American Poetry Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

1744 total results

An Analysis of James Dickey’s The Heaven of Animals (1950 words, 4 pages)

The Heaven of Animals Here they are. The soft eyes open.If they have lived in a woodIt is a wood.If they have lived on plainsIt is grass rollingUnder their feet forever.Having no souls, they have come,Anyway, beyond their knowing.Their instincts wholly bloomAnd they rise.The soft eyes open.To match them, the ... Read More

Theme Analysis of an American in Paris, a Symphonic Poem by George Gershwin (487 words, 2 pages)

An American in Paris is a piece of music which blends classical and popular styles, effectively evading classification as one or the other. From a classical standpoint, one could say that Gershwins use and development of distinct themes, and his division of his piece into two sections(plus a coda) qualify ... Read More

Symbolism in Patterns by Amy Lowell (862 words, 3 pages)

In literature, symbolism is often used to convey a larger meaning. In Patterns, Amy Lowell uses several symbols to represent the complete and utter heartbreak of the protagonist. Some of these symbols include freedom, oppression, war and the protagonists dress. Throughout Lowells poem, the symbols build until the reveal of ... Read More

The Depiction of Sexuality and Social Injustice in Howl, a Poem by Allen Ginsberg (1522 words, 5 pages)

Through even a cursory perusal of Allen Ginsbergs poem Howl (as well as the rest of his Other Poems) one can see that the poet is writing from a place of immense frustration. More specifically, Howl expresses Ginsbergs anger with the conformity-obsessed, fear-fueled culture of the 1950s United States by ... Read More

Controversy as a Cultural Requirement in Literary Works such as Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems (2224 words, 7 pages)

The identity of humanity has been stained with war, bloodshed, and constant conflict. In fact, humanity continues to be defined by this conflict, as can be seen in contemporary issues of ISIS, tension between Ukraine and Russia, and the ever present threat of potential nuclear war. Consequently, many people desire ... Read More

Rage, Madness and Hope in Allen Ginsberg’s Howl (1013 words, 4 pages)

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, opens the first lines of Allen GinsbergsHowl(9). But is it truly the people who are at fault, or rather has society itself gone mad? Allen Ginsbergs famous poem is primarily a response to western polite society ... Read More

An Ending with a Twist in Richard Cory, a Poem by Edwin A. Robinson (850 words, 3 pages)

On the Topic of Richard Cory It is said that poetry is an art form, and as with any other art form, the observer must take time to analyze the works meaning. This is certainly true for Edwin A. Robinsons Richard Cory. At face value, this poem may appear to ... Read More

Walking Towards the Edge in the Book Into the Wild by Jon Krakaeur and Walden by Henry David Thoreau (2340 words, 9 pages)

As kids, the only reason we are afraid of the edge is because our parents told us we would fall off of if we got too close. Being mere children, our fears overwhelm our curiosities. Little did we know that the older we get, the farther away the edge becomes. ... Read More

The Life and Works of the Great Candidate for the Next Poet Laureate, Mary Oliver (1238 words, 5 pages)

Mary Oliver The Next Poet LaureateThe prestigious award of the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, shortened as the Poet Laureate, is awarded to a well-renowned poet every year. The Poet Laureate serves to increase national awareness and appreciation for writing and listening to poetry. If ... Read More

The Responsibility of Teachers in the Poem The History of Teacher by Collins (331 words, 1 pages)

TeachingSociety is growing and advancing everyday. Taking steps in technology, medicine, arts, literature, etc. the world is ever changing and ever progressing. The success of any visionary who progresses a field can be attributed to teachers who helped the student become a visionary through education. As discussed in Collins poem ... Read More

The Struggles of the African Americans in the Post-Segregation America in the Poem Theme for English B by Langston Hughes (298 words, 1 pages)

Poem Analysis Theme for English BTheme for English B by Langston Hughes brings to light the struggles faced by colored people in the post-segregation but still very racist society. The first person point of view, gives the reader an insight on the problems the narrator faces in being the only ... Read More

The Irony in the Life and Death of a Newspaper Editor in the Poem Editor Whedon by Edgar Lee Masters (421 words, 2 pages)

The Life and Death of an EditorIn Edgar Lee Masters Spoon River Anthology, he writes a series of post-mortem monologues discussing the life and death of various former residents of a town. In the poem Editor Whedon from his anthology, describes the irony found in the life and death of ... Read More

The Effects of the Treatment of a Child’s Curiosity and Fear in the Poems A Barred Owl by Richard Wilbur and The History Teacher by Billy Collins (575 words, 2 pages)

Poets Speaking to ChildrenThe young, adolescent mind of a small child although small is capable of great things as it is a sponge with the ability to absorb anything. Many times adults neglect the fact that a childs mind can rationalize just as well as adults, and would rather lie ... Read More

The Imagery of a Ship at Sea in the Poem The Writer by Richard Wilbur (422 words, 1 pages)

Readers Response 6Richard Wilbur, the author of the poem The Writer, uses imagery of a ship at sea to convey the speakers daughters hobby as an explorative voyage. In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker refers to his daughters location as the prow of the house, similar to ... Read More

Every Decision in Life Leads to Regrets as Presented in The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (286 words, 1 pages)

The Road Not TakenThis poem has been my favorite of me and my mothers since a couple of years ago. This poem shaped me as an understanding creature of this earth. As Robert Frost decided to follow on road or the other, he had to choose one path. Often, this ... Read More

An Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Fascination With Death to Help Understand the Source of the Themes of Her Works (2716 words, 10 pages)

Throughout the centuries single individuals have made their marks in literature and provided a style or theme never before presented. These individuals were innovative in their use of words and how they combined them, thus allowing the rest of the world to prosper from their works. One such individual that ... Read More

Men, Women and Feminism in Maya Angelou’s Men (1122 words, 5 pages)

Love Over EasyFeminist poetry has often been a subject of controversy among poetry analysts due to the fact that it often brings up topics of inequality between men and women that have a tendency to draw blood. Maya Angelou, a highly acclaimed and accomplished feminist poet, has been one to ... Read More

An Analysis of Wise Men in Their Bad Hours by Robinson Jeffers: Wisdom and Overcoming the Fear on Death (705 words, 3 pages)

Are We Human Or Are We Grasshopper? ". . . they eat and laugh tooGroan against labors, wars andpartingsDance, talk, dress, undress wise men have pretendedThe summerinsects enviable" (Jeffers). Robinson Jeffers speaks of the blind huddledmasses as grasshoppers in "Wise Men in Their Bad Hours." Hunter S.Thompson is quoted as ... Read More

Loneliness in Emily Dickinson’s The Chariot and Robert Frost’s Acquainted with the Night (986 words, 3 pages)

Talking to MyselfPerhaps one of the most interesting human attributes is our tendency to talk aloud when nobody else is around. While weve all done it at some point, society has developed a negative view of talking to the walls. We make jokes about it, or in the extreme lock ... Read More

An Analysis of The River by Gregory Orr (455 words, 2 pages)

Swimming is a very engaging activity, and in the poem "The River " Gregory Orr shows how swimming can bring people together. Orr uses compelling imagery to captivate the reader, and relates the exact emotionsthe narrator. Moreover Orr uses of repetition allows him to express certain experiences. Orr also uses ... Read More

An Analysis of a Passage From Cherry Bomb by Maxine Clair (611 words, 2 pages)

This passage in Cherry Bomb by Maxine Clair describes the world of the young protagonist. The passage is written more like an excerpt of a conversation than a story. Through literary devices such as detail, imagery, and personification, the narrator recreates the childhood memories of her fifth grade summer.The long, ... Read More

The Unchanging Nature of the Tide in the Poem The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (387 words, 2 pages)

Change of NothingAs people move about on their day, things change. People go about their day differently, but there are some things that stay constant, through those changes. Things often rooted in nature, such as the rising and falling of the tide, as expressed in Henry Wadsworth Longfellows poem, The ... Read More

An Analysis of the Poem Cherrylog Road by James L. Dickey (367 words, 2 pages)

Cherry Long Road Poem AnalysisThe speaker of the poem entitled Cherry Long Road Poem is none other than the narrator himself (Dickey). In this poem the narrator is recounting the times of when he and his teenage lover Doris Holbrook has their secret ravenous (meet ups) in an old car ... Read More

An Analysis of Space Bound by Eminem (1282 words, 5 pages)

Unearthing the LostIn a poem by modern poem writer Marshall Matters, or Eminem depicts how difficult it was to love somebody in a relationship because of the complex nature of love. The complexity of love cannot be explained as a simple idea such as describing a spoon. Love is an ... Read More

The Message in My Papa’s Waltz, a Poem by Theodore Roethke (1347 words, 5 pages)

Authors of poetry use elements variety elements of poetry to help readers in better understanding the central idea of their work. These elements include meter, rhyme scheme, personification, and various other components related to poetry. Some authors of poetry will not tell their readers the true meaning or message of ... Read More

An Analysis of the Poem One Need Not Be a Chamber – To Be Haunted by Emily Dickinson (541 words, 2 pages)

In comparison, the images are no longer startling a haunted house, a ghost, running away from stones, and an assassin, all pale in comparison to what happens in the mind. Fear is an emotion, a reaction to those perceived images. However, according to Dickinson in her poem One need not ... Read More

A Critique of the Harris County Chain Gang Written by Tyehimba Jess (604 words, 2 pages)

The speaker of Tyehimba Jesss Harris County Chain Gang describes the trials and tribulations of a person caught in the clutches of the penal system. But beyond the literal foundation, Harris County Chain Gang describes an ineffaceable racism. Though it was written in the 21st century, the poem reflects on ... Read More

Men and Women as Separate Entities in the Works of Walt Whitman (569 words, 2 pages)

Throughout his body of work, Walt Whitman discusses men and women as separate entities. While he holds both in great esteem, granting them near-equal status, he was still an author of the 19th century. Writing in an age before womens suffrage, viewing women as near-equals was an enlightened stance. Yet, ... Read More

An Interpretation of to the Republic, a Poem by Frank Bidart (615 words, 2 pages)

The speaker in Frank Bidarts To The Republic recalls a dream that he had about the aftermath of the battle of Gettysburg. Overall, the poem is somber in mood, pensive in its reflection and interpretation of vivid and gruesome imagery. Though the poem reflects on the Civil War, it was ... Read More

A Summary of The Bride Come to Yellow Sky by Stephen Crane (370 words, 1 pages)

Story Plot Summary The Bride Come to Yellow Sky is a story by Stephen Crane that describes the specific couple as they go west, similiar to thousands of others in the time period. The couple has recently married and they choose to settle in the town yellow sky, which is ... Read More

American Poetry Essay Examples