Related Texts: Poems
Poems are useful because they pack a lot of impact into a few lines. Pick a poem with lots of different techniques to show your marker how smart you are, but don’t forget to say what each technique tells the reader about belonging.
If you pick a long poem or verse novel, don’t try to analyse the whole thing. Pick two or three of the most important stanzas (if possible, one that say different things about belonging) and analyse these in detail. If you choose a short poem, make sure you have at least five different techniques and two different points to write about.
Auden, W. H. () Refugee Blues.[View online at http://allpoetry.com/poem/8493079-Refugee_Blues-by-W_H_Auden] This classic poem describes the feeling of dislocation and alienation experienced many migrants – in this case by German Jews during the holocaust. Discuss the cumulative effect of the lists on the responders, as well as the impact of the “blues” (the ‘pop music’ of the time) on the deceptively simple language and structure. What is the impact of the rhetorical questions? Who is the implied second person (“you”)? Recommended especially for standard students studying Skrzynecki.
Dawe, Bruce. (). Drifters. [A821.3 DAW. Ms Carmyn also has a copy, so might your English teacher] This poem describes the experience of migrant workers – people whose jobs take them around the country without a chance to belong in any one place. Without a permanent home, family, peers and possessions become much more important in A fabulous analysis can be found at http://www.nebo-lit.com/poetry/dawe/drifters-Bruce-Dawe.html.
Dawe, Bruce. (). Life Cycle. [A821.3 DAW. Ms Carmyn also has a copy, so might your English teacher] This satirical poem describes the rites of passage which lead to belonging (to a football fan club) through (Christian) religious imagery and clichéd images of Australian life. An analysis can be found at http://www.nebo-lit.com/poetry/dawe/drifters-Bruce-Dawe.html.
Eliot, T. S. Love song of J Alfred Prufrock (822.9) This annotated version of the poem http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Prufrock.html#Top gives a detailed analysis of what each bit means, but doesn’t link it to belonging. Focus on how the alienation is created through allusions, metaphors, and repetition as well as obvious techniques such as the use of rhetorical questions and first person. Read a useful analysis at http://www.shmoop.com/love-song-alfred-prufrock/
Eliot, T. S. Portrait of a Lady (822.9 or online at http://www.bartleby.com/198/2.html ) There are lots of sites with a detailed analysis of what each bit means, but they don’t link it to belonging – you will have to do this yourself. Focus on how the sense of alienation is created through allusions, extended metaphors, symbolism and repetition.
Eliot, T. S. Preludes (822.9 or online at http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/3163/ ) There are lots of sites with a detailed analysis of what each bit means, but usually discuss every theme except for belonging – you will have to do this yourself. Look for groups of images that go together (drawing a representation of each stanza is a good idea!), then focus on how the sense alienation is created through extended metaphors, symbolism and repetition. These poems are very evocative of the landscape so they could be used well with As you like it. You only need to discuss one poem if you can do it in detail.]
Eliot, T. S. Rhapsody on a Windy Night (822.9 or online at http://www.bartleby.com/198/4.html ) This website http://www.suite101.com/content/t-s-eliot-poem-rhapsody-on-a-windy-night-a95024 has an excellent analysis of the poem for belonging but make sure you’ve done your own analysis before you start looking at other people’s discussions. Focus on how the sense of alienation is created through the landscape using extended metaphors, personification and symbolism. This poem is all about setting and atmosphere so it could be used well with As you like it.
Ginsberg, Alan. Howl. [Read online at http://sprayberry.tripod.com/poems/howl.txt. You could also do a YouTube search for readings of the poem] Ginsberg is a “beat” poet – think 1960’s rebellion. This classic performance poem is one long rant bout the evils of the establishment (schools, governments, law-enforcers) on behalf of the “best minds of the generation” – drop-outs, activists and poets. Schloop has an excellent line-by-line analysis at http://www.shmoop.com/howl/summary.html, but remember, the only bits that count for this topic are the bits that match your argument about belonging. Recommended for extension students.
