Theme: love
Name by Carol Ann Duffy
When did your name
change from a proper noun
to a charm?
change from a proper noun
to a charm?
Its three vowels
like jewels
on the thread of my breath.
Its consonants
brushing my mouth
like a kiss.
I love your name.
I say it again and again
in this summer rain.
I see it,
discreet in the alphabet,
like a wish.
I pray it
into the night
till its letters are light.
I hear your name
rhyming, rhyming,
rhyming with everything.
like jewels
on the thread of my breath.
Its consonants
brushing my mouth
like a kiss.
I love your name.
I say it again and again
in this summer rain.
I see it,
discreet in the alphabet,
like a wish.
I pray it
into the night
till its letters are light.
I hear your name
rhyming, rhyming,
rhyming with everything.
Tone:
The author’s tone is really intimate and loving, threw all the poem he describes how much he loves her name because of how much he adores her. He uses lots of words that show that the author and the person, whom the poem is written to, are really close. “I love your name” is one of the sentences that depict the warm relationship between the two.
Message:
The author message is to show to his lover how much he worships her by telling her how much he adores her name.
Poetic devices:
Simile:
In the poem the author used three similes, here are some of them, “three vowels like jewels”, the poet makes a comparison between the vowels of his lover’s name and the jewels that really shows us how precious she is to him. The second is “consonants brushing my mouth like a kiss”, in the previous quotation the author demonstrates how much he loves saying her name by describing the feeling which he gets when saying her name like the one when he kisses someone.
Metaphor:
There are lots of metaphors in this poem, “your name change from a proper noun to a charm” and “rhyming with everything.” In the first citation, the poet uses a metaphor to show how her name is not just a word, that her name has a really special thing. In the second quotation, the poet describes how much he loves her by saying that her name rhymes with everything. In fact, it doesn’t literally mean that it rhymes, however it means that because of how much he loves her, her name sounds great with everything.
Rhyme scheme:
There isn’t a certain rhyme scheme, however in the stanzas we notice some rhymes:
1. First stanza: A, B, A
2. Second stanza: A, A, B
3. Third stanza: no rhyme
4. Fourth stanza: A, B, B
5. Fifth stanza: no rhyme
6. Sixth stanza: A, B,B
7. Seventh stanza: A, B, B
You By Carol Ann Duffy
Uninvited, the thought of you stayed too late in my head,
so I went to bed, dreaming you hard, hard, woke with your name,
like tears, soft, salt, on my lips, the sound of its bright syllables
like a charm, like a spell.
Falling in love
is glamorous hell; the crouched, parched heart
like a tiger ready to kill; a flame's fierce licks under the skin.
Into my life, larger than life, beautiful, you strolled in.
I hid in my ordinary days, in the long grass of routine,
in my camouflage rooms. You sprawled in my gaze,
staring back from anyone's face, from the shape of a cloud,
from the pining, earth-struck moon which gapes at me
and I open the bedroom door. The curtains stir. There you are
on the bed, like a gift, like a touchable dream.
Tone:
The author’s tone is really intimate. Lots of sentences prove that he’s tone is really loving, like “There you are on the bed” and “the thought of you stayed too late in my head.” However we notice that some words are used to describe suffering and anguish such as “parched heart” and “a flame's fierce licks under the skin”.
Message:
The poet wants to describe his feeling while being in love, he also wants to present how this love affected him. He first says that at the beginning he thought of her all the time, but everything changed after him falling in love; he experienced anguish unless he was with her, he always wanted to be with her, he always wanted to talk to her. He also describes how she changed his life and broke the routine.
Poetic devices
Simile:
The author utilize lots of similes like, “parched heart like a tiger ready to kill” here the poet describes the feeling of desire towards her as being like a tiger that is hungry and going for its kill, that means that he wants her so bad.”There you are on the bed, like a gift, like a touchable dream.” Here the poet uses two similes to make his point, wich is that she is so beautiful but hardly reachable like a dream.
Metaphor:
Lots of metaphor is used in this poem: “parched heart” the poet wants to describe himself when being away from as a man with a heart that misses something really bad. “Its bright syllables” because of how much he loves her, the poet becomes really joyful when he hears her name or even says it. “flame's fierce licks under the skin" here the poet describes the desire he gets and the suffering he feels when staying away from her like being the pain someone feels when he gets burn.
