Stan and Mary were sitting on the patio in the damp heat of August.Emile was draped round Stan’s shoulders looking like a stole.Suddenly the door bell rang.It is aways sudden to the old Mary got up and hoped her voile summer dress was not transparent as she walked the door nervously There on the new Porch stood Stan’s cousin Arthur who had disappeared 30 years earlier I thought you were in the USA, she cried in amazement and shock I came back last summer,he told her informatively Come in, she told him and they both appeared on the patio giving Stan a shock, though it was not electric I’ll make some tea, she told the men,even though I am a woman. Stan spoke briefly to Arthur, as if he were speaking through the window of the Flying Scotsman departing from its home country Hi,Art, I’ve got to go out in few minutes Art stared at him before shouting I don’t believe it, a fox fur was bad enough but to wear a dead cat as an accessory is beyond the Pale. Stan went red with anger Emile is still alive,he cried That makes it even worse, said Art But he likes to sleep there if he can Oh,I am sorry.I have got a UTI and it’s making me demented.Art answered nastily I thought he was tied round your neck, he continued merrily He would bite me if he were tied there,Stan said wisely That’s possible,Arthut murmured nervously.I have had a breakdown and I am not very calm In future, think for longer before attacking someone,Stan said insensitively Alright, said Art.But at my age I might forget to remember and I could break down again Mary cut the lemon sponge cake with a pair of barbers’ scissors, ignoring Art’s plea for help Try this, she muttered,as she poured the tea from a coffee pot of china What are those scissors for,Art enquired.We used a cake knife at home till Brenda died I can cut my hair with them but they are good for other things Is it legal,her cousin in law asked? Do you think we need to ask for legal advice?Is there a law about scissors? Stan stood up,I’ve had enough What of,Mary asked. I’ve not seen Art for 29 years and we are quarreling already Old habits die hard, said Mary calmly Monks’ habits, said Art in wonder? All sorts of habits like chewing your nails and smoking Are they alive? I suppose it’s a metaphor,Mary said ponderously. It means change is hard, on the whole Yes, people are cracking up at the thought of Lockdown ending, Stan sighed. Everything that happens now is a trauma or is abuse, his cousin said furiously Well, maybe it was before but we weren’t allowed to mention it Emile woke up and stretched It’s Twitter and FB, he mewed.People with no knowledge of an issue write as if they are experts and then other people believe it Like already people are saying they don’t believe Meghan Markle could be depressed when pregnant.Yet there is evidence that pre-natal depression exists or at least anxiety about looking after a baby can worry many people A woman drowned herself recently in the reservoir as she was terrified of giving birth and the pain Well said,Emile,shouted Art.I think we can be friends No, you can’t,Stan told him in a cruel tone I never want to see Art ever again. Shall I take all the pictures down, said Mary What are you talking about? Well, they are Art! Women, why are they so clever? And so say all of us
Mary was sitting feeling quite lonely in the waiting room outside the doctor’s office when she saw Emile hiding under a chair.. What are you doing,she whispered.I’m glad of your company I jumped into your cab, the cheeky cat informed her proudly I want to be there when he examines you. Don’t worry,she answered,they always have a chaperone nowadays. Just then a pretty young black nurse took Mary into a room and said to her Take off your underpants,please! I don’t wear underpants,said Mary,but I can go home and get my husband’s if you want me to. We use underpants as a generic term,the nurse informed her in a kindly yet menacing voice. Wow,they are so intelligent nowadays,I don’t think I knew what generic meant till recently Mary told herself stupidly thinking of the hours she had spent trying to grasp infinitesmally small numbers as they flew by. I have no underpants,Emile mewed.peevishly. No and I am not making you any.I have quite enough washing to do already.Mary responded thoughtlessly yet maturely imagining Emile wearing a three piece suit. It’s not fair, said Emile.All my friends have underpants and T shirts too.Why not me? But the doctor came in and looked nervously at Mary and at her female parts. Mary was used to this but all of a sudden she got a nasty pain when he opened the speculum out Ow,ow,ow,she shrieked,what is that pain I got? It’s ok,said the nurse,just old ladies are not used to this sort of thing. I’ll have you know many older ladies are very used to sexual activity and joy but not when they are unaroused .Besides men’s organs are usually kinder than metal or plastic if and only if the lady is willing.Can’t you put more lubricant on the damned thing The doctor tried to remove the speculum but was clearly agitated. Ouch,cried Mary.Ouch.It hurts still! Thank goodness I didn’t know it would hurt.Do you think we should be shown a romantic arousing film in the waiting room to make it easier for the doctor? We can’t do that,said the nurse.We might be accused of running a brothel. But the doctor is not paying me,said Mary.I am paying him, in a sense,as a taxpayer. You are too clever for me,said the nurse sharply I shall bring a vibrator next time,Mary told her,though she had neYou can’t bring a vibrator or the doctor will be angry as he might be accused of misconduct if you enjoyed yourself, the nurse