Table Of ContentPOETRY
for Students
Advisors
Susan Allison: Head Librarian, Lewiston High Grove, Florida. B.A. from University of
School, Lewiston, Maine. Standards Com- Detroit, 1967 (magna cum laude); M.L.S.,
mittee Chairperson for Maine School UniversityofMissouri–Columbia,l974.Vol-
Library(MASL)Programs.Boardmember, unteer Project Leader for a school in rural
Julia Adams Morse Memorial Library, Jamaica; volunteer with Adult Literacy
Greene,Maine.AdvisortoLewistonPublic programs.
LibraryPlanningProcess.
LaurieSt.Laurent:HeadofAdultandChildren’s
Jennifer Hood: Young Adult/Reference Librar- Services, East Lansing Public Library,
ian, Cumberland Public Library, Cumber- East Lansing, Michigan, 1994–. M.L.S.
land,RhodeIsland.Certifiedteacher,Rhode from Western Michigan University. Chair
Island.MemberoftheNewEnglandLibrary of Michigan Library Association’s 1998
Association, Rhode Island Library Associa- Michigan Summer Reading Program; Chair
tion, and the Rhode Island Educational of the Children’s Services Division in 2000–
MediaAssociation. 2001; and Vice-President of the Association
in 2002–2003. Board member of several
Ann Kearney: Head Librarian and Media Spe-
regionalearlychildhoodliteracyorganizations
cialist, Christopher Columbus High School,
and member of the Library of Michigan
Miami, Florida, 1982–2002. Thirty-two
years as Librarian in various educational YouthServicesAdvisoryCommittee.
institutions ranging from grade schools HeidiStohs:InstructorinLanguageArts,grades
through graduate programs. Library posi- 10–12, Solomon High School, Solomon,
tions at Miami-Dade Community College, Kansas. Received B.S. from Kansas State
the University of Miami’s Medical School University; M.A. from Fort Hays State
Library, and Carrollton School in Coconut University.
POETRY
for Students
Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on
Commonly Studied Poetry
VOLUME 27
PoetryforStudents,Volume27
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ISBN-13:978-0-7876-8717-5
ISBN-10:0-7876-8717-0
eISBN-13:978-1-4144-2935-9
eISBN-10:1-4144-2935-5
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Table of Contents
ADVISORS . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
JUST A FEW LINES ON A PAGE . . . . . ix
(byDavidJ.Kelly)
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . xi
LITERARY CHRONOLOGY . . . . . . xiv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . xvi
CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . xix
ARCHAIC TORSO OF APOLLO
(byRainerMariaRilke). . . . . . . . . 1
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 2
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 3
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 7
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 9
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 15
BORGES AND I
(byJorgeLuisBorges). . . . . . . . . . 16
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 17
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 18
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 22
v
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 24 THE MAN-MOTH
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 25 (byElizabethBishop) . . . . . . . . 133
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 134
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 36 PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 135
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 136
CONVERSATION WITH A STONE Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 138
(byWisławaSzymborska) . . . . . . . . 38 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 38 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 141
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 39 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 143
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 144
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 152
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 44 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 152
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 46
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 47
MY GRANDMOTHER’S PLOT IN
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
THE FAMILY CEMETERY
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 61
(byClaudiaEmerson) . . . . . . . . 153
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 154
DREAM SONG 29
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 154
(byJohnBerryman). . . . . . . . . . 62
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 155
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 63
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 156
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 64
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 158
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 159
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 67
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 160
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 68
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 69
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 170
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 89
OZYMANDIAS
GOBLIN MARKET (byPercyByssheShelley) . . . . . . . 171
(byChristinaRossetti) . . . . . . . . . 90 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 172
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 91
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 173
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 92
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 173
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 97
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 176
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 101
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 177
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 104
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 178
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 105
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 114
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 193
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 114
IOLA, KANSAS REQUIEM
(byAmyClampitt) . . . . . . . . . 115 (byAnnaAkhmatova) . . . . . . . . 194
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 116 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 195
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 116 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 195
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 120 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 201
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 122 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 204
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 122 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 205
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 212
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 132 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 212
v i P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s , V o l u m e 2 7
