an astounding appetite for both food and drink so the poem may be a slight poke at myself for having actually consumed a vast quantity of game fowl over the years.


    The poem to me, reads as both as both prayer and an admission of the birds he has killed and consumed and how their spirits still somehow inhabit his being. Only through an act of personal migration and maybe contrition does he feel the need to carry these birds to their final resting place where they will part and he will be free to leave the world of dreams and return to earth.

    I have highlighted the passages that talk about how the birds inhabit his body and how they are released.

    To me the things we love live within us long after they have gone and this is why this poem spoke to me.
  • Jonathan Gaskill
    #7 Jonathan Gaskill on 17 Nov 11
     
    I chose one of my favorite poets, Gary Snyder, for this posting. I had the opportunity to see Snyder speak at the University of Michigan a decade or so ago, and got him to sign my copy of Turtle Island. Snyder is an environmentalist, one of the Beat Poets as well as a Zen Buddhist. He has worked as a fire lookout in an alpine tower in California and was one of the poets at the Six Gallery Reading along with Allen Ginsberg, Lamantia, McClure, and Whalen. In attendance were Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Neal Cassady. He lived in California and Japan and is a Pulitzer Prize winner.
    Poetry is fascinating, and Snyder never disappoints. He writes from a very personal place including emotions and observations. This poem titled "Four Poems for Robin" reminisces of relationship past and new directions in which each lover has traveled since. It hearkens to a memory of former love as it recurs in dream states. There is reference to nature and Karma, a large portion of Snyder's motivation and passion. There is also much mention of memories and dreams.
    This poem speaks to me as it might to most, as we have all loved and lost at one time or another- often wondering what would have happened "if." I highlighted portions of the poem having to do with dreams, and commented on each portion about memories and physical sensations which brought them up, the flesh and bone reality of the situation. I love nature and the outdoors, and as an English major, I found a fond love for poetry. Pretty neat stuff, and I only wish there were more of Snyder's poems available here.

    http://diigo.com/0l82w
  • chris murray
    #8 chris murray on 17 Nov 11
     
    I'm not big into poetry. Recently, I made a small display for Veteran's Day at the library where I work. While compiling a list of items for the display, I learned a little bit about the following poem:

    http://diigo.com/0l6x2

    I thought it was interesting. I feel like I now have slightly larger sense of the enormous sense of gravity the war exerted on that generation.

    The point of view is from the dead, speaking to those are still alive and able to listen. I think it is interesting that a poet representative of that generation chose to put himself in the ground - it speaks to how they see themselves. I also think it helps the poem hold up remarkably well, since its entire orientation is directed towards future listeners.
  • Jesus Moya
    #9 Jesus Moya on 18 Nov 11
     
    http://diigo.com/0l7yf

    I was kind of dissapointed that I couldn't find poems I recognized by my favorite poets, Paz and Neruda, and very dissapointed that I could find my favorite poem by Walter Dean Myers "Love That Boy" (http://loribailey.wordpress.com/2004/11/15/love-that-boy-complete-poem/).

    I am a fan of Frost however, and this poem in particular puts me in my very pensive mood regarding what it is to be human and our relationships with other humans. I like the opening and closing use of the phrase "there is something here that does not like a wall", which leads me to think that maybe separation from one another isn't such a good thing. Maybe nature doesn't want us to be apart? I mean, do "good fences really make good neighbors?" I think if anything, we respect each other less, we let the fence do all the work of containing our impulsivity and cruelties, instead of willfully sharing a space with someone, we carve it up. Mine. Yours. Apart.
  • Sabrina Stradtner
    #10 Sabrina Stradtner on 18 Nov 11
     
    Annette's post about Robert Frost reminded me of a poem that is very powerful and personal for me. "After Apple-Picking" by Robert Frost. Here is the link to my annotated version. http://diigo.com/0l6lt

    I grew up on an apple orchard that my grandfather had started. I did not hear this poem though until his funeral when it was read during his eulogy. So it makes me cry every time. Frost used the end of apple picking season to describe the transition from fall to winter, but I also interpret this poem as a being about life and death. This poem frequently uses sleep as a symbol for winter and also death.

    Although this poem makes me sad because it reminds me how much I miss my grandpa, it also brings back so many wonderful memories of him. Whenever I read it I always think, "Robert Frost wrote this just for my grandpa." This poem is a good example of how a poem can have many different interpretations and mean different things to each person.
  • Laura Brack
    #11 Laura Brack on 20 Nov 11
     
    I like poetry but wanted to find something I haven't read before. I was surprised to see that Sherman Alexie has some poetry! The poem I read, "Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World," was really short but pretty powerful. It's about remembering a deceased loved one when you least expect to have to. Here is a link to my annotated version of the poem: http://diigo.com/0lax8.

    I can relate to this poem because most recently, about a year ago my parents' family dog (who I grew up with) died. I knew it was coming but it was still extremely hard. When I go to my parents' house each week I still sometimes expect to see Rusty running up to me. Just the other day my nephew asked where Rusty was, even though it's been a year.