Maiden, Jennifer, (1990). Hypothesis. (Belonging folder at 820.9) A short snapshot of alienation between two lovers in a co-dependent. Analyse the way the writer creates an abyss between male (intellectual) and female (emotional) perceptions of a relationship and explain the irony of the glass tumbler as a symbol of the relationship. Don’t forget to discuss how the words are framed by the way the sentences are broken up on the page. Recommended for students who need to write about lots of techniques in a short scene. In a poem this short, every word counts!
Rossetti, Christina Goblin Market(Area of Study extracts or online at: http://theotherpages.org/poems/roset01.html ) A Victorian girl ventures outside the safety of her family and is tempted to taste the sensual pleasures of the Goblin Market. Her sister saves her and she discovers there is safety in family relationships. Focus on lists of adjectives, modal verbs and the moral at the end. The most common readings of the fruit metaphor are of sexuality or drug experiences. An introductory analysis can be found at http://www.shmoop.com/goblin-market/.
Sexton, Anne. Her Kind. [Read online at http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15297] The persona in this poem describes three different experiences of alienated women. At the end of each description, she states “A woman .../I have been her kind”. This shared experience of womanhood creates a sense of belonging between the persona, the reader and women throughout history. These’s a good analysis of the poem at http://www.shmoop.com/her-kind/poem-text.html, but make sure you write about belonging, not gender when you write your essay. Recommeneded for advanced students.
Soyinka, Wole. Telephone Conversation [Read the poem and an analysis at http://lit205a.blogspot.com/2008/01/week-10-telephone-conversation-by-wole.html] Nigerian poet, Wole Soyinka, describes the experience of negotiating for a rental apartment. Ironically, the landlady is more interested in the colour of his skin than in his qualifications and references. An essay on this poem (be careful – your essay has to be about belonging, not racism. Don’t get sidetracked!) can be found at http://www.casawomo.com/essays/the-irony-of-racism.
Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending. [811 SON]. A verse novel which depicts a teenage girl’s reactions to her sister being hospitalised with mental illness. Feelings of separation, shock, fear, liberation and acceptance are expressed through emotive metaphors, personification, rhythm and structure.
Whitman, Walt. (1855). Song of Myself. [Read it online at http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/logr/log_026.html] Possibly the most arrogant poem ever written, Whitman’s poem about himself is also a poem about the persona as the embodiment of all American people and landscapes” “I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself/And what I assume you shall assume/For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” Don’t try to analyse the whole poem (It’s very long and as many themes). Just choose the bits relevant to your argument and discuss his descrioptions of the landscape in minute details and vignettes of different types of Americans. How does the use of first and second person to include the reader in his experiences? Analyse the sensuous imagery, metaphors, symbolism and don’t forget to talk about the aural features of the poem (It’s meant to be read aloud) such as alliteration, assonance and the rhythm of the free verse. There’s an excellent analysis to start you off at http://www.shmoop.com/song-of-myself/identity-quotes.html. Recommended for advanced students and standard students who don’t mind sifting through a long (but not difficult) poem.
Wild, Margaret Jinx (F WIL) A poetry novel which depicts the consequences of Jen’s boyfriend’s suicide. Poems depict the thoughts and feelings of parents friends and even the boy Jen holds responsible for the death. Focus on the way different characters react and the language and poetic techniques uses to differentiate each character. You might also discuss the way the narrative structure makes the poems “belong” together.
Wild, Margaret One Night(F WIL) A poetry novel which gives the perspectives of everyone involved in a teenage pregnancy – girl, boy, parents, siblings. Focus on the way different characters react and the language and poetic techniques uses to differentiate each character. You might also discuss the way the narrative structure makes the poems “belong” together.
Zwicky, Fay. “Letting Go” (Belonging folder at 820.9) This poem describes subjective (motherhood) and objective (personal growth through freedom and independence) experiences of belonging. Discuss the way the verses talk about different experiences but the sentences flow between the verses, the change form third to first person and the similies.
Zwicky, Fay Out of this World (Belonging folder at 820.9) An excellent definition of alienation as the persona gazes around a low-rate hotel room in Beijing. Look at the words and metaphors that make China seem like an alien planet and pay attention to the way the poetic structure fragments.
Warrick Wynne. (). Alzheimers. [Read it online and read what the poet says about his work at http://warrickwynnepoetry.wordpress.com/poems/alzheimers/]. This poem describes the heart-wrenching feelings of alienation and loss when a family member’s mind starts to fail. Discuss the way the rich metaphors and vivid language create the tone and its effect on the responder.