whispered I thought it was only misconduct if he enjoyed himself,Mary cried loudly He has seen so many ladies, it is just like seeing into a mouth for him,said the nurse churlishly. I expect one gets used to anything in time,Mary murmured,but I hope he will not do that again to me. No, you seem ok,the doctor said,but I seem to imagine I see a cat under the table.What is he doing? I am just keeping an eye on you,mewed Emile.I live with Mary. No animals are allowed in here ,the doctor shouted. A bit late now,mewed the cat.Are you sending for the cat police? Dr.Grey picked up a very large speculum and threatened to strike Emile. Now then,said the nurse, he might scratch my legs.Leave him alone.He’s just protecting her. Fat lot of good he was,Mary thought. The doctor approached Mary and told her she would be seeing a consultant soon… in the meantime should she do anything to prepare… she asked. Well, do try to relax if you can, he told her gently.It is trying for ladies of riper years to attend hospitals but we only want to help you. I’ll have to help myself,Mary thought wryly as she got down off the table and put on her red and purple knickers or “underpants” as they are now referred to as. Thank God,that is over,she whispered to Emile.Let’s run out and get a cab. She hobbled to the door and phoned the taxi firm with her mobile.I just want to get home she told the driver. Don’t we all, he said in an Eton accent.Surely it’s not David Cameron in disguise canvassing patients?Thank God he’s not conducting pelvic exams on them!That would lose him the election whether he was any good or not… in my view,but then what do I know about the British electorate?
My Irish accent was so bad it perforated UIster I asked for Chicken Kerry not a Dead Duck Do we really need Cork with everything? I have Celtic feet not sweltering heat I said,Donegal, not, don’t call I said Castlebar not how far I want a trim to my hair,Antrim I spy I said Dublin, not “love in” I said we went to Howth not I swore an oath I said Nelson’s column not “hell is coming” Where is County Teeth and why not Meath? That’s a relief from belief I like Tralee but does it like me? Why is the Spanish lady Irish?
When I went out this morning I was wrapped in a red and blue coat with a blue scarf covered in red hearts wrapped twice round my neck.A man came along by me and looked back.He was speaking
“You’ve got something on your leg”
I looked down and there was a red and blue silk tie round my ankle, the property of my late husband So I said, can’t you just leave me a note? I see you approve of my colour scheme…..
Sometimes I find a tie in the bathroom.I find a newly ironed hankey on my chair.If only he would iron my trousers or my pink blouse with rows of shirred pleats that’s been waiting for 4 months.
More often I find a coin and ,if lucky, enough for a cup of coffee.I wonder what will happen if I go out with a man…. will he be happy? I shall never know as I refuse to date anybody.I still believe my husband will get permission to return like Jesus did.But will I know?
The geese have changed their flight path to the lake For further to the East a river runs Once used for milling flour for bread and cake For making bulbs for lights and wartime guns
The lightbulbs were a fiction in the War Radar was the secret they researched An old man in my Art Class once worked there A physicist who worshipped still in Church
God and radar,guns and shells and tanks Angels,demons,Jesus Christ we’re damned Money lenders,presidents and Banks Evil now seems normal in our land
We saved the world from Hitler but we died No souls survive nuclear matricide
Musicality is also important; things such as the rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables – often referred to as meter – as well as the rhyme scheme, the pattern of rhyming words at the end of each line of a poem. Unlike our everyday writing, poetry is artistic, expressive, and figurative.
Katherine
The first thing you should do when given a poem is read its title carefully. The title should give you some ideas of the poem’s subject, tone, or genre. Write down your initial expectations and impressions based on the title, then make changes as you come back to the title during and after your analysis.
Ask yourself these questions as you go through a poem:
What is the main theme of the poem?
Who is the narrator, and to whom is the poem addressed?
Are there any time indicators suggesting a time frame, or does it move back and forth between times?
Is it set in a specific place? If not, is there a sense of place?
What images, emotions and/or messages is the narrator trying to convey? Do they correspond to or contradict with one another? What are the possible reasons for any juxtapositions?
Word choice can tell you a lot about a poem as well. The main theme of a poem is often presented by referring to the same subject in a number of different ways. Figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, personification, and symbols, are commonly used to draw analogies between two unrelated objects with shared characteristics for aesthetic purposes, as well as to highlight the specific features of, or provide readers with new insights on, a subject.
Consider the reasons for the poet’s choice of analogies by asking yourself what other possible alternatives could have been – but weren’t – used.
It’s also important to be sensitive to the choice of word forms, the subtle differences between words, and every possible meaning of a word. As well as word meanings, don’t that forget sound plays a crucial role in evoking or strengthening an emotion or a mood, too.
