Sunday, December 14, 2014

Module 7: Read 3 Poems & Compare

The first poem I read was “Phenomenal Woman”, by Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014). This poem is has 4 stanzas, each with a different number of lines. In addition to the stanzas, the poem is written in free verse and almost every other line rhymed at the end. Maya Angelou addresses society’s common expectations of what it means to be a “pretty” woman.  She believes that it is not the outer beauty of a person, but the inner one which makes each woman phenomenal.

The second poem I read was “The Road Not Taken”, by Robert Frost (1874 – 1963). This poem consists of 4 stanzas, each with 5 lines. There is consistent rhyming in the poem (ABAAB). I can vividly remember reading this in middle school. With this poem, it is very common for readers to visualize the “paths”. Frost discusses choices and life decisions that may or may not contain risks involved. And it is these original and independent choices is what makes life rewarding.

The third poem I read was “Hope Is The Thing With Feathers”, by Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886). This poem has 3 stanzas, each with 4 lines. There is some rhyming, but not a consistent flow. In this poem, there is a metaphor, where the bird is a symbol for hope. I believe the theme for this poem is while we may all experience some dark times, hope can offer some encouragement.


When looking for poetry to compare, I searched poems for teens and young adults. The tone of all 3 poems seems to be written from a people who seem to have a strong point of view/outlook on the world. Ideally, these 3 poems can relate to many individuals struggling with life decisions/influences and help them think more positively. 

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