Personification:
There are few personification used in this poem:”parched heart” the poet gives a human trait to the heart. He says that his heart is thirsty. “flame's fierce licks” the poet gives a human action of licking to the fire since he means that it burns.
Oxymoron:
The poet describes falling in love by saying that it’s “glamorous hell”. He means even though it’s really beautiful to fall in love, it’s also full of suffering.
Theme: war
Five ways to kill a man by Edwin Brock
There are many cumbersome ways to kill a man.
You can make him carry a plank of wood
to the top of a hill and nail him to it. To do this
properly you require a crowd of people
wearing sandals, a cock that crows, a cloak
to dissect, a sponge, some vinegar and one
man to hammer the nails home.
You can make him carry a plank of wood
to the top of a hill and nail him to it. To do this
properly you require a crowd of people
wearing sandals, a cock that crows, a cloak
to dissect, a sponge, some vinegar and one
man to hammer the nails home.
Or you can take a length of steel,
shaped and chased in a traditional way,
and attempt to pierce the metal cage he wears.
But for this you need white horses,
English trees, men with bows and arrows,
at least two flags, a prince, and a
castle to hold your banquet in.
shaped and chased in a traditional way,
and attempt to pierce the metal cage he wears.
But for this you need white horses,
English trees, men with bows and arrows,
at least two flags, a prince, and a
castle to hold your banquet in.
Dispensing with nobility, you may, if the wind
allows, blow gas at him. But then you need
a mile of mud sliced through with ditches,
not to mention black boots, bomb craters,
more mud, a plague of rats, a dozen songs
and some round hats made of steel.
allows, blow gas at him. But then you need
a mile of mud sliced through with ditches,
not to mention black boots, bomb craters,
more mud, a plague of rats, a dozen songs
and some round hats made of steel.
In an age of aeroplanes, you may fly
miles above your victim and dispose of him by
pressing one small switch. All you then
require is an ocean to separate you, two
systems of government, a nation's scientists,
several factories, a psychopath and
land that no-one needs for several years.
miles above your victim and dispose of him by
pressing one small switch. All you then
require is an ocean to separate you, two
systems of government, a nation's scientists,
several factories, a psychopath and
land that no-one needs for several years.
These are, as I began, cumbersome ways
to kill a man. Simpler, direct, and much more neat
is to see that he is living somewhere in the middle
of the twentieth century, and leave him there.
to kill a man. Simpler, direct, and much more neat
is to see that he is living somewhere in the middle
of the twentieth century, and leave him there.
Tone:
The poet’s tone is really sarcastic, since he kind of talks ridiculously about how to kill a man. However, we feel a bit of sadness in his tone because of what occurred to our world.
Message:
The poet’s message is really clear. He wants to say that the 20th was horrible century full of wars. And he mentions some ways to kill a man and what it needs to be done, but in the end he says that the easiest way to kill a man is to leave him in the 20th because even if the war didn’t kill him, he will die from depression or something.
Poetic devices:
Repetition:
The poet repeats “cumbersome ways to kill a man” in the first and the last stanza. He did so to make sure that we understand his point.
Symbolism:
The fourth stanza is full of symbolism. The ocean is the Pacific Ocean, the two governments are the American government and the Japanese and the land that no-one needs for several years is Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Allusion:
There are several allusion in this poem. In the third stanza the poet refers to the World War I, it really obvious since he says “a plague of rats” and “blow gas at him”. In the fourth stanza the poet refers to Nagasaki and Hiroshima’s atomic bombing.
camouflaging the chimera by Yosef Kamunyaka
We tied branches to our helmets.
We painted our faces & rifles
with mud from a riverbank, blades of grass hung from the pockets
of our tiger suits. We wove
ourselves into the terrain,
content to be a hummingbird’s target.
We painted our faces & rifles
with mud from a riverbank, blades of grass hung from the pockets
of our tiger suits. We wove
ourselves into the terrain,
content to be a hummingbird’s target.