Looking at the form of a poem
Sounds Read the poem aloud and pay attention to the sound and rhythm of the words. Look out for meter patterns and rhyme schemes, as well as literary devices related to sounds, such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia. Think about the effects they create, and whether they add to the poem’s meaning.
Recurring rhythms, rhymes or pronunciations often transform a poem into music. Moreover, they can be seen as a form of repetition – similar to the simple repeating of a word or phrases – used to amplify or emphasise an idea or emotion, or develop a sense of urgency.
Formal indicators suggesting shift(s) in perspective or voice within a poem Changes in emotion, point of view, voice, or plot development are often marked by, or occur along with, changes to the form of the poem. For instance, shifts of subject and perspective can be illustrated through the division of stanzas, or abrupt changes in rhyme patterns. Take note of how the poem’s content and form reflect one another.
As you read more traditional poems, you’ll also notice many classic poetry forms present shifts in almost exactly the same place in every poem of its type. The breaking of classic poetry forms, or any formal patterns, are commonly used to signify breakthroughs, transformations, or a refusal to conform.
Think about the context of the poem
It is not uncommon to find literary or historical references in poems. Pay attention to allusions to famous figures and important world events, and think about their roles, and how they are used: Do they support the narrator’s argument, or strengthen the poem’s emotions?
Another factor to consider is the historical and geographical context, such as the year and circumstances in which the poem was written. Think about the things you know about the poet, and the age and historical period when he/she wrote the poem.
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Nicola Chan is a former Young Post reporter. A firm believer in education and self-care, she has a strong interest in writing about teenage psychology and mental health. She’s also constantly on the hunt for stories about inspiring students and campus events. She has a master’s degree in Comparative Literature.
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The first thing you should do when given a poem is read its title carefully. The title should give you some ideas of the poem’s subject, tone, or genre. Write down your initial expectations and impressions based on the title, then make changes as you come back to the title during and after your analysis.
Ask yourself these questions as you go through a poem:
What is the main theme of the poem?
Who is the narrator, and to whom is the poem addressed?
Are there any time indicators suggesting a time frame, or does it move back and forth between times?
Is it set in a specific place? If not, is there a sense of place?
What images, emotions and/or messages is the narrator trying to convey? Do they correspond to or contradict with one another? What are the possible reasons for any juxtapositions?
Word choice can tell you a lot about a poem as well. The main theme of a poem is often presented by referring to the same subject in a number of different ways. Figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, personification, and symbols, are commonly used to draw analogies between two unrelated objects with shared characteristics for aesthetic purposes, as well as to highlight the specific features of, or provide readers with new insights on, a subject.
Consider the reasons for the poet’s choice of analogies by asking yourself what other possible alternatives could have been – but weren’t – used.
It’s also important to be sensitive to the choice of word forms, the subtle differences between words, and every possible meaning of a word. As well as word meanings, don’t that forget sound plays a crucial role in evoking or strengthening an emotion or a mood, too.
Looking at the form of a poem
Sounds Read the poem aloud and pay attention to the sound and rhythm of the words. Look out for meter patterns and rhyme schemes, as well as literary devices related to sounds, such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia. Think about the effects they create, and whether they add to the poem’s meaning.
Recurring rhythms, rhymes or pronunciations often transform a poem into music. Moreover, they can be seen as a form of repetition – similar to the simple repeating of a word or phrases – used to amplify or emphasise an idea or emotion, or develop a sense of urgency.
Formal indicators suggesting shift(s) in perspective or voice within a poem Changes in emotion, point of view, voice, or plot development are often marked by, or occur along with, changes to the form of the poem. For instance, shifts of subject and perspective can be illustrated through the division of stanzas, or abrupt changes in rhyme patterns. Take note of how the poem’s content and form reflect one another.
As you read more traditional poems, you’ll also notice many classic poetry forms present shifts in almost exactly the same place in every poem of its type. The breaking of classic poetry forms, or any formal patterns, are commonly used to signify breakthroughs, transformations, or a refusal to conform.
Think about the context of the poem
It is not uncommon to find literary or historical references in poems. Pay attention to allusions to famous figures and important world events, and think about their roles, and how they are used: Do they support the narrator’s argument, or strengthen the poem’s emotions?
Another factor to consider is the historical and geographical context, such as the year and circumstances in which the poem was written. Think about the things you know about the poet, and the age and historical period when he/she wrote the poem.
Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inboxSubmit
Nicola Chan is a former Young Post reporter. A firm believer in education and self-care, she has a strong interest in writing about teenage psychology and mental health. She’s also constantly on the hunt for stories about inspiring students and campus events. She has a master’s degree in Comparative Literature.
