Poetry Portfolio
By S. J. Hibbins
'Do not go gentle into that good night' - Dylan Thomas 1914 - 1953
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Blackout poem
Think I like just another
top hat
and tails special
says incongruous
final leg for a race
all new want her
king stakes on her ungrateful million dollar delicacy.
Cinquain
Lethal, clandestine
Prowling, stalking, slaying
Blood curdling in their nature, unquestionably alarming
Panthers
Colour poem
Reaper's robes, darkness, funeral attire.
Sadness, despair, terror, dread
Black.
LImericks
The old dragon:
Long ago there was a dragonWho did keep a lot of lagen
Most thought him rich
With the smarts of a chich
But really he lived in a wagon
the man from the bush:
A man from out back once said
"Never take a dead man's bed
It gives you bad luck
So don't be a schmuck
And don't lay your head on his bed"
The other rush hour
Turning and shoving
Twisting a new everyday
To avoid it is inconceivable
terribly apparent is the swallowing
To the students, throwing them into the fray
Tis truly grievable
Terrifying as a hollowing
Time there turns your hair grey
Truly the corridors are lamentable6 poem
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Analysis:
Subject: The writer meets a traveller from a far away place. And is told a story of a decrepit statue.
Themes: Arrogance stretches back as far as history and yet serves no purpose.
Imagery: A crumbling statue in the middle of the dessert, in a sombre and preachy tone.
Craftsmanship;
.structure: An irregular rhyme sequence and an iambic pentameter.
.language: the words used in the poem is both dull and sharp, as it tells the story of a mighty and ferocious king! That is now standing drearily by as it decays.
.description: personification and metaphor were used, for example "the heart that fed"
.sounds: assonance is used in the piece
Summary: This poem is showing that the arrogance of man stretches far back in time, is ever present and yet serves no purpose. It is rather successful at humbling the reader.
7 poem
Daffodils by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Analysis:
Subject: The writer happens upon a grove of daffodils, which make him happy. He then goes home and reflects on what he has seen.
Themes: Sometimes you should just stop and enjoy what's around you and let that bring you happiness.
Imagery: A man wondering through a field of golden daffodils, only to then return to his couch.
Craftsmanship:
.structure: 'Daffodils' follows a regular rhyme scheme ABABCC, there fore each stanza ends in a rhyming couplet.
.language: The language used is light and airy, I would even go so far as to say it is even bubbly.
.description: Personification is used heavily in 'Daffodils', for example "lonely as a cloud".
.sounds: the poem uses assonance.
Summary: I feel that this poem conveys that sometimes one should just stop breathe and take in their surroundings and be content with that.
8 poem
O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile!
Analysis:
Subject: The story of this poem is the writer describing his love, to his partner.
Purpose: The writer wants the reader to understand just how deep his love goes. And how much he would be willing to do in the name of love.
Emotion: The mood of this piece is devoted and passionate in it's nature.
Craftsmanship;
.structure: the first two stanzas follow an ABCB rhyme sequence, and the last to are ABAB.
.language: the poem uses vivid wordage loud and brash, e.g "And the rocks melt wi' the sun;".
.imagery: I see red roses, melting rocks and drying seas.
.sounds: the poem uses assonance.
.description: simile is used frequently throughout the poem, for example "Till a' the seas gang dry".
Summary: the impact of this poem I think is your opinion of love, it's power and what it can do.
9 poem
At midnight in the museum hall,
The fossils gathered for a ball,
There were no drums or saxophones,
But just the clatter of their bones,
Rolling, rattling carefree circus,
Of mammoth polkas and mazurkas,
Pterodactyls and brontosauruses
Sang ghostly prehistoric choruses,
Amid the mastodonic wassail
I caught the eye of one small fossil,
“Cheer up sad world,” he said and winked,
“It’s kind of fun to be extinct.”
Analysis:
Subject: The story being told is of a fossil ball in a museum after hours.
Purpose: the purpose of this poem is simply to humour the reader with a silly tail.
Emotion: the emotion of this poem is light hearted and jovial.
Craftsmanship:
.structure: the poem follows a regular rhyme scheme of ABAB.
.language: in this poem the language used is jovial and vivid.
.imagery: I see an extravagant ball with well dressed fossils waltzing.
.sounds: The poem uses onomatopoeia for example "clatter of their bones,
Rolling, rattling".Summary: The impact of this poem is jovial, and not to be taken seriously. And it warms your day effectively.
10 poem
The raven by Edgar Allen poe (extract)
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
Analysis:
Subject: This piece is about the writer looking into some form of darkness and being lost in spiralling thought.
Purpose: the writer intends you to understand what's happening to him when he looks into the darkness.
Emotion: dark and ominous.
Craftsmanship;
.structure: in this extract of the poem, there is no rhyming sequence. But the poem as a whole does.
.language: the poem uses sharp and chilling words to convey the feeling.
.sounds: the poem extract uses alliteration with the letter d.
Summary: the point of this piece is to show exactly how the writer feels when he looks into the darkness, and just how deeply he is affected.
6 pop culture piece
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?
Screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colours burst
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe
You don't have to feel like a wasted space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time you'll know
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colours burst
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through-ough-ough
'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colours burst
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
7 pop culture piece
8 pop culture piece
9 pop culture piece
Nyan (means meow in Japanese)
10 pop culture piece
Mmmm mmm yeah
Do do do do do do do-do
Ohh Yeah
Gotta change my answering machine
Now that I'm alone
Cause right now it says that we
Can't come to the phone
And I know it makes no sense
Cause you walked out the door
But it's the only way I hear your voice anymore
(it's ridiculous)
It's been months
And for some reason I just
(can't get over us)
And I'm stronger than this
(enough is enough)
No more walking round
With my head down
I'm so over being blue
Crying over you
And I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done with wishing you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow
So why can't I turn off the radio?
Gotta fix that calendar I have
That's marked July 15th
Because since there's no more you
There's no more anniversary
I'm so fed up with my thoughts of you
And your memory
And how every song reminds me
Of what used to be
That's the reason I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done with wishing you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow
So why can't I turn off the radio?
(Leave me alone)
Leave me alone
(Stupid love songs)
Don't make me think about her smile
Or having my first child
I'm letting go
Turning off the radio
Cause I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done with wishing she was still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow
So why can't I turn off the radio?
(why can't I turn off the radio?)
Said I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done with wishing she was still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow
So why can't I turn off the radio?
(why can't I turn off the radio?)
And I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done with wishin' you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow
Why can't I turn off the radio?
(why can't I turn off the radio?)
Why can't I turn off the radio?