We hugged bamboo & leaned
against a breeze off the river,
slow-dragging with ghosts
against a breeze off the river,
slow-dragging with ghosts
from Saigon to Bangkok,
with women left in doorways
reaching in from America.
We aimed at dark-hearted songbirds.
with women left in doorways
reaching in from America.
We aimed at dark-hearted songbirds.
In our way station of shadows
rock apes tried to blow our cover
throwing stones at the sunset. Chameleons
rock apes tried to blow our cover
throwing stones at the sunset. Chameleons
crawled our spines, changing from day
to night: green to gold,
gold to black. But we waited
till the moon touched metal,
to night: green to gold,
gold to black. But we waited
till the moon touched metal,
till something almost broke
inside us. VC struggled
with the hillside, like black silk
inside us. VC struggled
with the hillside, like black silk
wrestling iron through grass.
We weren’t there. The river ran
through our bones. Small animals took refuge
against our bodies; we held our breath,
We weren’t there. The river ran
through our bones. Small animals took refuge
against our bodies; we held our breath,
ready to spring the L-shaped
ambush, as a world revolved
under each man’s eyelid
ambush, as a world revolved
under each man’s eyelid
Tone:
The author’s tone is really serious, and a bit apprehensive, “rock apes tried to blow our cover throwing stones at the sunset.” Here we really feel that it’s really edgy and that they can get killed any time if someone sees them. We also feel that the poet is against the war because of the last two verses, which their meaning is: the world in the eyes of the soldiers is haunting. It means that it’s not normal that human kill each other, it’s only normal when nature does the job.
Message:
The poet describes how the soldiers try to hind in the jungle during the Vietnam war. I conclude that it was the Vietnam War, because of how the poet mentions the “VC” and “the jungle”. However there is a deeper meaning behind this poem and its title “Camouflaging the Chimera”. In fact, a Chimera is mythical monster composed of one or more creatures. The poet wants to say that by hiding in the jungle for a long periode of time the men are turning into monsters covered by chameleons, bird’s nest and leaves. They are not turning only to a Chimera physically but also mentally. There body is becoming more and more pugnacious against whomever, since it’s his only way to survive.
Poetic devices:
Imagery:
In the first stanza, the poet’s description is really authentic and deep that we can nearly imagine a scene of the soldiers.
Hyperbole:
“wrestling iron through grass.” The poet here uses the term wrestling to explain how it is hard to move with weapons in the jungle. There is also symbolism in the previous quotation as iron stands for weapons.
Personification:
“as a world revolved under each man’s eyelid” the poet gives a human trait to the world, which is thinking deeply and pondering, as he wanted to say that the world was wondering why did they do so, and a great word to replace the world is the Logic.
“till the moon touched metal” here the poet gives the human trait of touching to the moon, it’s also a metaphor since he means that it was midnight and the light of the moon was reflected on their weapon and belongings.
The Game Of War By Aaron Tate
War is a game,
It proves that the worst loss,
Is a loss that was gained by a win,
The blood is shed,
The death is had,
Utter depression,
War happens over and over,
It never stops,
Peace is an illusion,
War is greedy,
War has envy,
War shows wraith,
War enjoys gluttony,
War gains luster,
War provocks Pride,
War is made by Sloth,
Sins of 7 is what war represents,
And what war is Represented by,
Honesty is engulfed by deaf ears,
Unfeeling hearts,
And blind eyes,
War is words without meaning,
War is caused by love,
War is continued by hate,
War isn't good or evil,
It is a star that has reached its limit,
War doesn't care what, who, or where,
War is everything,
Power, strength, ability,
War runs the world,
Yet,
War,
Is simple,
But it repeats its self,
War is repetative,
What is war but a game
It proves that the worst loss,
Is a loss that was gained by a win,
The blood is shed,
The death is had,
Utter depression,
War happens over and over,
It never stops,
Peace is an illusion,
War is greedy,
War has envy,
War shows wraith,
War enjoys gluttony,
War gains luster,
War provocks Pride,
War is made by Sloth,
Sins of 7 is what war represents,
And what war is Represented by,
Honesty is engulfed by deaf ears,
Unfeeling hearts,
And blind eyes,
War is words without meaning,
War is caused by love,
War is continued by hate,
War isn't good or evil,
It is a star that has reached its limit,
War doesn't care what, who, or where,
War is everything,
Power, strength, ability,
War runs the world,
Yet,
War,
Is simple,
But it repeats its self,
War is repetative,
What is war but a game
Tone:
The author’s tone is depressed, pessimistic and serious, we feel while reading the poem that war is going to transpire sooner or later. “war runs the world” this quotation shows how the poet is convinced in desperate manner that war is what control everything in this world.
