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, East
ian, Cumberland Public Library, Cumber- Lansing,Michigan,1994–.M.L.S.fromWest-
land,RhodeIsland.Certifiedteacher,Rhode ern Michigan University. Chair of Michigan
Island.MemberoftheNewEnglandLibrary LibraryAssociation’s1998MichiganSummer
Association, Rhode Island Library Associa- Reading Program; Chair of the Children’s
tion, and the Rhode Island Educational ServicesDivisionin2000–2001;andVice-Pres-
MediaAssociation. identoftheAssociationin2002–2003.Board
member of several regional early childhood
Ann Kearney: Head Librarian and Media Spe-
literacy organizations and member of the
cialist, Christopher Columbus High School,
LibraryofMichiganYouthServicesAdvisory
Miami, Florida, 1982–2002. Thirty-two
Committee.
years as Librarian in various educational
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 29
PoetryforStudents,Volume29 ª2009Gale,CengageLearning
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Table of Contents
ADVISORS . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
JUST A FEW LINES ON A PAGE . . . . . ix
(byDavidJ.Kelly)
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . xi
LITERARY CHRONOLOGY . . . . . . . xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . xvii
CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . xxi
AMERICA, AMERICA
(bySaadiYoussef) . . . . . . . . . . 1
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 1
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 4
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 7
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 8
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 21
AN ATTEMPT AT JEALOUSY
(byMarinaTsvetaeva) . . . . . . . . . 22
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 22
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 23
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 24
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
v
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 28 HOMAGE TO MY HIPS
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 30 (byLucilleClifton) . . . . . . . . . 113
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 31 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 113
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 115
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 35 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 118
BABII YAR
(byYevgenyYevtushenko) . . . . . . . . 36 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 120
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 37 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 121
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 129
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 38 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 130
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
HOWL
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
(byAllenGinsberg) . . . . . . . . . 131
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 42
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 132
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 45
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 134
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 59
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 141
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 143
DIVING INTO THE WRECK
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 144
(byAdrienneRich) . . . . . . . . . . 60
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 155
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 60
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 156
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 61
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
LOVE CALLS US TO THE THINGS
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
OF THIS WORLD
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 64 (byRichardWilbur). . . . . . . . . 157
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 66 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 158
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 67 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 158
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 160
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 76 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 162
FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 164
(byCzeslawMilosz). . . . . . . . . . 77 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 165
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 78 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 180
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 79 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 180
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 NATIVE GUARD
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 82 (byNatashaTrethewey). . . . . . . . 182
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . . 84 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 182
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . 85 PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 183
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 185
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . . 92 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
HEART’S NEEDLE HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 190
(byW.D.Snodgrass) . . . . . . . . . 93 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 193
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . . 93 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 193
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . . 94 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 204
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . . 99 THE NIGHT PIECE: TO JULIA
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 100 (byRobertHerrick). . . . . . . . . 205
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 101 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 205
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 111 PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 206
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 112 PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 206
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 9
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 207 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 267
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 268
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 209 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 279
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 210 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 279
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 211
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 220 ST. ROACH
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 220 (byMurielRukeyser) . . . . . . . . 281
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 281
ON BEING BROUGHT FROM AFRICA TO AMERICA PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 282
(byPhillisWheatley). . . . . . . . . 221 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 284
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 222 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 223 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 286
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 223 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 288
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 288
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 294
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 227 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 294
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 229
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 230 WHEN WE TWO PARTED
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 238 (byLordGeorgeGordonByron) . . . . . 295
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 239 AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 296
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 297
PANTOUN FOR CHINESE WOMEN PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 297
(byShirleyGeok-linLim) . . . . . . . 240 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 298
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 241 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 241 HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 300
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 242 CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 302
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 304
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 309
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 246 FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 309
CriticalOverview. . . . . . . . 248
Criticism. . . . . . . . . . . 248 GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS. . . . 311
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 258
FurtherReading . . . . . . . . 258 CUMULATIVE AUTHOR/TITLE INDEX . . 333
POEM IN WHICH MY LEGS ARE ACCEPTED CUMULATIVE NATIONALITY/
(byKathleenFraser). . . . . . . . . 260 ETHNICITY INDEX . . . . . . . . 343
AuthorBiography . . . . . . . 260
PoemText . . . . . . . . . . 262 SUBJECT/THEME INDEX . . . . . . 351
PoemSummary . . . . . . . . 262
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . 264 CUMULATIVE INDEX OF FIRST LINES . . 357
Style . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
HistoricalContext . . . . . . . 266 CUMULATIVE INDEX OF LAST LINES . . 365
P o e t r y f o r S t u d e n t s , V o l u m e 2 9 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 9
