Villanelle: Miranda By W.H. Auden

My dear one is mine as mirrors are lonely, 1
As the poor and sad are real to the good king, 2
And the high green hill sits always by the sea. 3

Up jumped the Black Man behind the elder tree, 4
Turned a somersault and ran away waving; 5
My Dear One is mine as mirrors are lonely. 6

The Witch gave a squawk; her venomous body 7
Melted into light as water leaves a spring, 8
And the high green hill sits always by the sea. 9

At his crossroads, too, the Ancient prayed for me, 10
Down his wasted cheeks tears of joy were running: 11
My dear one is mine as mirrors are lonely. 12

He kissed me awake, and no one was sorry; 13
The sun shone on sails, eyes, pebbles, anything, 14
And the high green hill sits always by the sea. 15

So to remember our changing garden, we 16
Are linked as children in a circle dancing: 17
My dear one is mine as mirrors are lonely, 18
And the high, green hill sits always by the sea 19

A villanelle or the italian villano meaning "peasant," is originally a dance-song, sun by a Renaissance troubadour with rustic themes and no real form. After Jean Passerat's 16th century villanelle "J'ai perdu ma tourtourelle", the modern form of a villanelle developed. The poem is 19 lines , five triplets, and a quatrain (using only two rhymes throughout). The first line is repeated in lines 6, 12 and 18 while the thrid line is repeated in lines 9, 15 and 19. This creates a refrain like a traditional song and creates the final stanza.

Miranda, is connected to Auden's prose "The Sea and the Mirror" which is a commentary on Shakespeare's "The Tempest." The villanelle in general is the song of the character Miranda, who sings of the images of love while dispelling childhood nitghmares, "Up jumped the Black Man behind the elder tree/The Witch gave a squawk; her venomous body." She begins her song by apostrophizing her beloved and directly addressing him throughout each stanza. Using strong imagery "The sun shone on sails, eyes, pebbles/Down his wasted cheeks tears of joy were running/" to convey the emotions Miranda feels while addressing her love and can compare to Shakespeare's type of writing style.

The repeating lines "My dear one is mine as mirrors are lonely/And the high, green hills sits always by the sea" shows her happiness at finding her "dear one" and the eternity of their union compared to the mirrors constant loneliness. These ideas relate to the metaphor of the mirror always winning against the sea because it can become the sea by reflecting it. However, the mirror is a euphemism of loneliness because it only reflects the image of something and can never be eternally bonded, like Miranda is singing of with her impending union.

Elegy: O Captain! My Captain! By Walt Whitman

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack,
the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for
you the bugle trills,

For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores
a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

This infamous elegy by Walt Whitman was written in 1865 in honor of President Abraham Lincoln's death. Whitman uses very strong figurative language throughout the elegy with very baroque language that gives the impression of Whitman's high respect for Lincoln. The title "O Captain! My Captain!" expresses Whitman's feelings towards the beloved president and creates a metonymy (term for one thing is applied to another and become closely associated in experience) between a captain and his ship. Addressing him as "captain"/president, that has successfully lead the "ship"/America through the fight for freedom and slavery, "The ship has weather'd every rack/ the prize we sought is won." Through the metaphor of President Lincoln guiding the ship of America, Whitman creates an allusion to his presidency, including his assassination and death. "But O heart! heart! heart!/O the bleeding drops of red/ Where on the deck my Captain lies/ Fallen cold and dead" figuratively describes the scene of utter horror when Lincoln was shot. The exclamation, "O heart! heart! heart!" expresses how much people loved the president and how many hearts were broken when Lincoln was fatally shot. The repetition of "heart!" and the exclamation point after each, shows the real emotion people felt after the assassination.

The second stanza is more of the peoples reaction after their captain is shot, "For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores/ a-crowding/ For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning." The flowers and people all mourning his death and "eager faces" hoping he isn't really gone forever. Then the speaker enters apostrophizes (direct address either to an abstract person or to an abstract of inanimate entity) the fallen captain, "Here Captain! dear father!/This arm beneath your head!/It is some dream that on the deck/You've fallen cold and dead." The reference to Lincoln as "father" is related to the phrase "father of our country". The speaker's depths of misery is touched on, when he pleads that the image of his captains death is "some dream."