If you pick a long poem or verse novel, don’t try to analyse the whole thing. Pick two or three of the most important stanzas (if possible, one that say different things about belonging) and analyse these in detail. If you choose a short poem, make sure you have at least five different techniques and two different points to write about.
Auden, W. H. () Refugee Blues.[View online at http://allpoetry.com/poem/8493079-Refugee_Blues-by-W_H_Auden] This classic poem describes the feeling of dislocation and alienation experienced many migrants – in this case by German Jews during the holocaust. Discuss the cumulative effect of the lists on the responders, as well as the impact of the “blues” (the ‘pop music’ of the time) on the deceptively simple language and structure. What is the impact of the rhetorical questions? Who is the implied second person (“you”)? Recommended especially for standard students studying Skrzynecki.
Dawe, Bruce. (). Drifters. [A821.3 DAW. Ms Carmyn also has a copy, so might your English teacher] This poem describes the experience of migrant workers – people whose jobs take them around the country without a chance to belong in any one place. Without a permanent home, family, peers and possessions become much more important in A fabulous analysis can be found at http://www.nebo-lit.com/poetry/dawe/drifters-Bruce-Dawe.html.
Dawe, Bruce. (). Life Cycle. [A821.3 DAW. Ms Carmyn also has a copy, so might your English teacher] This satirical poem describes the rites of passage which lead to belonging (to a football fan club) through (Christian) religious imagery and clichéd images of Australian life. An analysis can be found at http://www.nebo-lit.com/poetry/dawe/drifters-Bruce-Dawe.html.
Eliot, T. S. Love song of J Alfred Prufrock (822.9) This annotated version of the poem http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Prufrock.html#Top gives a detailed analysis of what each bit means, but doesn’t link it to belonging. Focus on how the alienation is created through allusions, metaphors, and repetition as well as obvious techniques such as the use of rhetorical questions and first person. Read a useful analysis at http://www.shmoop.com/love-song-alfred-prufrock/
Eliot, T. S. Portrait of a Lady (822.9 or online at http://www.bartleby.com/198/2.html ) There are lots of sites with a detailed analysis of what each bit means, but they don’t link it to belonging – you will have to do this yourself. Focus on how the sense of alienation is created through allusions, extended metaphors, symbolism and repetition.
Eliot, T. S. Preludes (822.9 or online at http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/3163/ ) There are lots of sites with a detailed analysis of what each bit means, but usually discuss every theme except for belonging – you will have to do this yourself. Look for groups of images that go together (drawing a representation of each stanza is a good idea!), then focus on how the sense alienation is created through extended metaphors, symbolism and repetition. These poems are very evocative of the landscape so they could be used well with As you like it. You only need to discuss one poem if you can do it in detail.]
Eliot, T. S. Rhapsody on a Windy Night (822.9 or online at http://www.bartleby.com/198/4.html ) This website http://www.suite101.com/content/t-s-eliot-poem-rhapsody-on-a-windy-night-a95024 has an excellent analysis of the poem for belonging but make sure you’ve done your own analysis before you start looking at other people’s discussions. Focus on how the sense of alienation is created through the landscape using extended metaphors, personification and symbolism. This poem is all about setting and atmosphere so it could be used well with As you like it.
Ginsberg, Alan. Howl. [Read online at http://sprayberry.tripod.com/poems/howl.txt. You could also do a YouTube search for readings of the poem] Ginsberg is a “beat” poet – think 1960’s rebellion. This classic performance poem is one long rant bout the evils of the establishment (schools, governments, law-enforcers) on behalf of the “best minds of the generation” – drop-outs, activists and poets. Schloop has an excellent line-by-line analysis at http://www.shmoop.com/howl/summary.html, but remember, the only bits that count for this topic are the bits that match your argument about belonging. Recommended for extension students.
Maiden, Jennifer, (1990). Hypothesis. (Belonging folder at 820.9) A short snapshot of alienation between two lovers in a co-dependent. Analyse the way the writer creates an abyss between male (intellectual) and female (emotional) perceptions of a relationship and explain the irony of the glass tumbler as a symbol of the relationship. Don’t forget to discuss how the words are framed by the way the sentences are broken up on the page. Recommended for students who need to write about lots of techniques in a short scene. In a poem this short, every word counts!
