In my last two years of highschool, my English teacher Mrs Mann was an inspiration to me. As I mentioned on your wall, she was a wonderful person who truly taught and encouraged me. She had a degree in English; she wasn't 'scared of being shown up as ignorant' BECAUSE SHE WASN'T IGNORANT. She knew and loved her subject, and she wanted her students to learn. I wanted to learn, I worked hard and she encouraged me. She was one of those (rare) teachers who inspire you to do better and better.
I thought I 'knew' how to read poetry before I studied with Mrs Mann; but after I studied with her I DID KNOW. How to put 1+ years of learning/work into one email? But here's the essence of what Mrs Mann taught me.
1) Assume that the writer of a poem knew precisely what they were saying/trying to say.
2) Look closely at the language the writer uses in their poem. This is where a good dictionary (like Cambridge online) helps. THERE IS a subtle difference in meaning between using the word "sad" (adjective) and "melancholy" (adjective). ETC.
3) Think about how the writer has woven their words together. Look not just at what is being OBVIOUSLY said, but at any other things that might be being said. The writer might be (for instance) apparently writing a poem about a vase of flowers, BUT the real purpose of the poem is some message/understanding about life. The poet is using the vase of flowers as a means to talk about a particular message/understanding about life.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW MRS MANN TAUGHT ME TO READ POETRY
In "Wind in the Willows" by K Graham(see 'About Me') there are a number of poems 'written by the characters'. One is a poem about ducks in a river. It goes:
All along the backwater
Through the rushes tall
Ducks are a dabbling up-tails all.
Ducks tails, drakes tails,
Yellow feet aquiver
Yellow bills all out of sight,
Busy in the river...
Everyone for what he likes
We like to be
Heads down, tails up
Dabbling free.
Have you ever seen a duck happy in some water? On the surface, that's what this poem is about. It's about ducks in a river, who like to "dabble" in the water. Do you know how a duck can turn 'up end' - head underwater, tail (and feet) in the air? My family has four pet ducks. They have a couple of ponds where they can paddle and play. They're really happy when they 'upend'- tails (and feet) in the air, bills (or beaks) busy searching underwater.
That's what K. Graham was saying in his poem. He loved to go boating on rivers, and he loved to watch the happy ducks that followed his rowboat. Because he loved the river, he felt he understood why the ducks loved it too. Graham also liked to swim. As he said to a friend "It would be awfully interesting to be able to 'upend' like a duck - one could see underwater and look for minnows [without needing a snorkle or facemask]..."
So - on the surface of his poem Graham is describing how ducks paddle in the river.
Graham is also saying "I understand why ducks like to do this." He liked to boat and swim in the river, just as the ducks did (and do).
Now notice Graham's closing lines
"Everyone for what he likes
"We like to be
"Heads down tails up
"Dabbling free."
Graham's line "Everyone for what he likes" is a turn-of-the-last-century turn of phrase. "Wind in the Willows" was written c1900. The phrase "everyone for what he likes" was in common use at this time. It meant (roughly) "Not to argue about what you like, and I hope you won't argue about what I like." So, using this line in his poem, Graham is saying "I won't argue if you DON'T like swimming (and boating, and the river and ducks), but respect my right to like swimming (and boating etc)."
How does this make Graham feel? "Free." When a duck dabbles 'up-tails all', the ducks is not following any conscious pattern or 'set of rules'. It just dabbles. It knows how to dabble (it learnt that as a duckling). Now it just dabbles with gusto, and in the process enjoys itself and finds minnows etc. There's another clue in the phrase "heads down tails up." There's a cliche phrase in English - "Heads down!" - meaning "We're going to start! All attention please!" Graham was thinking of this phrase when put the words "heads down" in his own poem. That "heads down!" attention is the sort of attention a duck pays when it has physically put its head down (under the water). See the layers of meaning here?
That's how a duck does go "dabbling free" when it 'up-tails'.
