Table Of ContentPoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 08:23 Page1
POETRY
for Students
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 08:25 Page2
Advisors
Erik France: Adjunct Instructor of English, Teachers of English (NCTE), Teachers and
Macomb Community College, Warren, Writers, and NCTE Opinion Panel. Exam
Michigan.B.A.andM.S.L.S.fromUniver- Reader, Advanced Placement Literature and
sity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Ph.D. Composition. Poet, published in North Amer-
fromTempleUniversity. ican Review, Nimrod, and Michigan Quarterly
Review,amongotherpublications.
Kate Hamill: Grade 12 English Teacher, Catons-
villeHighSchool,Catonsville,Maryland. JodyStefansson:DirectorofBoswellLibraryand
Study Center and Upper School Learning
JosephMcGeary:EnglishTeacher,Germantown
Friends School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Specialist, Polytechnic School, Pasadena,
Ph.D.inEnglishfromDukeUniversity. California.Boardmember,Children’sLitera-
tureCouncilofSouthernCalifornia.Member
Timothy Showalter: English Department Chair,
of American Library Association, Associa-
Franklin High School, Reisterstown, Mary-
tion of Independent School Librarians, and
land.CertifiedteacherbytheMarylandState
Department of Education. Member of the AssociationofEducationalTherapists.
NationalCouncilofTeachersofEnglish. Laura Jean Waters: Certified School Library
AmySpadeSilverman:EnglishDepartmentChair, MediaSpecialist,WiltonHighSchool,Wil-
Kehillah Jewish High School, Palo Alto, ton,Connecticut. B.A.fromFordhamUni-
California. MemberofNationalCouncilof versity;M.A.fromFairfieldUniversity.
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 08:27 Page3
POETRY
for Students
Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism
on Commonly Studied Poetry
VOLUME 36
Sara Constantakis, Project Editor
Foreword by David J. Kelly
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 08:29 Page4
PoetryforStudents,Volume36 ª2011Gale,CengageLearning
ProjectEditor:SaraConstantakis
ALLRIGHTSRESERVED.Nopartofthisworkcoveredbythecopyrighthereinmaybe
RightsAcquisitionandManagement:SaraCrane, reproduced,transmitted,stored,orusedinanyformorbyanymeansgraphic,
SariGordon,BarbMcNeil,RobynYoung electronic,ormechanical,includingbutnotlimitedtophotocopying,recording,
Composition:EviAbou-El-Seoud scanning,digitizing,taping,Webdistribution,informationnetworks,orinformation
storageandretrievalsystems,exceptaspermittedunderSection107or108ofthe1976
Manufacturing:DrewKalasky
UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.
Imaging:JohnWatkins
Sincethispagecannotlegiblyaccommodateallcopyrightnotices,the
ProductDesign:PamelaA.E.Galbreath,
acknowledgmentsconstituteanextensionofthecopyrightnotice.
JenniferWahi
ContentConversion:KatrinaCoach
Forproductinformationandtechnologyassistance,contactusat
ProductManager:MegginCondino
GaleCustomerSupport,1-800-877-4253.
Forpermissiontousematerialfromthistextorproduct,
submitallrequestsonlineatwww.cengage.com/permissions.
Furtherpermissionsquestionscanbeemailedto
[email protected]
Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetoensurethereliabilityoftheinformation
presentedinthispublication,Gale,apartofCengageLearning,doesnotguaranteethe
accuracyofthedatacontainedherein.Galeacceptsnopaymentforlisting;and
inclusioninthepublicationofanyorganization,agency,institution,publication,service,
orindividualdoesnotimplyendorsementoftheeditorsorpublisher.Errorsbroughtto
theattentionofthepublisherandverifiedtothesatisfactionofthepublisherwillbe
correctedinfutureeditions.
Gale
27500DrakeRd.
FarmingtonHills,MI,48331-3535
ISBN-13:978-1-4144-6703-0
ISBN-10:1-4144-6703-6
ISSN1094-7019
Thistitleisalsoavailableasane-book.