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
A SATIRICAL ELEGY ON THE DEATH WATERFALLS IN A BANK
OF A LATE FAMOUS GENERAL (byA.K.Ramanujan) . . . . . . . . 268
(byJonathanSwift) . . . . . . . . . 214 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 268
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 215 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 269
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 216 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 271
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 216 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 217 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 273
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 275
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 219 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 276
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 221 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 222 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 289
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 232
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 232 YET WE INSIST THAT LIFE IS FULL
OF HAPPY CHANCE
SEPTEMBER 1, 1939 (byLynHejinian). . . . . . . . . . 290
(byW.H.Auden). . . . . . . . . . 233 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 291
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 234 PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 291
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 234 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 292
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 235 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 295
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 240 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 296
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 241 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 296
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 242 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 249 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 316
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 249
GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS. . . . 319
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
(byWoleSoyinka) . . . . . . . . . 250
CUMULATIVE AUTHOR/TITLE INDEX . . 341
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 250
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 252
CUMULATIVE NATIONALITY/
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 252
ETHNICITY INDEX . . . . . . . . 350
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 254
SUBJECT/THEME INDEX . . . . . . 357
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 256
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 256 CUMULATIVE INDEX OF FIRST LINES . . 367
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 266
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 267 CUMULATIVE INDEX OF LAST LINES . . 373
P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s , V o l u m e 2 7 v i i
Just a Few Lines on a Page
Ihaveoften thoughtthat poets havetheeasiest provides ample cases where a few simple words
jobintheworld.Apoem,afterall,isjustafew conjure up whole worlds. We do not actually
linesonapage,usuallynotevenextendingmar- travel to different times and different cultures,
gin to margin—how long would that take to butthepoemsgetintoourminds,theyfindwhat
write, about five minutes? Maybe ten at the little we know about theplaces theyare talking
most,ifyouwantedittorhymeorhavearepeat- about,andthentheymakethatlittlebitblossom
ingmeter.Why,Icouldstartinthemorningand intoabouquetofsomeoneelse’slife.Poetsmake
produceabookofpoetrybydinnertime.Butwe usthinkwearefollowingsimple,specificevents,
allknowthatitisn’tthateasy.Anyonecancome butthentheyleave ideas inour headsthatcan-
up with enough words, but the poet’s job is notbefoundontheprintedpage.Abracadabra.
about writing the right ones. The right words
Sometimes when you finish a poem it
will change lives, making people see the world
doesn’tfeelasifithasleftanysupernaturaleffect
somewhatdifferentlythantheysawitjustafew
on you, like it did not have any more to say
minutes earlier. The right words can make a
beyond theactualwords that it used. Thishap-
readerwhoreliesonthedictionaryformeanings
pens to everybody, but most often to inexper-
take a greater responsibility for his or her own
ienced readers: regardless of what is often said
personal understanding. A poem that is put on
about young people’s infinite capacity to be
thepagecorrectlycanbearanyamountofanal-
amazed, you have to understand what usually
ysis,probing,defining,explaining,andinterrog-
does happen, and what could have happened
ating, and something about it will still feel new
instead, if you are going to be moved by what
thenexttimeyoureadit.
someone has accomplished. In those cases in
ItwouldbefinewithmeifIcouldtalkabout which you finish a poem with a ‘‘So what?’’
poetry without using the word ‘‘magical,’’ attitude,theinformationprovidedinPoetryfor
because that word is overused these days to Students comes in handy. Readers can feel
imply‘‘areally goodtime,’’often witha certain assured that the poems included here actually
sweetnessaboutit,andalotofpoetryisneither are potent magic, not just because a few (or a
of these. But if you stop and think about hundred or ten thousand) professors of litera-
magic—whetheritbringstomindsorcery,witch- turesaytheyare:they’resignificantbecausethey
craft,orbunniespulledfromtophats—italways can withstand close inspection and still amaze
seems to involve stretching reality to produce a theverysamepeoplewhohavejustfinishedtak-
resultgreaterthanthesumofitspartsandpull- ingthemapartandseeinghowtheywork.Turn
ingunexpectedresultsoutofthinair.Thisbook them inside out, and they will still be able to
i x
J u s t a F e w L i n e s o n a P a g e
comealive,againandagain.PoetryforStudents justwhattheydowithonehand,whiletheother
givesreadersofanyagegoodpracticeinfeeling handpullssomesortoftrickthatmostofuswill
the ways poems relate to both the reality of the neverfullyunderstand.Ican’tevenpackallthat
timeandplacethepoetlivedinandtherealityof I needfora weekendinto one suitcase,so what
our emotions. Practice is just another word for
wouldbemychancesofstuffingsomuchlifeinto
being a student. The information given here
afewlines?WithallthatPoetryforStudentstells
helps you understand the way to read poetry;
us about each poem, I am impressed that any
whattolookfor,whattoexpect.
poetcanfinishthreeorfourpoemsayear.Read
Withallofthisinmind,Ireallydon’tthinkI
theinsidestoriesofthesepoems,andyouwon’t
would actually like to have a poet’s job at all.
be able to approach any poem in the same way
There are too many skills involved, including
youdidbefore.
precision, honesty, taste, courage, linguistics,
passion,compassion,andtheability tokeep all DavidJ.Kelly
sorts of people entertained at once. And that is CollegeofLakeCounty
x P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s , V o l u m e 2 7