But another meaning for the word "free" is "at liberty" or "empowered to be yourself not forced to be someone/something else." That's how ducks dabble. That's how Graham felt when he was on the river. Graham is saying "Do you know how ducks dabble? Freely. They're empowered to be themselves. That's how being on the river makes me feel, and that's why I understand how the ducks feel. Because I feel the same as they do - empowered to be myself, not 'forced to be someone else'."
So - an apparently simple poem about ducks in a river turns out to be a fairly profound piece talking about how the author feels about being on the river.
Reading poetry in this way takes one 'beyond the surface' into the full riches of what the poet was trying to say.
That's why I want to share it with you, as Mrs Mann did with me.
I thought I 'knew' how to read poetry before I studied with Mrs Mann; but after I studied with her I DID KNOW. How to put 1+ years of learning/work into one email? But here's the essence of what Mrs Mann taught me.
1) Assume that the writer of a poem knew precisely what they were saying/trying to say.
2) Look closely at the language the writer uses in their poem. This is where a good dictionary (like Cambridge online) helps. THERE IS a subtle difference in meaning between using the word "sad" (adjective) and "melancholy" (adjective). ETC.
3) Think about how the writer has woven their words together. Look not just at what is being OBVIOUSLY said, but at any other things that might be being said. The writer might be (for instance) apparently writing a poem about a vase of flowers, BUT the real purpose of the poem is some message/understanding about life. The poet is using the vase of flowers as a means to talk about a particular message/understanding about life.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW MRS MANN TAUGHT ME TO READ POETRY
In "Wind in the Willows" by K Graham(see 'About Me') there are a number of poems 'written by the characters'. One is a poem about ducks in a river. It goes:
All along the backwater
Through the rushes tall
Ducks are a dabbling up-tails all.
Ducks tails, drakes tails,
Yellow feet aquiver
Yellow bills all out of sight,
Busy in the river...
Everyone for what he likes
We like to be
Heads down, tails up
Dabbling free.
Have you ever seen a duck happy in some water? On the surface, that's what this poem is about. It's about ducks in a river, who like to "dabble" in the water. Do you know how a duck can turn 'up end' - head underwater, tail (and feet) in the air? My family has four pet ducks. They have a couple of ponds where they can paddle and play. They're really happy when they 'upend'- tails (and feet) in the air, bills (or beaks) busy searching underwater.
That's what K. Graham was saying in his poem. He loved to go boating on rivers, and he loved to watch the happy ducks that followed his rowboat. Because he loved the river, he felt he understood why the ducks loved it too. Graham also liked to swim. As he said to a friend "It would be awfully interesting to be able to 'upend' like a duck - one could see underwater and look for minnows [without needing a snorkle or facemask]..."
So - on the surface of his poem Graham is describing how ducks paddle in the river.
Graham is also saying "I understand why ducks like to do this." He liked to boat and swim in the river, just as the ducks did (and do).
Now notice Graham's closing lines
"Everyone for what he likes
"We like to be
"Heads down tails up
"Dabbling free."
Graham's line "Everyone for what he likes" is a turn-of-the-last-century turn of phrase. "Wind in the Willows" was written c1900. The phrase "everyone for what he likes" was in common use at this time. It meant (roughly) "Not to argue about what you like, and I hope you won't argue about what I like." So, using this line in his poem, Graham is saying "I won't argue if you DON'T like swimming (and boating, and the river and ducks), but respect my right to like swimming (and boating etc)."
How does this make Graham feel? "Free." When a duck dabbles 'up-tails all', the ducks is not following any conscious pattern or 'set of rules'. It just dabbles. It knows how to dabble (it learnt that as a duckling). Now it just dabbles with gusto, and in the process enjoys itself and finds minnows etc. There's another clue in the phrase "heads down tails up." There's a cliche phrase in English - "Heads down!" - meaning "We're going to start! All attention please!" Graham was thinking of this phrase when put the words "heads down" in his own poem. That "heads down!" attention is the sort of attention a duck pays when it has physically put its head down (under the water). See the layers of meaning here?
That's how a duck does go "dabbling free" when it 'up-tails'.
