The Eyes of My Regret
Always at dusk, the same tearless experience,
The same dragging of feet up the same well-worn path
To the same well-worn rock;
The same crimson or gold dropping away of the sun
The same tints, – rose, saffron, violet, lavender, grey
Meeting, mingling, mixing mistily;
Before me the same blue black cedar rising jaggedly to
a point;
Over it, the same slow unlidding of twin stars,
Two eyes, unfathomable, soul-searing,
Watching, watching, watching me;
The same two eyes that draw me forth, against my will
dusk after dusk;
The same two eyes that keep me sitting late into the
night, chin on knees
Keep me there lonely, rigid, tearless, numbly
miserable –
The eyes of my Regret.
By: Angelina Weld Grimke
Angelina Grimke was born February 20th 1805, in South Carolina. Her father was a slave holding judge that became the vice president of the NAACP. Her mother’s was white and her middle class white family opposed her marriage to Angelina’s father, due to him being black. This resulted in Angelina being raised by her father and some of his relatives. Angelina began writing at a very young age and even published some of her poems during the Harlem Renaissance. She wrote 173 poems of which 31 were published. A lot of Angelina’s poems were not published, because she’s an African American woman and her sexuality. Angelina Grimke prided herself in being a lesbian after the death of her father, which at the time homosexuality was frowned upon. Among them were love poems, elegies, poems concerned with racial injustice and black pride, nature poems and poems with the universal themes of life and death. The poem “The Eyes of My Regret,” is my favorite. The mood of the poem is sad and calm. The imagery she provides with her color schemes strengthen the message of the poem and release the deep hidden emotions that are responsible for her regret. This poems flows nicely and provide great details that readers are able to feel the misery she posses.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Lip Balm "Haiku"
Lip Balm
It's nice to observe,
the candy-coated honey drips
drizzle your soft lips.
By: Shanterica Brooks
It's nice to observe,
the candy-coated honey drips
drizzle your soft lips.
By: Shanterica Brooks
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
April Rain Song By Langston Hughes
April Rain Song
Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.
Langston Hughes
I love this poem, because Langston Hughes shows his gentle side. To me this is just beautiful and demonstrates how the rain makes Langston Hughes feel. These seven lines are so powerful and complete with details, that readers are able to grasp the scenario. People can actually visualize how the rain is falling and the noise it makes as it hit the sidewalk. My favorite line in this poem is line 6. “The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night.” I love how he picked an image that everyone can relate to especially me. To me this line makes me think how the rain gentle drops fall on the roof and just puts me to sleep.
Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.
Langston Hughes
I love this poem, because Langston Hughes shows his gentle side. To me this is just beautiful and demonstrates how the rain makes Langston Hughes feel. These seven lines are so powerful and complete with details, that readers are able to grasp the scenario. People can actually visualize how the rain is falling and the noise it makes as it hit the sidewalk. My favorite line in this poem is line 6. “The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night.” I love how he picked an image that everyone can relate to especially me. To me this line makes me think how the rain gentle drops fall on the roof and just puts me to sleep.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Night I Tied Up My Lover "Pantoum"
The Night I Tied Up My Lover
The night I tied up my lover.
He came in my room through the window
I saw his shadow on the wall,
as he held the blinds cautiously to delete the noise.
He came in my room through the window,
with only the light of March to guide his way.
As he held the blinds cautiously to delete the noise
I could see his eyes glowing like a tangerine iceberg afloat.
With only the light of March to guide his way
He quickly lifted his body to pull himself in,
I could see his eyes glowing like a tangerine iceberg afloat.
While he pulled himself in I dashed for my rope.
He quickly lifted his body to pull himself in
barely missing my dog that rested under the window pane.
While he pulled himself in I dashed for my rope.
Within seconds I had my rope positioned ready to strike.
Barely missing my dog that rested under the window pane
I saw his shadow on the wall.
Within seconds I had my rope positioned ready to strike.
The night I tied up my lover.
By: Shanterica Brooks
How to write Pantoums
The Pantoums is an oral form from of French poetry developed in the 15th century. Americans adopted the method of Pantoums as a way to use repetition of lines, no rhyme scheme and no set poem length. Pantoums are made entirely of quatrains. The first quatrain uses four lines that set up the pattern of the Pantoums. The second quatrain uses the second and fourth lines from the first quatrain as its first and third lines; these are the refrains. The second and fourth lines of the second quatrain are new to the poem. The third quatrain uses the second and fourth lines of the second quatrain as its refrains in the first and third line positions. The third quatrain's second and fourth lines are new to the poem. The fourth quatrain uses the second and fourth lines of the third quatrain as its first and third lines. The pattern ends in the final quatrain. The final quatrain uses the second and fourth lines of the preceding quatrain as its first and third lines and the first line as the last line.
This is my first Pantoums poem. This poem allowed me to take words given by Mrs. Parks and create a scenario that fits my personality. I chose “tied up my lover,” because it’s interesting and allows me to step out of my boundaries.
The night I tied up my lover.
He came in my room through the window
I saw his shadow on the wall,
as he held the blinds cautiously to delete the noise.
He came in my room through the window,
with only the light of March to guide his way.
As he held the blinds cautiously to delete the noise
I could see his eyes glowing like a tangerine iceberg afloat.
With only the light of March to guide his way
He quickly lifted his body to pull himself in,
I could see his eyes glowing like a tangerine iceberg afloat.
While he pulled himself in I dashed for my rope.
He quickly lifted his body to pull himself in
barely missing my dog that rested under the window pane.
While he pulled himself in I dashed for my rope.
