Poetry+2+-+7


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__Fire and Ice__ Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.

Robert Frost   Analysis: In Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice", Frost poses the possibility of death by fire or ice. This poem is written mostly in iambic tetrameter with a few lines in iambic diameter. Frost poses a death by fire and states that having had his own experiences with desire that a death by fire symbolizes desire in the sense that desire consumes, destroys and scars land and people in its way just as fire does. Frost then goes on to say that if he had the choice to die again that he would have a death by ice seeing as how ice symbolizes hate in the state of mind that hate causes people to become stubborn, mean and very rigid. Hate, as well as ice, can also crack. Ice cracks in the sense of having to much pressure applied and hate causes people to crack after being too hateful or being hated upon too greatly. Frost then concludes his comparrison of deathes by fire and ice by stating that both deathes would indeed be effective in destroying the world just as hate and desire have come close to detroying the world and the people of the world. Frost's **rhyme scheme** is having line one rhyme with line three and four and having line two, five, seven, and nine rhyme as well as having lines six and eight rhyme.

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** __Blackbird__

Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these sunken eyes and learn to see All your life You were only waiting for this moment to be free Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night

All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise, oh You were only waiting for this moment to arise, oh You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Words and music by Sir Paul McCartney

__Analysis__

The song Blackbird is a poem about the struggle of blacks in the 1960's, symbolized by the blackbird, to gain not just legal freedom, but complete freedom. The "dead of night" in the song is most likely referring to the time between the emancipation of slaves to the present, (which was then the 1960's). The "broken wings" might refer to the fact that even though blacks were emancipated after the civil war, they were heavily descriminated against; they had nothing to "fly away" with. In the second verse, Paul talks about taking "sunken eyes" and "learning to see." This might refer to the mental aspect of gaining civil rights, or mental freedom through sunken eyes. It might also refer to the Brown v. Board of Education case in the supreme court at the time.

Paul McCartney talks about a "moment to arise." I think he is talking aout the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, as a chance for blacks to earn social acceptance/end of discrimination.In the chorus, Paul is encouraging blacks to rise up and take advantage of this moment by singing "Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly."

Paul acknowledges that even though the 1960s were hard times, blacks as a whole never lost hope: this notion is expressed throughout the song. The repetition in the song is very strong. The last line, sung three times, is almost like a call to arms. The acoustic guitar in the song softens the sound and kind of parallels Martin Luther King Jr.'s peaceful approach to civil rights, compared to Malcom X's warlike approach. The song is simple, yet has a powerful message.

__Symbolism__

Blackbird - the black people of the 1960's Broken Wings - a physical handicap Sunken Eyes - more of a mental handicap, perhaps lack of education due to segregation in schools. Light of the Dark Black Night - the civil rights movement, still developing in the early 1960's

__Contrast__

The black night versus the small light. **

__Original Poem - A Haiku__

Soothing and healing, The language the whole world speaks Music, my release

--Bob Marley**
 * "One good thing about music, when it hits - you feel no pain."

__The Old Guitar__

Neglected now is the old guitar And moldering into decay; Fretted with many a rift and scar That the dull dust hides away, While the spider spins a silver star In its silent lips to-day.

The keys hold only nerveless strings-- The sinews of brave old airs Are pulseless now; and the scarf that clings So closely here declares A sad regret in its ravelings And the faded hue it wears.

But the old guitar, with a lenient grace, Has cherished a smile for me; And its features hint of a fairer face That comes with a memory Of a flower-and-perfume-haunted place And a moonlit balcony.

Music sweeter than words confess, Or the minstrel's powers invent, Thrilled here once at the light caress Of the fairy hands that lent This excuse for the kiss I press On the dear old instrument.

The rose of pearl with the jeweled stem Still blooms; and the tiny sets In the circle all are here; the gem In the keys, and the silver frets; But the dainty fingers that danced o'er them-- Alas for the heart's regrets!--

Alas for the loosened strings to-day, And the wounds of rift and scar On a worn old heart, with its roundelay Enthralled with a stronger bar That Fate weaves on, through a dull decay Like that of the old guitar!


 * James Whitcomb Riley**

__Analysis__ James Riley tells us that his guitar, though old, still makes him think of the glory days of guitar playing. It is easy to see, being an avid guitar player myself, why Mr. Riley sounds upset to see his guitar turn to mold and dust before his eyes. I know what its like to not able to play your guitar for an extended period of time, it leaves a gap that would normally be filled by picking on guitar. So when Riley talks about the "faded hue" that his guitar has and his "hearts regret" i believe he is expressing his yern to play his guitar again. This implies that there is a reason for which he cannot play, whether it be a bad hand or wrist. I also believe Riley enjoies remeniscing about the glory days of his guitar playing, because if he didnt, then the guitar would no longer be within his view. Riley is exressing a love for playing guitar that can only be fully understood if you play guitar such as i do. = = Quote courtesy of http://thinkexist.com/quotes/bob_marley/