Category: Poem Analysis

Chicago

Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler; Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders: They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen…

Little Boy Blue

Welcome, esteemed readers, to a delightful exploration of one of the most cherished verses in the English language. Today, our focus is on the timeless nursery rhyme, “Little Boy Blue.” This seemingly simple poem holds layers of charm, gentle narrative,…

Of Modern Poetry

Welcome, esteemed students of literature, to an illuminating exploration of Wallace Stevens’ profound poem, “Of Modern Poetry.” This remarkable work does not merely present a subject; it delves into the very essence of what poetry is, how it has evolved,…

Much Madness is Divinest Sense

Much Madness is Divinest Sense by Emily Dickinson Much Madness is Divinest Sense To a discerning Eye Much Sense, the starkest Madness It’s the Majority In this, as all, prevail Assent, and you are sane Demur, you’re straightaway dangerous And…

Sailing to Byzantium

Welcome, aspiring literary explorers, to a profound journey into one of William Butler Yeats’s most celebrated and thought provoking poems, “Sailing to Byzantium”. This masterpiece delves into the universal human experience of aging, the relentless march of time, and the…

Anthem for Doomed Youth

Welcome, aspiring literary explorers, to a profound journey into one of the most poignant poems of the First World War. Today, we delve into Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth,” a masterpiece that captures the brutal realities of conflict and…

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water; Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after. Up Jack got, and home did trot, As fast as he could caper, To old…

I Hear America Singing

I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear. Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong. The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or…

Sing a Song of Sixpence

Sing a Song of Sixpence by Mother Goose Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie. When the pie was opened The birds began to sing— Wasn’t that a dainty…

Digging

Digging by Seamus Heaney Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. Under my window, a clean rasping sound When the spade sinks into gravelly ground: My father, digging. I look down Till his…

Ballad of Birmingham

Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham” stands as a profoundly moving and historically significant poem, capturing the raw emotion and tragic reality of the American Civil Rights Movement. This powerful work resonates with readers today, offering a poignant reflection on innocence,…

The Mower

Welcome, fellow explorers of language and meaning, to a journey into the heart of a truly poignant poem. Today, we delve into Philip Larkin’s “The Mower,” a short but immensely powerful work that invites us to reflect on life’s delicate…

On Being Brought from Africa to America

Welcome, fellow explorers of language and meaning! Today, we embark on a journey into the heart of a truly remarkable poem, “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by the extraordinary Phillis Wheatley. This short but incredibly powerful work invites…

London

Welcome, aspiring literary explorers, to an insightful journey into one of English poetry’s most poignant and powerful works. Today, we delve into William Blake’s “London,” a poem that offers a stark, unforgettable glimpse into the heart of a city grappling…

When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer

When I heard the learn’d astronomer, When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, When the proofs, the figures, were shown to me to add, divide, and measure them, When I sat, and heard the astronomer, where…

Wild Oats

Welcome, fellow explorers of language and emotion, to a journey into the heart of a truly intriguing poem. Today, we unravel the quiet complexities of “Wild Oats,” a piece that, despite its brevity, offers a profound look into memory, attraction,…

John Henry

Welcome, aspiring literary explorers, to a journey into the heart of an American legend. Today, we delve into the powerful ballad of John Henry, a story that echoes with the clang of steel, the roar of progress, and the indomitable…

The Cremation of Sam McGee

Welcome, young explorers of literature, to a journey into the frosty heart of the Yukon, where tales are spun as chilling as the Arctic wind itself! Today, we delve into one of the most famous and unforgettable narrative poems in…

To a Mouse

Robert Burns’ “To a Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough, November 1785” is a timeless masterpiece that transcends its humble origins. This poignant poem, born from a simple encounter in a Scottish field, invites readers…

Harlem

Harlem by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like…