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Emily Evans English 1020 Poetry Analysis Mr. Thoma 3/5/13 Poetry Analysis Poems inspire people, they allow them to hide their true feelings through hidden meaning, and convince people that the world really does get better than what they are currently experiencing. Most of all, Poetry is the music of the soul, and, above all, of the great and feeling souls (Voltaire). Maya Angelous I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and John Donnes Song: Sweetest Love, I do not go and A Lecture upon the Shadow all use multiple literary elements to further convey their numerous messages. In Maya Angelous poem, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, she uses literary elements imagery, alliteration, and rhyme to give this poem a ballad tone. In the first stanza the speaker describes the life of a free bird, and how it is able to roam the skies without concern of being trapped, it has the freedom of variety. This stanza may represent what the speaker desires, but cannot attain. The second and third stanzas go on to talk about how the bird that is caught in a cage is held against its will, and is contemptuous because of it. However, the bird still has hope of knowing the unknown, but is fearful of it. His singing is not hindered by the fact that he is fenced in. The fourth stanza goes back to the free bird, and how he does not have to concern

himself with the problems that being held captive brings. He simply lives his life without thinking anything of it. By this point in the poem, an undertone of jealousy is apparent. The last two stanzas go back to talking about the caged bird, and the bird continues to sing, even though it has a lot of other things to be negative about. I think this poem is almost therapeutic, and goes through the stages of grief. In the first stanza the free bird is introduced and is happy. When the caged bird is introduced, he seems angry, But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage (lines 8-11). This may mean that he is new to this cage and is not used to the new environment, and therefore stalks through the cage. He sees the cage bars as being the only thing holding him back from freedom, so he is resentful towards them. The third stanza could be seen as bargaining. The speaker talks about how the bird is unable to fly, and his feet are tied, so maybe if he sings of freedom, then he will be set free. In the fifth stanza the speaker sounds depressed about the caged birds situation when he/she says, But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream in lines 26 and 27. Finally, in the last stanza the caged bird seems to accept his life in the cage, but still yearns to be let free again. Imagery is seen throughout the poem, especially in the first stanza when the speaker describes the free bird flying. In line 27, the speaker uses alliteration to give this stanza a very sing song appeal, even though it is gloomy as it describes the caged bird, his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream. The rhyme scheme is scattered throughout the poem, like in stanzas one, two, three, and four there is not a pattern with rhyming. In stanzas four and five the pattern is aabc, then in stanza six it is abcbdbef. I think that this poem symbolizes a person that wants to do something different in life. However, they feel stuck in their current situation and is trying to work through it to someday be free. Maya Angelou is known for being a very strong and

independent woman that fought to have her voice heard after being raped, so this poem may describe her fight to be noticed. John Donnes poem Song: Sweetest love, I do not go, uses literary elements rhyme and alliteration to make his poem sound like a song. The rhyme scheme remains the same throughout the entire poem as ababcddc. The alliteration used in the poem is easiest demonstrated in lines 25 and 26 when the speaker says, When thou sigh'st, thou sigh'st not wind, But sigh'st my soul away. Throughout this poem, the speaker is talking to the person he/she loves, and is telling them that need to separated because of a duty he needs to follow through with (maybe to be a priest?). In the second stanza the speaker uses a metaphor to compare his duty of leaving her, to the sun because it must leave the day every 12 hours to allow night to ensue. In the third stanza, the speaker suggests that his power is weak compared to what is pulling him away from her. This also hints that he views the thing that is taking him away is fate and cannot be fought victoriously. In the fourth stanza she starts to become upset because of his departure, and he replies by saying that he is already letting him go through her tears and sighs because he is part of her. He goes on to say that she is the best part of him in line 32. In the last stanza he comforts her by saying that nothing bad will happen, and that they will never be actually apart, because they have a place for each other in their hearts. The last poem I chose is a far less common poem, also written by John Donne called A Burnt Ship. In this poem the most prolific literary device is imagery, but also has an obvious abbacdc rhyme scheme. This poem is depicting a naval battle, and is describing what is happening to the men on the losing side of the mle. The losing ship is continuing to fire back

as they have been fired upon, and almost sunk. In line two, But drowning could be rescued from the flame, this means that the men are faced with the choice of drowning or burnt to death. In the end of the poem, the speaker says that even though some men chose to stay in the ship to burn to death, they ended up drowning, which is sort of ironic. This poem could be symbolizing peoples lives in that they really do not have the choice of how they die, unless it is by their own hand. John Donnes background is very religious (he was a priest , and a lawyer!), so the fact that they did not have to burn to death could also symbolize that they had done nothing in life to make them burn, or go to hell. All three of these poems have a theme in common, which is longing or desire for something. The caged bird wanted to be set free of a bad situ ation, the lovers in Song: Sweetest love, I do not go want to stay together but the lover has to leave because of a fated duty, and in A Burnt Ship most of the sailors want to die by drowning in their present situation. Common literary elements among these poems include imagery, rhyme, and alliteration. Both Angelous I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and Donnes Song: Sweetest love, I do not go could be described as a song.

Poems

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing 29 The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. 37

The free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wings in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. 14 The caged bird sings with fearful trill of the things unknown but longed for still and is tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom 21 The free bird thinks of another breeze an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own. 25 But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

Song: Sweetest love, I do not go

John Donne 1. Sweetest love, I do not go, 1 For weariness of thee, Nor in hope the world can show A fitter love for me; But since that I Must die at last, 'tis best To use myself in jest Thus by feign'd deaths to die. 2. Yesternight the sun went hence, And yet is here today; He hath no desire nor sense, Nor half so short a way: Then fear not me, But believe that I shall make Speedier journeys, since I take More wings and spurs than he. 3. O how feeble is man's power, That if good fortune fall, Cannot add another hour, Nor a lost hour recall!

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But come bad chance, And we join to'it our strength, And we teach it art and length, Itself o'er us to'advance.

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And may thy fears fulfil; But think that we Are but turn'd aside to sleep; They who one another keep Alive, ne'er parted be.

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4. When thou sigh'st, thou sigh'st not wind, But sigh'st my soul away; When thou weep'st, unkindly kind, My life's blood doth decay. It cannot be That thou lov'st me, as thou say'st, If in thine my life thou waste, That art the best of me. 32 5. Let not thy divining heart Forethink me any ill; Destiny may take thy part,

A Burnt Ship
John Donne Out of a fired ship, which by no way But drowning could be rescued from the flame, Some men leap'd forth, and ever as they came Near the foes' ships, did by their shot decay; So all were lost, which in the ship were found, They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown'd.