ISBN-13:978-1-4144-7387-1
ISBN-10:1-4144-7387-7
ContactyourGale,apartofCengageLearningsalesrepresentativefororderinginformation.
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 14 13 12 11 10
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 09:25 Page5
Table of Contents
ADVISORS . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
JUST A FEW LINES ON A PAGE . . . . . ix
(byDavidJ.Kelly)
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . xi
LITERARY CHRONOLOGY . . . . . . . xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . xvii
CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . xxi
ALL SHALL BE RESTORED (byKayRyan) . . 1
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 1
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 2
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 6
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 7
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 18
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . . 18
BIRDFOOT’S GRAMPA (byJosephBruchac) . . 19
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 20
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 21
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 21
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
v
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 09:25 Page6
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 121
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 26 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 123
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 28 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 124
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 136
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 43 SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 136
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . . 43
THE IDEA OF ANCESTRY
HAWTHORNE (byRobertLowell) . . . . . 44 (byEtheridgeKnight) . . . . . . . . 137
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 44 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 138
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 46 PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 138
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 139
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 141
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 50 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 52 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 144
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 52 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 147
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 147
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 65 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 161
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . . 65 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 161
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 162
AN HYMN TO THE EVENING
(byPhillisWheatley). . . . . . . . . . 66 MOON RONDEAU (byCarlSandburg) . . . 163
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 67 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 164
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 68 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 165
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 71 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 169
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 74 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 171
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 171
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 187
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 87 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 187
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . . 88 SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 187
I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE WHO LEFT THE LAND PRAYER TO THE MASKS
(byAnnaAkhmatova) . . . . . . . . . 89 (byLe´opoldSe´darSenghor). . . . . . . 188
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 90 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 189
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 91 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 189
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 91 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 194
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 96 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 196
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 98 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 197
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 115 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 202
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 116 SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 202
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 116
PRODIGY(byCharlesSimic) . . . . . . 203
I BUILT MY HUT BESIDE A TRAVELED ROAD AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 204
(byT’aoCh’ien). . . . . . . . . . 117 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 204
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 118 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 207
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 119 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 119 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 210
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 119 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 212
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 213
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 3 6
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 09:25 Page7
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 297
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 224 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 224 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 300
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 301
SELF IN 1958 (byAnneSexton) . . . . . 225 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 303
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 225 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 310
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 227 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 310
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 228 SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 311
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 230 WHAT I EXPECTED
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 233 (byStephenSpender). . . . . . . . . 312
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 233 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 312
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 245 PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 313
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 246 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 314
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 246 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
SNOW-BOUND HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 318
(byJohnGreenleafWhittier) . . . . . . 247 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 321
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 248 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 322
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 248 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 331
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 255 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 331
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 258 SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 332
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 261 WHEN IN ROME(byMariEvans) . . . . 333
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 263 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 333
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 264 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 334
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 335
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 272 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 272 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 337
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 339
SONG TO THE MEN OF ENGLAND Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 340
(byPercyByssheShelley) . . . . . . . 273 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 357
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 274 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 358
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 274 SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 358
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS. . . . 359
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 279
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 281 CUMULATIVE AUTHOR/TITLE INDEX . . 381
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 282
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 293 CUMULATIVE NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 293 INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
SuggestedSearchTerms . . . . . 293
SUBJECT/THEME INDEX . . . . . . 403
TO AUTUMN (byJohnKeats). . . . . . 294
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 295 CUMULATIVE INDEX OF FIRST LINES . . 411
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 295
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 296 CUMULATIVE INDEX OF LAST LINES . . 419
P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s , V o l u m e 3 6 v i i
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 09:24 Page9
Just a Few Lines on a Page
Ihaveoftenthoughtthatpoetshavetheeasiestjob notactuallytraveltodifferenttimesanddifferent
in the world.A poem,afterall,is justa fewlines cultures, but the poems get into our minds, they
on a page, usually not even extending margin to findwhatlittleweknowabouttheplacestheyare
margin—howlongwouldthattaketowrite,about talking about, and then they make that little bit
five minutes? Maybe ten at the most, if you blossom into a bouquet of someone else’s life.