Rossetti, Christina Goblin Market(Area of Study extracts or online at: http://theotherpages.org/poems/roset01.html ) A Victorian girl ventures outside the safety of her family and is tempted to taste the sensual pleasures of the Goblin Market. Her sister saves her and she discovers there is safety in family relationships. Focus on lists of adjectives, modal verbs and the moral at the end. The most common readings of the fruit metaphor are of sexuality or drug experiences. An introductory analysis can be found at http://www.shmoop.com/goblin-market/.
Sexton, Anne. Her Kind. [Read online at http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15297] The persona in this poem describes three different experiences of alienated women. At the end of each description, she states “A woman .../I have been her kind”. This shared experience of womanhood creates a sense of belonging between the persona, the reader and women throughout history. These’s a good analysis of the poem at http://www.shmoop.com/her-kind/poem-text.html, but make sure you write about belonging, not gender when you write your essay. Recommeneded for advanced students.
Soyinka, Wole. Telephone Conversation [Read the poem and an analysis at http://lit205a.blogspot.com/2008/01/week-10-telephone-conversation-by-wole.html] Nigerian poet, Wole Soyinka, describes the experience of negotiating for a rental apartment. Ironically, the landlady is more interested in the colour of his skin than in his qualifications and references. An essay on this poem (be careful – your essay has to be about belonging, not racism. Don’t get sidetracked!) can be found at http://www.casawomo.com/essays/the-irony-of-racism.
Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending. [811 SON]. A verse novel which depicts a teenage girl’s reactions to her sister being hospitalised with mental illness. Feelings of separation, shock, fear, liberation and acceptance are expressed through emotive metaphors, personification, rhythm and structure.
Whitman, Walt. (1855). Song of Myself. [Read it online at http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/logr/log_026.html] Possibly the most arrogant poem ever written, Whitman’s poem about himself is also a poem about the persona as the embodiment of all American people and landscapes” “I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself/And what I assume you shall assume/For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” Don’t try to analyse the whole poem (It’s very long and as many themes). Just choose the bits relevant to your argument and discuss his descrioptions of the landscape in minute details and vignettes of different types of Americans. How does the use of first and second person to include the reader in his experiences? Analyse the sensuous imagery, metaphors, symbolism and don’t forget to talk about the aural features of the poem (It’s meant to be read aloud) such as alliteration, assonance and the rhythm of the free verse. There’s an excellent analysis to start you off at http://www.shmoop.com/song-of-myself/identity-quotes.html. Recommended for advanced students and standard students who don’t mind sifting through a long (but not difficult) poem.
Wild, Margaret Jinx (F WIL) A poetry novel which depicts the consequences of Jen’s boyfriend’s suicide. Poems depict the thoughts and feelings of parents friends and even the boy Jen holds responsible for the death. Focus on the way different characters react and the language and poetic techniques uses to differentiate each character. You might also discuss the way the narrative structure makes the poems “belong” together.
Wild, Margaret One Night(F WIL) A poetry novel which gives the perspectives of everyone involved in a teenage pregnancy – girl, boy, parents, siblings. Focus on the way different characters react and the language and poetic techniques uses to differentiate each character. You might also discuss the way the narrative structure makes the poems “belong” together.
Zwicky, Fay. “Letting Go” (Belonging folder at 820.9) This poem describes subjective (motherhood) and objective (personal growth through freedom and independence) experiences of belonging. Discuss the way the verses talk about different experiences but the sentences flow between the verses, the change form third to first person and the similies.
Zwicky, Fay Out of this World (Belonging folder at 820.9) An excellent definition of alienation as the persona gazes around a low-rate hotel room in Beijing. Look at the words and metaphors that make China seem like an alien planet and pay attention to the way the poetic structure fragments.
Warrick Wynne. (). Alzheimers. [Read it online and read what the poet says about his work at http://warrickwynnepoetry.wordpress.com/poems/alzheimers/]. This poem describes the heart-wrenching feelings of alienation and loss when a family member’s mind starts to fail. Discuss the way the rich metaphors and vivid language create the tone and its effect on the responder.