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Sign up for YP Weekly
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By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policynullhttps://news.google.com/swg/ui/v1/serviceiframe?_=1706613491257&sut=Ab9pFDaDd%2BmQ9ItKr3rYHz%2BObiwFnT8TyisLHMDA4DAtP4fJWhVhPeTZAljHpj92Gl2VqlN1MpXCpOrZ3RRDNxWlb4urBhn%2BNXI%2FqeZ9eOiPND8r&publicationId=www.scmp.com
The sparrows sing as if to draw me to The present moment’s gravity and grace Our contemplation of life’s nature new
What other attitude is worthwhile now That I no longer see your loving face? The sparrows sing as if to greet me too
Eden is still here, we miss the clues We miss the ardent touch, the lost embrace Our contemplation of the world renews
On my face, the tears are jeweled dew In my body, I feel held, enclosed The sparrows sing as if to greet me too
Now the blackbird sings as if on cue Inside my swollen heart, I feel its grace Contemplation of life’s nature new
I saw your soul in your transparent face. And crisscrossed lines from struggle left their trace The sparrows sing as if to draw us to The contemplation of the wildness true,
Die, et ideo breviter allocking Killin quod suus ‘vicis ut nunc dicimus Ah, ah non shud et chodchod proposuerunt; sed oh Opus, quod cuius effrenae libidini, invenient te ard
s ill i mammy tibi cito et moriar A causa enim conteret: et ligabis Allocking me sentire ill meks Nonne mater iure testamentum facere? Ego autem totum tuom est allooan Pyk Impensis est weear vulgares AMBULO Allooan sum, mi humiliavit uxorem Allocking suus scelus ah scitote intelligentes
Ubi mi daddy quod suus ” ‘sit pipe Ubi est Pater iaccam plena fumigant putas? Illi volo, mi mam s alloooan Vos, ed responsis horrent divum er gemitus
Ubi mi cat, et ubi canis mi Ubi iscatur, rhoncus ea pallio, si frigus? Factum ‘putas veteres pannos et antiqua aduncum per’ T vestimento Eeh, Deus non potest repleti sunt ira?
Deus enim non omnes allooan Numquam allocks, qui est lapis Ut ‘quare omnes nos homines ut irata
Sed videtur ah’ve inferos et certus sum Nil, yooman manebunt.
In 1993, I took a left turn one day out of my MFA program and found myself at the National Poetry Slam in San Francisco. There I discovered several poets who were funny for the sake of being funny. Particularly Hal Sirowitz from New York (“don’t stick your arm out the window, mother said” and Matt Cook from Milwaukee (“it was easy to write the Great American Novel, back when there were only five American novels”) Both poets initially delighted me and confounded me: There are no similes, a voice in my head said. What would Tom Lux (my first teacher) say? the voice continued. Despite my resistance, I believe those poets gave me a kind of permission to explore humor a little more vigorously in my second book, The Forgiveness Parade (1998), for “I thought the word loin and the word lion were the same thing. I thought celibate was a kind of fish”. Perhaps in that book there were places where I was too vigorous in my pursuit: looking back there are a few poems that are just a little too jokey somehow, a little one-dimensional.
I am becoming aware of how some humor can set a roadblock for the poetic speaker, making it impossible for the speaker to get back to a serious place. And how some other (less frequent) uses of humor can leave that door open. I want to leave that door open
OIn the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost. Ah, how hard a thing it is to tell what a wild, and rough, and stubborn wood this was, which in my thought renews the fear! Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
My heart was in my mouth [so I had to eat suck it all day which gave my thumb a rest] My heart sank [ to the bottom of the pond in Barrow Bridge] I fell head over heels in love with a cat.[That’s why I had no children as inter-species marriage is not yet allowed but soon it will be here] I could not swallow his excuse as my mouth was full of chocolate buttons I had torn off my uniform..well they looked like chocolate] That is hard to digest.[So may I please spit it out?] I spat him out [but he came back as he was on an elastic rope]
I was wondering if new phrases come into existence now and I don’t recall any.Is it because we are no longer so involved in creating our language or because there are experts in academia who study it.At one time ordinary people made buildings etc and m ust have developed skills in geometry etc from a practical point of view.And it was they who invented writing and numbers etc not people in Universities who do not create but analayse and criticise and study signs and connections. So has the rise of experts made us stupider than people were in the past?Is it poets who invent new idioms?
My eyes nearly leaped out of my head when he passed by… Luckily I had put superglue down the sides of them at breakfast time. My hands grasped the nettle and I almost threw the flowers at his head.Then he said: You are the hoover of my soul. Walls have fears,you know. A rolling brick gathers no floss. I patted him on the wreck and we parted with no acrimony and no real money either.What is acrimony? I’m a pharisee and ‘i’m ok.Jewish by right and a whirling prayer. I can’t live without hue or colour Tint me this day.oh Lord. Does God sell salt on the internet.He has a Lot.Sorry Lot’s wife.Does it clatter?
How my heart speaks 