wanted it to rhyme or have a repeating meter. Poets make us think we are following simple,
Why,Icouldstartinthemorningandproducea specific events, but then they leave ideas in our
book of poetry by dinnertime. But we all know heads thatcannot be found on the printed page.
that it isn’t that easy. Anyone can come up with Abracadabra.
enoughwords,butthepoet’sjobisaboutwriting
Sometimeswhenyoufinishapoemitdoesn’t
the right ones. The right words will change lives,
feelasifithasleftanysupernaturaleffectonyou,
makingpeopleseetheworldsomewhatdifferently
like it did not have any more to say beyond the
than they saw it just a few minutes earlier. The
actualwordsthatitused.Thishappenstoevery-
right words can make a reader who relies on the
body, but most often to inexperienced readers:
dictionary for meanings take a greater responsi-
regardlessofwhatisoftensaidaboutyoungpeo-
bility for his or her own personal understanding.
ple’sinfinite capacity to be amazed, you have to
Apoemthatisputonthepagecorrectlycanbear
understand what usually does happen, and what
anyamountofanalysis,probing,defining,explain-
couldhavehappenedinstead,ifyouaregoingto
ing,andinterrogating,andsomethingaboutitwill
bemovedbywhatsomeonehasaccomplished.In
stillfeelnewthenexttimeyoureadit.
thosecasesinwhichyoufinishapoemwitha‘‘So
ItwouldbefinewithmeifIcouldtalkabout what?’’ attitude, the information provided in
poetrywithoutusingtheword‘‘magical,’’because PoetryforStudentscomesinhandy.Readerscan
thatwordisoverusedthesedaystoimply‘‘areally feelassuredthatthepoemsincludedhereactually
goodtime,’’oftenwithacertainsweetnessabout are potent magic, not just because a few (or a
it,andalotofpoetryisneitherofthese.Butifyou hundredortenthousand)professorsofliterature
stopandthinkaboutmagic—whetheritbringsto say they are: they’re significant because they can
mind sorcery, witchcraft,or bunniespulledfrom withstandcloseinspectionandstillamazethevery
top hats—it always seems to involve stretching same people who have just finished taking them
reality to produce a result greater than the sum apartandseeinghowtheywork.Turntheminside
ofitspartsand pullingunexpected results outof out,andtheywillstillbeabletocomealive,again
thinair.Thisbookprovidesamplecaseswherea and again. Poetry for Students gives readers of
fewsimplewordsconjureupwholeworlds.Wedo any age good practice in feeling the ways poems
i x
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
PoetryforStudents,Volume36–Finals/8/21/2010 09:24 Page10
J u s t a F e w L i n e s o n a P a g e
relatetoboththerealityofthetimeandplacethe theydowithonehand,whiletheotherhandpulls
poet lived in and the reality of our emotions. somesortoftrickthatmostofuswillneverfully
Practiceisjustanotherwordforbeingastudent. understand.Ican’tevenpackallthatIneedfora
Theinformationgivenherehelpsyouunderstand weekend into one suitcase, so what would be my
thewaytoreadpoetry;whattolookfor,whatto chances of stuffing so much life into a few lines?
expect. WithallthatPoetryforStudentstellsusabouteach
Withallofthisinmind,Ireallydon’tthinkI poem, I am impressed that any poet can finish
would actually like to have a poet’s job at all. threeorfourpoemsayear.Readtheinsidestories
Therearetoomanyskillsinvolved,includingpre- ofthesepoems,andyouwon’tbeabletoapproach
cision,honesty,taste,courage,linguistics,passion, anypoeminthesamewayyoudidbefore.
compassion, and the ability to keep all sorts of DavidJ.Kelly
people entertained at once. And that is just what 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 3 6
( c) 2011 Gale. All Rights Reserved.