    This poem reminds me, however, that these forgetful moments are really just a way to remember deceased loved ones. Each time I expect to see Rusty running towards me when I arrive at my parents' house I get sad but I get to remember all the years I had with him. While there were big special moments, the ones I remember most were the day to day things.
  • Ms. Hogan
    #12 Ms. Hogan on 20 Nov 11
     
    I have never really understood poetry. I always think there is so much more to it than what I am getting from it. The first time I understood that poetry doesn't have to be something that rhymes or is so metaphorical that it takes an entire semester to analyze it was when I read "Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech. I found this poem by her from a different book that I haven't read yet, "Heartbeat." The poem is called "Footfalls"

    Here is the link to my annotations and notes: http://diigo.com/0lbcd

    I think that it perfectly captures the feeling of being young and running barefoot on a summer day. I love the way you can't tell if the Thump-Thump-Thump is the heart beating or if it is the bare feet pounding the grass. It makes me long for warm weather and endless days of doing whatever you want.

    The other thing this poem makes me think of is the way that running makes me feel. I love to run just for the sheer pleasure I get from doing it. It helps me to calm myself, relax, and quiet my mind. If I have had a rough day, week or just am generally not feeling myself, a run will bring me back.

    I find that freeform books are often more fun to read because they tell an entire story in far less words than a normal novel, but those words are so powerful and in the end you find that you didn't need all the other words. Sharon Creech is a genius at doing just that.
  • kirkengaard
    #13 kirkengaard on 20 Nov 11
     
    This poem by T. S. Eliot is titled "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock":

    http://diigo.com/0lbc6

    The meaning of this poem has been heavily debated. I tend to see the narrator as a self-conscious, equivocating middle-aged man who is in search of a relationship. His internal struggle to push himself forward feels like an epic struggle; however, he is reminded again and again that he is no great figure, no hero. Prufrock is surrounded by possibilities, but he is inhibited by his lack of confidence.

    The imagery of this poem is stark and startling. Especially vivid is Eliot's description of a sunset, which is far different than most romantic notions.
  • Christina VanderGriend
    #14 Christina VanderGriend on 21 Nov 11
     
    I found Morning Song by Sylvia Plath on Poets.org and annotated it here:
    http://diigo.com/0lbll

    I chose this poem because I have always loved Plath. She's a fascinating figure in American literary history and I've tried to read as much of her work as I can. This poem celebrates the birth of a child. It's a perfect example of the vivid imagery and keen analogies Plath used so often.
  • Holly Koster
    #15 Holly Koster on 21 Nov 11
     
    I've never been a big fan of poetry. I guess that I just don't like being told that everything has to have a deeper meaning. Sometimes I think that a beautiful flower can just be a beautiful flower. Oh well.

    I have always loved Shel Silverstein so I looked for him. I didn't recognize this poem, Mr. Grumpledump's Song, but it sure suite my mood this weekend: http://diigo.com/0lbzs

    And in true Shel Silverstein fashion, it made me smile.
  • Rona Plummer
    #16 Rona Plummer on 22 Nov 11
     
    I selected a poem called "Thanks" by W.S. Merwin.
    http://diigo.com/0lckk

    He has served as a Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress. In 2010, he was appointed the Library of Congress's Poet Laureate Consultant.

    His poetry appeals to me because he is an environmentalist. The following statement by him really sums of his beliefs about the human connection to nature. "When we destroy the so-called 'natural' world around us we're simply destroying ourselves. And I think it's irreversible."
  • Elissa Ellis
    #17 Elissa Ellis on 22 Nov 11
     
    I decided on the poem How to Read a Poem: Beginner's Manual by Pamela Spiro Wagner. Who knew they would have a poem for exactly what I was looking for. I truly appreciated the idea behind the poem. Unfortunately, I am not sure what I am going wrong, but I cannot find the link to my poem in the highlighted and post-it tagged page in the short web addresses that everyone else seems to have. I am not sure it if was my computer at work causing this problem or I just don't know what I am doing. Nonetheless, you will be able to see my work at the following address:

    http://www.diigo.com/bookmark/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.poets.org%2Fviewmedia.php%2FprmMID%2F20592?tab=people&uname=elissaellis

    I think this poem might be a good one for Holly too! I, like Holly, am not always looking for a deeper meaning. Funny thing, this poem says "Do not assume meanings hidden from you: the best poems mean what they say and say it." That is exactly what I am looking for. I have to say, I could read Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein over and over again and never tire of it. His poems say exactly what they mean to say!!

    I especially liked the first line: "First, forget everything you've learned." The poem suggests reading a poem a day and that pretty soon you will be reading and understanding more than just one poem a day. This particular poem used some great analogies. Even saying to "Treat a poem like dirt". Now, it goes on to say that it is rich in nutrients and will one day grow wonderful vegetables...Just like poetry can grow your mind.
  • Austin Stroud
    #18 Austin Stroud on 22 Nov 11
     
    I decided on the short poem Dreams by Langston Hughes. I have very little free time these days and often feel overwhelmed between school, work, and life in general (like posting this assignment late) but it is important to keep my dreams alive and moving forward. If I allow my dreams to die, I would have nothing left to look forward to or strive for.

    http://diigo.com/0ldgq

    I find poems particularly powerful when they relate to my daily life and how I often feel. I want to have a connection and be able to relate to it. Poems in general are interesting to me because it shows all of the thoughts and human emotions that are timeless and people have been experiencing for many years.

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