Sadly, by the third stanza the speakers tone has changed from unbelieving to bitter understanding of his captain's death, "My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still/My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will." Shifting from the speakers visually seeing that the captains life has ended "he has no pulse", to the metaphorical ending of his ship, "The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done." The speaker enters into the aftermath stage of the captains death, while feverishly keeping his memory of triumph "at sea" and grief of his loss, alive forever. " Exult O shores, and ring O bells!/But I with mournful tread/Walk the deck my Captain lies/Fallen cold and dead."

I feel that "O Captain! My Captain!" is what an elegy truly is, in its most elegant form. Beginning with the glory of the captain/presidents career and initial trauma of his shooting. Then the shock and disbelief of the masses who've been affected by the captain throughout his life and finally ending sadly on a sad yet hopeful note. Truly remembering the captain the way he would have wanted if he hadn't died so tragically. Ending with the message that although life is short, keep the memories of those who pass and never forget the lessons they taught you.

The BEST scene in Dead Poet's Society!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwaUo_AGtpI

Ode to Autumn by John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, a
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; b
Conspiring with him how to load and bless a
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run; b
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees, 5 c
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; d
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells e
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, d
And still more, later flowers for the bees, c
Until they think warm days will never cease; c 10
For Summer has o’erbrimm’d their clammy cells. e

Who hath not seen Thee oft amid thy store? a
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find b
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, a
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; b 15
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep, c
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook d
Spares the next swath and all its twine´d flowers: e
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep c
Steady thy laden head across a brook; d 20
Or by a cider-press, with patient look, d
Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours. e

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? a
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, b
While barre´d clouds bloom the soft-dying day a 25
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; b
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn c
Among the river-sallows, borne aloft d
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; e
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; c 30
Hedge-crickets sing, and now with treble soft d
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft; d
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies. e


This Ode follows the typical structure of the "dance rhythm" of moving left/Strophe, right/Antistrophe, and still/Epode. The rhyme scheme in the first stanza is ABABCDEDCCE, while the next two stanzas both follow ABABCDECDDE pattern. I think the slight change in rhyme scheme is to show more of the shift between the focus' of the first and second and third stanzas.

The first stanza is the Strophe, where Keats gives an in-depth description of the beauty of a typical autumn day "the maturing sun/Conspiring with him how to load and bless/With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;/To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees/And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core" This stanza is full of hyperboles of the exaggeration of nature in its blossoming stage, the vines that "bend with apples" and ripeness that "swell the gourd and plump the hazel shells."

In the second stanza/Antistrophe, Keats metaphorically relates autumn to a women "sitting carelessly on a granary floor." The almost sudden shift from description of an autumn day to the personification of it as a woman, could be relatable as a conceit (figure of speech which establishes a striking parallel between two apparently dissimilar things or situations). Keats also uses strong imagery of her "hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind" and her "patient look" while watching the "last oozings" of cider. Really showing the simple beauty of autumn, in the form of a woman.

In the final stanza/Epode, there is a shift of tone when Keats begins the stanza with a rhetorical question "Where are the songs of spring?", that is directed to the women/autumn in the second stanza. (This i thought was an interesting way of connecting the previous stanza with the shift in the third.) Keats tells the woman/autumn that her songs although sometimes sad "Then in a wailful choir the gnats mourn", the "Hedge-crickets sing" and "The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft." These descriptions of the sad and cheerful sounds of autumn, are meant to show the beginning and end of an autumn day and the season in general. "Among the river-swallows, borne aloft/or sinking as the light wind lives or dies" shows the metaphor of the entire third stanza. Keats tries to symbolize the changing of the sounds of the autumn animals, with the cheerful beginning and sad endings of an autumn day/season.

The connection between each clearly distinct and individual stanzas, comes from the story of autumn that Keats successfully tells. Beginning with the simple descriptions of the beauty of the nature of an autumn day. He then relates it to a woman who symbolizes the quiet splendor of autumn. Then the last stanza is Keats directly addressing the woman and autumn and questioning when spring will arrive and describing the sadness of the end of the autumn season through the changing sounds of the animals of autumn. Keats ends the third stanza almost bitter sweetly, when he relates the dying of the wind and days of autumn to the impending days of the cold and "dead" season of winter. When all the warmth of nature will slowly fade away, waiting in anticipation of spring and autumn, when all the beauty and sounds of nature will return.

I love the way this guy reads the poem! You will understand it better after hearing it.

Favorite Poem #2: Ultimatum by Dorothy Parker

I'm wearied of wearying love, my friend,
Of worry and strain and doubt;
Before we begin, let us view the end,
And maybe I'll do without.
There's never the pang that was worth the tear,
And toss in the night I won't-
So either you do or you don't, my dear,
Either you do or you don't!