But another meaning for the word "free" is "at liberty" or "empowered to be yourself not forced to be someone/something else." That's how ducks dabble. That's how Graham felt when he was on the river. Graham is saying "Do you know how ducks dabble? Freely. They're empowered to be themselves. That's how being on the river makes me feel, and that's why I understand how the ducks feel. Because I feel the same as they do - empowered to be myself, not 'forced to be someone else'."
So - an apparently simple poem about ducks in a river turns out to be a fairly profound piece talking about how the author feels about being on the river.
Reading poetry in this way takes one 'beyond the surface' into the full riches of what the poet was trying to say.
That's why I want to share it with you, as Mrs Mann did with me.
i am a person living a life of shame.
i am your daughter hiding my depression.
i am your sister making a good impression.
i am your friend acting like im fine.
i am a wisher wishing this life werent mine.
i am a girl who thinks about suicide.
i am a teenager pushing her tears aside.
i am a student who doesnt have a clue.
i am the girl sitting next to you.
i am the one asking you to care.
i am your best friend hoping youll be there.
this is a great poem from the book chicken soup for the teenage soul on tough stuff.
i listen to the heart beat hit my roof
the clear beads of blood slides down onto leaves of the tree
on the the blades of innocent grass that's being pelted in the down poor
and as it beads up
it looks as if the leaves have a paper cut
like that on a kindergartners finger just learning how to shape the paper
and as it slips off and falls
it looks like the tears on that very child's face as they look for someone to make it better
and as i lay there listening to that heart of rain
i think what if every one in this world could be able to hare this delightful sound
feel the healing drops that comes from the heavens
then.. i wonder would this world be better
would people stop going hungry and thirsty
would evil one's change for the better
im not sure but if everyone would wonder about this
then couldn't we be like that sweet rain
with are hearts beating against a roof of a wondering mind as one body and soul
then could we answer those questions
the clear beads of blood slides down onto leaves of the tree
on the the blades of innocent grass that's being pelted in the down poor
and as it beads up
it looks as if the leaves have a paper cut
like that on a kindergartners finger just learning how to shape the paper
and as it slips off and falls
it looks like the tears on that very child's face as they look for someone to make it better
and as i lay there listening to that heart of rain
i think what if every one in this world could be able to hare this delightful sound
feel the healing drops that comes from the heavens
then.. i wonder would this world be better
would people stop going hungry and thirsty
would evil one's change for the better
im not sure but if everyone would wonder about this
then couldn't we be like that sweet rain
with are hearts beating against a roof of a wondering mind as one body and soul
then could we answer those questions
this is just some free writting i did a month or two ago
i'm tierd of waiting for you to tell me how you feel
so i'm not gunna wait for you any longer
i'm gunna find some one new
in fact i''v found him
and he's super sweet
he's tall dark and handsome
he's every thing i want
he cares more then i think you ever have
he makes me smile
he makes me laugh
he likes the things i like
he's there when i need him
so here i say it i'm not gunna wait any longer for you
cuz i'v found the one i was looking for.
okee so tell me what you think is it any good??? or is it no good??
i'm tierd of waiting for you to tell me how you feel
so i'm not gunna wait for you any longer
i'm gunna find some one new
in fact i''v found him
and he's super sweet
he's tall dark and handsome
he's every thing i want
he cares more then i think you ever have
he makes me smile
he makes me laugh
he likes the things i like
he's there when i need him
so here i say it i'm not gunna wait any longer for you
cuz i'v found the one i was looking for.
okee so tell me what you think is it any good??? or is it no good??
It is easy to decide,
But not easy to keep a decision
It is easy to talk,
But not easy to say something
It is easy to look,
But not easy to see
It is easy to fall,
But not easy to stand up
It is easy to hurt,
But not easy to forget, to forgive
It's easy to hear but not easy to listen
It is easy to break up but not easy to make up
It is easy to choose,
But not easy to make the right choice
It is easy to like but not easy to love
It is easy to look true but not easy to be true
It's easy to condemn but not easy to change
It's easy to exist but not easy to live
It is easy to leave but not easy say good-bye
But not easy to keep a decision
It is easy to talk,
But not easy to say something
It is easy to look,
But not easy to see
It is easy to fall,
But not easy to stand up
It is easy to hurt,
But not easy to forget, to forgive
It's easy to hear but not easy to listen
It is easy to break up but not easy to make up
It is easy to choose,
But not easy to make the right choice
It is easy to like but not easy to love
It is easy to look true but not easy to be true
It's easy to condemn but not easy to change
It's easy to exist but not easy to live
It is easy to leave but not easy say good-bye
smothered by
music that
breaks the loneliness
in my heart.