Message:
The poet explains what war is in his point of view, he says that war is something which is going to happen anyway because it’s the one that control everything. War is caused, he adds, by greedy leaders and hate between nations. He also says that war represents everything bad in the world. To sum it up he says that “peace is an illusion”.
Poetic devices:
Metaphor:
“Honesty is engulfed by deaf ears” here the poet says that while war people doesn’t see the truth, in fact he says that people are like deaf people who, even the truth is shouted to them, they don’t get it.
“War shows wraith” the poet says that the war causes lots of death, so it’s actually the cause of the presences of their ghost.
Oxymoron:
“War is caused by love” here there is a very big contradiction between love and war, however we can easily understand what the author means by that sentence, he means that it’s your love for your own country that pushes you to fight in a war.
Personification:
“war is greedy” the poet gives a human trait to the war, however by war he meant the leaders of nation who are only going after their own benefits.
Symbolism:
“Sins of 7 is what war represents,” here sins of seven means everything bad in this world, it doesn’t literally mean sins.
Theme: marriage
Yes, I'll Marry You by Pam Ayres
Yes, I'll marry you, my dear,
And here's the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it's creepy and it's late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.
And here's the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it's creepy and it's late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.
Yes, I'll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It's you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It's you that has to whack him.
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It's you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It's you that has to whack him.
Yes, I'll marry you,
You're virile and you're lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!
You're virile and you're lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!
It's you who has to work the drill
and put up curtain track,
And when I've got PMT it's you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!
and put up curtain track,
And when I've got PMT it's you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!
Tone:
The poet’s tone is really sarcastic as she is mocking her future husband. She reminds him of all the shores he will be asked to do and how his life full of rest and fun will end the moment he will marry her.
Message:
The poet’s message is really clear. She describes how life after marriage can be tiring, exhausting but happy. She also represents her message in the greatest way ever; in a vow which adds that realistic feeling to the poem.
Poetic devices:
Repetition:
“Yes, I'll marry you” is repeated 3 times in 3 different stanzas. In fact, the poet uses such device to make sure that the readers get her point.
Simile:
“My house is like a pigsty” here the poet says that when the house is really dirty he will help her clean, even though it’s the wife’s job.
Oxymoron:
“Which you served by candlelight, As I do chipolatas” here there is a great contradiction between the chipolatas (sausages) and the sexy dinner, in fact that shows how the poet sees that dinner, she sees it as being a snack.
At My Daughter's Side By Linda Jo
Tomorrow was a lifetime away, now suddenly it's here.
How did it happen so quickly? This wedding drawing near.
How can I act so happy? How can I act so gay?
When in such a very short time, I'll give my daughter away.
I wish I could grasp a moment, and make the clock stand still
So I could let my heart catch up, but I know it never will.
All the worries of being a parent, all the battles won,
No one ever warned me about the day the job is done.
Yet, there is another side, where my heart is not as sad.
When I look in my daughter's eyes, I can't help but be joyful and glad. This day she has dreamt about, for just about all her life.
She's going to be such a beautiful bride and a loving, caring wife.
I'll stand with the congregation as my daughter walks down the aisle And even though there are tears in my eyes, my face will bear a smile. For I know that I was very blessed when God lent this child to me. To love and care for and nurture, so she would grow up to be This lovely, bright young woman, who tomorrow will be a bride And as always I'll be there, with love at my daughter's side
How did it happen so quickly? This wedding drawing near.
How can I act so happy? How can I act so gay?
When in such a very short time, I'll give my daughter away.
I wish I could grasp a moment, and make the clock stand still
So I could let my heart catch up, but I know it never will.
All the worries of being a parent, all the battles won,
No one ever warned me about the day the job is done.
Yet, there is another side, where my heart is not as sad.