The table is ready, so lay your cards
And if they should augur pain,
I'll tender you ever my kind regards
And run for the fastest train.
I haven't the will to be spent and sad;
My heart's to be gay and true-
Then either you don't or you do, my lad,
Either you don't or you do!


Dorothy Parker is one of my favorite poets because of her blunt, satirical and feminist take on life. I liked this poem very much because of the conversational style she chooses to have the speaker take on. Discussing whether to fall in love and begin a relationship but, in a funny brash tone. "Before we begin, let us view the end,And maybe I'll do without." The speakers tone is like a strain of emotions, just waiting for the reaction of their lover. I like how she lists what could happen but cuts herself short because she doesn't want to dwell on what could happen and just wants to know if it can, "I haven't the will to be spent and sad; My heart's to be gay and true-Then either you don't or you do, my lad, Either you don't or you do!" I like how blunt this statement is, of the ultimatum of love. She successfully expresses the pain in the unknowing reaction of the ultimatum reciever from the ultimatum giver. I felt that Parker was summing up relationships and love as being two people who either do or don't. Simplistically solving one of the most complicated things in a young persons life.

Favorite Poem #1: If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda

I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.



I really like this poem because of the descriptions of the love and emotion he feels for his lover. In the first stanza especially,"everything carries me to you, as if everything that exists, aromas, light, metals, were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours that wait for me." It has a very romantic tone from the language used. I found it interesting how the middle of the poem, Neruda contradicts his deep emotional love with the warning,"If suddenly you forget me, do not look for me, for I shall already have forgotten you." The middle stanzas tell of how easily this discovered love can be forgotten and how unattached the speaker can become if the lover they are talking to does as well. But, in the end Neruda switches once again to that love entrenched speaker, "But if each day, each hour, you feel that you are destined for me...in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten, my love feeds on your love, beloved, and as long as you live it will be in your arms without leaving mine." I really like how in the end the speaker recants their speech on easily forgetting their beloved and essentially cements all the strong rapturous emotions they spoke of in the beginning.

External Form (Sonnets) #2: Sonnets by Billy Collins p.1035

I love how this sonnet makes fun of the structural forms of sonnets and the "stress" over sticking to the guidelines. "All we need is fourteen lines, well, thirteen now, and after this one just a dozen," describes the typical fourteen line stanza of a sonnet. Collins sarcastically pokes fun of the typical themes of sonnets, "launch a little ship on love's storm-tossed seas" and the more intricate Elizabethan sonnets that "insist the iambic bongos must be played and rhymes positioned at the ends of lines." The irony throughout "Sonnet" is that is follows the fourteen line form of a sonnet and sometimes uses a rhyme scheme (see quote above).
The typical Petrarchan or Italian form of 8-6 line sonnets, Collin's notes at the end of his sonnet. "But hang on here while we make the turn into the final six where all will be resolved." Ironically, Collin's last six lines ending not only his own literal sonnet but, his fake love themed sonnet he mentions in his octave, "where longing and heartache will find an end." Specifically targeting the originator of the Italian form, "tell Petrarch to put down his pen, take off those crazy medieval tights, blow out the lights, and come at last to bed." These final words show that although Collin's clear message showcased his cynical view on sonnet writing and style. He would ironically and intentionally end up writing a sonnet, following the very guidelines of the poets whom he criticized.

External Form (Sonnets) #1: The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus p.1027

In the first eight lines or octave of this sonnet, the Statue of Liberty or "Mother of Exile" is described. In the sonnet, the Statue of Liberty is idolized into the "beacon-hand glowing worldwide welcome" between the "twin cities frame" a.k.a. Manhattan and Brooklyn, serving as the beacon of hope and symbol of freedom to all the immigrants coming to Ellis Island. The title "The New Colossus" draws connection to the "brazen giant of Greek fame,"referring to The Colossus of Rhodes, the 100-ft statue of the sun god Helios and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This comparison shows the great symbol of power the statue is to the many immigrants "teeming (the) shore."
In the last six lines (or sestet) the statue of liberty broadcasts the message, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" to all the tired and battered immigrants entering the U.S. This poem held such a connection to the Statue of Liberty that in 1945, all fourteen lines of the poem were engraved on the main entrance of the Statue. This 8-6 sonnet form is usually called the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet. Named after the early master of this structure, the Italian poet Petrarch.