Famous
by Naomi Shihab Nye
The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.
Meanings of Famous
The poem “Famous” by Naomi Shihab Nye presents different things, the reason behind their popularity, and personal views about fame. The poem highlights the main idea of popularity and the different perspectives behind it, touching on different reasons.
Meanings of Lines 1-4
The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.
The speaker, who is likely the poet himself, states that the river is famous only for the fish and the voice for silence. It is because both of them know the limits of popularity as the speaker tells about silence that it knew that the earth has some limits about the loud voice. Therefore, fame or popularity has its own specific audience. These verses add to the main ideas of popularity and the reasons behind it.
Meanings of Lines 5-9
The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.
The same goes for other things, such as birds, tears, and ideas, the speaker asserts. He is of the view that whether this popularity is due to some good act or bad act, it all depends on the audience. For example, a cat that is sleeping on the fence is famous for the birds, who are its main targets. Similarly, the cheek knows that fear is famous for it, and the idea that is popular for you is popular only for you, not for others. Whether it is notoriety or popularity, it all depends on the immediately affected ones. Other people may not even be aware of it.
Meanings of Lines 10-14
The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.
Moving further, the speaker states that the boot is famous for the earth. He adds that it is more famous than the dress shoe and the dress shoe has its own audience, that is, the floor. Similarly, a bent photograph is famous for the person possessing it and not for those who have pictured it. These things also show that fame or popularity is for the people concerned with it and not those who have no concern for it. These verses add further to the main ideas of popularity and the people linked to it.
Meanings of Lines 15-21
I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.
The speaker now comes to the point of why he wants to become famous and popular. He states that his immediate target is the shuffling men who smile when crossing the streets. The second target is sticky children who come to the grocery lines and the third target is those who smile back. In all probabilities, the speaker wants to become popular among the public. However, he wants to become famous, like a pulley or a buttonhole. His reasoning is that both of these things never forget what they are made for and what their main job is though they have never done anything spectacular. The reasoning of the speaker, however, is flawed because in order to win public fame, he must do something spectacular, while he wants to do something professional. These verses complete the main idea, which is the fame and popularity and reasons for it.
Summary of Famous
- Popularity of “Famous”: This poem was written by Naomi Shihab Nye, a famous poet, songwriter, and novelist. ‘Famous’ is a renowned poem about name and fame. It was first published in 2015. The poet attempts to give a personal and meaningful definition of fame while comparing it with ordinary things. The poem beautifully illustrates how one can achieve reputation and satisfaction without performing a spectacular act.
- “Famous”, As a Representative of Fame: The poem presents an amusing and philosophical definition of the nature of fame and transient beauty of life. Fame, according to the speaker, is a matter of perception. The poet brilliantly uses metaphors to explain her idea of fame. Unlike a river that is famous for the fish, a loud voice is famous for silence, the boot is famous for the earth, the photograph is famous for those who carry it, and a sleeping cat is famous for the birds. Similarly, she wants to be recognized by shuffling men who smile while passing by. Also, she wants to be famous like a pulley or a buttonhole, not because they perform a praiseworthy act but they never forget what they can do to others. Thus the poet conveys that everything is famous for something and nothing in this universe is useless.
- Major Themes in “Famous”: Fame and satisfaction are the major themes of the poem. Throughout the poem, the poet presents the different connections between the ordinary objects and finally speaks of the type of people she would like to be famous around. Her definition of fame is not classified or generalized. Instead, it only pauses to value and acknowledge.
Analysis of Literary Devices in Famous
Literary devices are used to equip simple texts with deep meanings and multiple interpretations. Naomi Shihab Nye has also used some literary devices to make this poem appealing to the readers. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been discussed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ in “watching him from the birdhouse” and “The river is famous to the fish”.
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For example, the word “famous” in the opening lines is repeated to express her desire.
“The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a verse or clause that does not come to an end at a line break but instead moves over the next line. For example,
“The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between different objects or a person. For example, “The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom” presents the idea of a treasured possession.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /l/ in “who smile while crossing streets” and the sound of /t/ in “or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular.
- Symbol: Symbolism is a use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. The buttonhole symbolizes something insignificant. Shoe, floors, and earth are the symbols of ordinary things.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “The boot is famous to the earth”; “The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds” and “I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /f/ in “The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds”.
Analysis of Poetic Devices in Famous
Poetic Devices refer to those techniques a poet uses to bring uniqueness to his text. The analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem is given below.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are seven stanzas in this poem. There are two single verses, three couplets, three triplets, and one quadruplet.
- Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
- Repetition: There is a repetition of the phrase “I want to be famous” which has created a musical quality in the poem.
- Refrain: The lines that are repeated at some distance in the poems are called a refrain. The phrase “I want to be famous” is repeated in the last lines of the poem and has become a refrain.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below can be used to express personal desires and how one can be humble and famous.
“I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.”