When I look in my daughter's eyes, I can't help but be joyful and glad. This day she has dreamt about, for just about all her life.
She's going to be such a beautiful bride and a loving, caring wife.
I'll stand with the congregation as my daughter walks down the aisle And even though there are tears in my eyes, my face will bear a smile. For I know that I was very blessed when God lent this child to me. To love and care for and nurture, so she would grow up to be This lovely, bright young woman, who tomorrow will be a bride And as always I'll be there, with love at my daughter's side
Tone:
The poet’s tone is overwhelmed. She is confused, she doesn’t know if she’s supposed to cry or to laugh. In fact, this confusion is really shown in this verse “there are tears in my eyes, my face will bear a smile.”
Message:
The poet describes how it could be really hard on a mother to see her daughter getting married, as this is the time when she has to salute her forever, when she knows that her job is done. The poet also describes how it could be such an overwhelming situation.
Poetic devices:
Oxymoron:
“there are tears in my eyes, my face will bear a smile” here there is a big contradiction between the two sentences. The mother is very happy for her daughter, but she’s also sad because she is going to leave her.
Metaphor:
“God lent this child to me” here the poet used the word lent because her child was taken from her again. So technically god lent her a child. However, there is a metaphor because god doesn’t literally lend children.
Marriage and love by Santhosh Vijayakumar
Love spoke to marriage,
"It is I who come first."
For which marriage replied,
"It is for me you come."
Arguments arose and words clashed.
Both who were one with another,
Split away and, the result,
No love ended in marriage,
And all marriages broke.
At last, He the Maker spoke,
"Love, you are My happening.
Marriage, you are My new beginning.
Without the other you shan't survive.
And then on, they walked hand-in hand.
"It is I who come first."
For which marriage replied,
"It is for me you come."
Arguments arose and words clashed.
Both who were one with another,
Split away and, the result,
No love ended in marriage,
And all marriages broke.
At last, He the Maker spoke,
"Love, you are My happening.
Marriage, you are My new beginning.
Without the other you shan't survive.
And then on, they walked hand-in hand.
Tone
The poet’s tone is really srein and wise, he explains why marriage importance is as important as love’s.
Message:
The poet wants to say that without love a marriage can’t continue and without marriage love can’t stay forever. He represents his point in creating a conversation between love and marriage where both presume that they are the more important.
Poetic devices:
Personification:
“Love spoke to marriage” and “For which marriage replied” here the poet engages love and marriage in a conversation, so he can make his point more clear and interesting.
“And then on, they walked hand-in hand.”, the poet gives the human trait of walking to marriage and love, as he means that the got along with each other.
Hyperbole:
“Without the other you shan't survive” here the poet exaggerate by saying you won’t survive, however the use of such term makes us understand more his point.
Symbolism:
The conversation that took place in the beginning of the poem is like the discussion that occurs between a fighting couple, then after the poet says that they slip and by “they” he means married couples.
When I first met you
When I first saw you
I instantly and indubitably knew
That living without you
Is living in a world full of blue
Full of anguish, I swear it’s true
When I first looked into your marvelous eyes
I was obviously and foolishly trying to improvise
Any excuse to gaze those graceful eyes
Only then, clamorous jubilant cries
Pierced my rapturous mind, now in the skies
When I first touched your silky hand
My helpless heart had only one grave demand
To eradicate the boundary between my lips and your hand
So I could finally invade the euphoria any man can’t withstand
So I could finally immigrate to no man’s land
When I first made you zestfully smile
I started acting insanely and gruesomely hostile
Against those criminals found guilty of making your smile
Disappear into the night, how they could ever live with such guile
And deprive a man from his only craving for a while
When I first stroke lightheartedly your bewitching hair
I almost grazed you, it’s not my fault, your beauty is so unfair
It’s not my fault that I can’t forgo your ravishing resplendent hair
God how did you ever make her so divine that no man can bare
Many questions, only one certified answer I can’t help it but stare
When you leave me all alone
The first thing that crosses my mind is to gloomily moan
About how low I feel when you abandon me, my precious stone
You are the love of my life, you are my pulchritudinous own
I scream it out loud, I worship you, it’s now well known
