Rain By Shel Silverstein

I opened my eyes

And looked up at the rain,

And it dripped in my head

And flowed into my brain,

And all that I hear as I lie in my bed

Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,

I walk very slow,

I can't do a handstand--

I might overflow,

So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--

I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

This poem reminds me of all those rainy days where I would be inside and love to spend hours looking outside. I do not really like to walk around the rain, yet always wanted to just run out and sing in the rain.

Go and Catch a Falling Star By John Donne

Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the devil's foot, Teach me to hear mermaids singing, Or to keep off envy's stinging, And find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind. If thou be'st born to strange sights, Things invisible to see, Ride ten thousand days and nights, Till age snow white hairs on thee, Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me, All strange wonders that befell thee, And swear, No where Lives a woman true, and fair. If thou find'st one, let me know, Such a pilgrimage were sweet; Yet do not, I would not go, Though at next door we might meet; Though she were true, when you met her, And last, till you write your letter, Yet she Will be False, ere I come, to two, or three. This poem reminds me of all the times where I find myself outside at night and look up at the stars. It reminds of the many times where I see a shooting star and quickly try to come up with a wish. I get a little frazzled because I want to make sure that I make a good wish, nothing stupid like a new gift, but something that may mean a little more to me later on.

Lines Written In Early Spring By William Wordsworth

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:--
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

After reading some of Wordsworth poems, I noticed how beautiful his poetry was. His imagery is so beautiful. Many of his poems are about nature, and he does a great job at capturing the true beauty of nature.

Funeral Blues By W.H. Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Clearly this poet had lost a numerous amount of people he loved. By the tone of the poem, it seemed like he was writing from tremendous experience. I think be wrote this poem to help heal his pain, which I think is great. I have found myself that writing through hard times helps heal pain.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud 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 leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but 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.

The imagery in this poem is really beautiful. I love the outdoors and this poems describes all sorts of nature like clouds, flowers, and bays. Although they are all different, they all have their own kind of beauty.

Life is Fine By Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

I really love the rhyming of the poem. It makes the poem flow so well and the topic of this poem is a relief, because Langston Hughes usually writes about slavery and about other problems that African Americans have faced. This poem brings back memories of summer.

Phenomenal Woman By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

The woman in the poem seems very confident about herself. I think that having confidence and good self-esteem is extremely important. If you don't feel confident, how do you expect someone else to believe in you or even be around you. I have found that it is difficult to be friends with someone who has very low self esteem.

There Is Another Sky By Emily Dickinson

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields -
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

I love the nature of this poem. It is so short and sweet and gives some good imagery of the nature around us all. Dickinson states something good and then contradicts it and says something dark. It is just beautiful.

Now I Lay Me Down to Rest By Linda Knaus

Soon I’ll lay me down to rest,
but first I have to get undressed,
comb the tangles from my hair,
change my dirty underwear,
have a sandwich and a drink,
clean the plate and rinse the sink,
feed the goldfish, take a bath,
do my spelling and my math,
check my head for ticks and lice,
leave some cheese out for the mice,
fold and put away my pants,
sing a song and do a dance,
say goodnight to Dad and Mother,
pick a fight with my twin brother,
blow my nose and set the clock,
take the dog out for a walk,
turn the light out, pull the shade,
have a glass of lemonade,
trim my toenails, clean my ears,
eat a jar of pickle spears,
kiss Aunt May and Uncle Keith,
wash my face and brush my teeth,
take the garbage to the curb,
learn a pronoun from a verb
so I can pass tomorrow’s test—
but now I’m too awake to rest.

Some of my favorite poems rhyme, as does this one, and I really cute poems that deal with children and what they do. I love the list of ALL things possible to do before you go to bed. The child should be able to go to sleep, yet cannot because he has spent so much time doing so many things.

Desire By Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Where true Love burns Desire is Love's pure flame;
It is the reflex of our earthly frame,
That takes its meaning from the nobler part,
And but translates the language of the heart.

I believe if you desire or want something, you should do anything to achieve it. Fight your hardest and do whatever it takes to get it. Because desire is a strong feeling and you won't be satisfied unless you get it.