Within seconds I had my rope positioned ready to strike.
Barely missing my dog that rested under the window pane
I saw his shadow on the wall.
Within seconds I had my rope positioned ready to strike.
The night I tied up my lover.
By: Shanterica Brooks
How to write Pantoums
The Pantoums is an oral form from of French poetry developed in the 15th century. Americans adopted the method of Pantoums as a way to use repetition of lines, no rhyme scheme and no set poem length. Pantoums are made entirely of quatrains. The first quatrain uses four lines that set up the pattern of the Pantoums. The second quatrain uses the second and fourth lines from the first quatrain as its first and third lines; these are the refrains. The second and fourth lines of the second quatrain are new to the poem. The third quatrain uses the second and fourth lines of the second quatrain as its refrains in the first and third line positions. The third quatrain's second and fourth lines are new to the poem. The fourth quatrain uses the second and fourth lines of the third quatrain as its first and third lines. The pattern ends in the final quatrain. The final quatrain uses the second and fourth lines of the preceding quatrain as its first and third lines and the first line as the last line.
This is my first Pantoums poem. This poem allowed me to take words given by Mrs. Parks and create a scenario that fits my personality. I chose “tied up my lover,” because it’s interesting and allows me to step out of my boundaries.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Daybreak Sonnet
Daybreak
Her head falls as her long beautiful hair covers her face.
The thickness of her hair blinds the sun, for morning has come too early.
Her eyes begin to flutter like the wind on a stormy day
as she remains motionless to absorb the warmth on her earthy
tone skin. As the warm air starts to heat the room, the girlie
fragrances on her dresser start to emerge. The smell of chocolate flows
through her nostrils and disperse among her veins. She thinks surly
it’s time to get up since the scent of chocolate makes my heart glows.
Violent winds thrust through the window bought in by low
rainstorm clouds. The mist of the rain suffocates the colors of my dreams
while the rain drops cloud my window screen. The trees outside display a show
waving like the crowd at the falcons game playing in the snow.
These images allow me to tighten up like a glove
in order to get out of bed and soar like a dove.
By Shanterica Brooks
I wrote this poem as a class assignment; however it turned out to be very good. This poem helped me understand how to write a sonnet in iambic pentameter. I was able to determine the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the quatrains and couplets that make up a Shakespearean sonnet. This part was hard, because it is hard to create a rhyme scheme without making the poem seem elementary. So I decided to select a topic that would tell a story that people can relate to. Since most sonnets tell tales of love or philosophy, I decided to focus on getting out of the bed. The first section describes not being able to get out of bed. The second section describes the atmosphere of the room and builds suspense, before the conclusion. Writing this poem helped me master the structure and rhythm of sonnets, while learning how to take other people ideas and thoughts and making into my own.
Her head falls as her long beautiful hair covers her face.
The thickness of her hair blinds the sun, for morning has come too early.
Her eyes begin to flutter like the wind on a stormy day
as she remains motionless to absorb the warmth on her earthy
tone skin. As the warm air starts to heat the room, the girlie
fragrances on her dresser start to emerge. The smell of chocolate flows
through her nostrils and disperse among her veins. She thinks surly
it’s time to get up since the scent of chocolate makes my heart glows.
Violent winds thrust through the window bought in by low
rainstorm clouds. The mist of the rain suffocates the colors of my dreams
while the rain drops cloud my window screen. The trees outside display a show
waving like the crowd at the falcons game playing in the snow.
These images allow me to tighten up like a glove
in order to get out of bed and soar like a dove.
By Shanterica Brooks
I wrote this poem as a class assignment; however it turned out to be very good. This poem helped me understand how to write a sonnet in iambic pentameter. I was able to determine the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the quatrains and couplets that make up a Shakespearean sonnet. This part was hard, because it is hard to create a rhyme scheme without making the poem seem elementary. So I decided to select a topic that would tell a story that people can relate to. Since most sonnets tell tales of love or philosophy, I decided to focus on getting out of the bed. The first section describes not being able to get out of bed. The second section describes the atmosphere of the room and builds suspense, before the conclusion. Writing this poem helped me master the structure and rhythm of sonnets, while learning how to take other people ideas and thoughts and making into my own.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
My Favorite Sonnet
If We Must Die
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like me we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
By Claude McKay
Claude McKay poem If WE Must Die is written as a Shakespearean sonnet. In this poem he uses an ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme. I never realized this poem was a sonnet until I noticed the 14 lines, the three quatrains and the couplet at the end. This sonnet is written in a iambic pentameter as a way to stay with traditional form. In this poem, I love the rhyme scheme that McKay uses to illustrate his message. By repeating the words if we must die, McKay shows the determination he has for black people fighting back and not just accepting the order of things. McKay wrote this poem in 1919, because he believed that African Americans deserve equal rights and protection from the white people attacking them. To me this poem means it is better to fight for what you believe in instead of running off like a coward.
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like me we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
By Claude McKay
Claude McKay poem If WE Must Die is written as a Shakespearean sonnet. In this poem he uses an ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme. I never realized this poem was a sonnet until I noticed the 14 lines, the three quatrains and the couplet at the end. This sonnet is written in a iambic pentameter as a way to stay with traditional form. In this poem, I love the rhyme scheme that McKay uses to illustrate his message. By repeating the words if we must die, McKay shows the determination he has for black people fighting back and not just accepting the order of things. McKay wrote this poem in 1919, because he believed that African Americans deserve equal rights and protection from the white people attacking them. To me this poem means it is better to fight for what you believe in instead of running off like a coward.
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