Although
my mind
is still seeking
for you...
I do miss you,
but I won't tell you.
The secrets of
my heart you
will never know.
Although
my mind
is still seeking
for you...
It's wrong.
Thinking of you
leads me nowhere
but to the same pain.
It's wrong.
What you did
is wrong.
Although
my mind
is still seeking
for you...
It's wrong,
and you're not
coming back.
I feel it,
I know it,
but I still miss you.
And you're not here,
silence sleeps
with me.
Although
my mind
is still seeking
for you.
Darling o Darling why did you lie?
why didnt you tell me that i made you cry?
Ah yes the sorrow builds up inside but darling o dirling i dont want you to cry.
Crying and crying tears aflow.
But it is i that lays here dead in the snow.
For my love is still there but my body is gone
Still your there all coverd in tears.
But you'll be fign in 3 more years.
You will find yet oneanother.
To fill the gap that i haveuncoverd .
And now i am smotherd away away with the wind as my gram once said.
why didnt you tell me that i made you cry?
Ah yes the sorrow builds up inside but darling o dirling i dont want you to cry.
Crying and crying tears aflow.
But it is i that lays here dead in the snow.
For my love is still there but my body is gone
Still your there all coverd in tears.
But you'll be fign in 3 more years.
You will find yet oneanother.
To fill the gap that i haveuncoverd .
And now i am smotherd away away with the wind as my gram once said.
rough like the sea
of my memories.
Those live
inside me
and speak
through my eyes.
Sadness
is hidden there,
but was seen...
How apt
can you be
to hide your
feelings from
the others?
Can they see,
can they feel?
Sleepless nights
for noiseless cry,
rough feelings
to encourage
the pain that
still lives within.
Pain is waiting
to be fed
by these precious
memories
I still keep
as if those are
significant.
And yet
this very night
is all mine,
waiting for me
to confess.
Oust the pain
that chokes you,
unburden your soul
by talking
only in nights,
silently,
so nobody can hear,
nobody can hear
your cry,
the cry screams inside.
And the mountain disappeared
If the seas ran dry, turned to dust
And the sun refused to rise
I would still find my way
By the light I see in your eyes
The world I know fades away
But you stay
As the earth reclaims its due
And the cycle starts anew
We'll stay, always
In the love that we have shared
Before time
If the years take away
Every memory that I have
I would still know the way
That would lead me back to your side
The north star may die
But the light that I see in your eyes
Will burn there always
Lit by the love we have shared
Before time
When the forest turns to jade
And the stories that we've made
Dissolve away
One shining light will still remain
When we shed our earthly skin
And when our real life begins
There'll be no shame
Just the love that we have made
Before time
(wonderfully performed by CoCo Lee)
Some can be long and rough.
While others can be both of that stuff.
Poems have this sort of glow
And when they are running low
Someone reads them and what do you find?
A beautiful story that will get stuck in your mind.
Some poems make you cry.
Some poems make you fly.
Others can make you smile.
While some can even make you feel quite vile.
I like poems because they express feelings.
Even if you don't want anyone to know.
What is going on inseide your head.
It might even confuse you so~
This is what I want you to do.
POst this poem and I will too.
Share with the world around.
Hey look! A picture of a clown!
don't pick up your purse
dept can be quite a curse
When your sad and wishing you were dead
then remember these words.."I love you"
and let it smack you over the head.
And even if its not from your chosen one,
at least its from someone. You can never say
that your not wanted. nor will you ever be forgotten.
And as I'm writing this poem, I remember something
you once said as you sat in bed.
"I'm not wearing any socks"
......As I get a nose bleed now, has anyone got a tissue? Its very much in need.