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

1744 total results

Heaven and Earth in the Literary Works of Emily Dickinson (1041 words, 3 pages)

Heaven, Earth, and Emily DickinsonOne might easily interpret the poetry of Emily Dickinson as, overwhelmingly, celebratory of nature and dismissive of a Christian god and afterlife. "Some keep the Sabbath," for instance, is typical in its praise of the natural world, affording a contented narrator, in lieu of church fixtures, ... Read More

The Fascination and Effects of Poems on My Childhood in Where the Sidewalk Ends, a Poem by Shel Silverstein (1069 words, 3 pages)

Although illustrations in books captivate the minds of children, the poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein fascinated me in a way that had a significant effect on my childhood. When I was around four years old, my mom introduced me to this book and briefly after that, ... Read More

The Damage of Holding Back from One’s Full Potential in A Work of Artifice, a Poem by Marge Piercy (399 words, 2 pages)

A Work of ArtificeThe poem, A Work of Artifice, by Marge Piercy, symbolizes the damage that can be done when held back from ones full potential. Many circumstances, such as a restricting environment, lack of motivation, or the lack of resources, can contribute to becoming domestic and weak (Piercy Line ... Read More

The Significance of Self Love for Women and Comprehending Feminism in In All Ways a Woman, a Poem by Maya Angelou (290 words, 1 pages)

In All Ways A WomanThe poem, In All Ways A Woman, by Maya Angelou, the importance of self love for women, and the understanding of feminism is displayed. The author describes her experience with beginning to understand her place in society, and how to self empower, despite the deprecating ideals ... Read More

The Concept of Ethics and Morality in Ethics, a Poem by Linda Pastan (352 words, 1 pages)

The poem Ethics, by Linda Pastan, touches on the idea of ethics and morality. In the poem, the narrator, a student, is questioned in class about what is more worth saving, an old woman, or a rembrandt painting. In the beginning of the poem, the narrator is young, and therefore ... Read More

The Redefinition of Self-Identity in the Poetry of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson (1202 words, 4 pages)

Re-Defining Poetry Whitman and DickinsonIn the discussion of literary trailblazers in America's shallow history, poets Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are seldom left behind. Whitman and Dickinson are often tagged by their ability to fuse form and content as they made huge risks and created revolutionary work. They produced poetry ... Read More

The Use of Line Break, Punctuation, and Capitalization in I Felt a Funeral, a Poem by Emily Dickinson (1499 words, 4 pages)

Emily Dickinson, alive from 1830 to 1886, revolutionized how a poem could be written through her unusual syntax and unmistakable style and form. This reform, a valiant and bold move in the world of literature, still influences poets and authors to date. Dickinson's schemes and strategies of defeating the status ... Read More

The Adventures of a Teenager in Wild Nights, a Poem by Emily Dickinson (571 words, 3 pages)

Wild NightsWild Nights - Wild Nights!Were I with theeWild Nights should beOur luxury!Futile - the Winds - To a Heart in port - Done with the Compass -Done with the Chart!Rowing in Eden -Ah, the Sea!Might I but moor - Tonight -In Thee!Emily Dickinson, the ghoulish and elusive poet, whose ... Read More

The Glory of Americans Regarding Work in Walt Whitman’s I Hear America Singing (482 words, 2 pages)

Creation On Many Levels America is made up of hard-working, dedicated individuals who enjoy doing what they do Walt Whitman's I Hear America Singing focuses on the glory America holds when its people work and when they work doing what they love, which encompasses the idea of a country built ... Read More

An Analysis of the Poem A Story by Li-Young Lee (376 words, 2 pages)

A Story AnalysisIn the poem A Story by Li-Young Lee, the complex relationship between a father and son is portrayed. We are introduced to this complexity at the beginning of the poem through the authors use of devices such as point-of-view when the author uses italics to signify a conversation, ... Read More

A Review of Emily Dickinson’s Writing Style (644 words, 3 pages)

Emily Dickinson had a unique style of writing books and poems that were different from all the other writing styles. The most prominent feature in here writing style was an imagination of various possibilities whereby death and dead characters were used (Gervasio 3). For example, in her poems, "It was ... Read More

The Acceptance of Loss in One Art, a Poem by Elizabeth Bishop (789 words, 3 pages)

The poem One Art, by Elizabeth Bishop portrays the hidden feelings of an individual who has lost several things that have been significant to her however, she overcomes the obstacles, and learns to move on. The poem consists of six stanzas with three lines in each stanza. It begins with ... Read More

An Analysis of the Peom The Thanksgiving by George Herbert (1050 words, 4 pages)

George Herberts poem The Thanksgiving is a work of a deceptively simple construction. With its repetitive rhyme scheme, its stanzas flow easily and sound almost musical when read aloud. It is written concisely, and despite a few antiquated old English phrases, its content is not difficult to understand. A cursory ... Read More

The Author’s Use of Tone, Diction, and Metaphors to Communicate His Obscured Opinions About His Father in My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke (792 words, 3 pages)

My Papas Waltz A Poetry AnalysisAuthor Theodore Roethke, in an intimate and sincere poem in reference to his relationship with his father attempts to share his story with his audience. In this case, Roethke adopts a vague, somber tone to relay his blurred opinions about his father. By employing the ... Read More

An Analysis of Relationships in the Poems Full Moon, Little Frieda and View of a Pig by Langston Hughe (659 words, 2 pages)

Explore How Hughes Presents Relationships in Full Moon and Little Frieda and At Least One Other PoemHughes uses the description of his daughter to depict the relationship between humans and the natural world. His daughter is the epitome of innocence, described as a "spider's web", which has connotations of delicacy ... Read More

The Themes of Life and Death in Poems by Langston Hughes (684 words, 2 pages)

Life and Death in Hughes PoetryHughes employs the use of dramatic imagery to give the River Humber an appearance of an alive entity, melting eastwards..a loaded single vain. The use of the word vein is ambiguous as it could suggest a removal of sin after death draining away. However, veins ... Read More

Questions of Faith, Self-Identity, and Relationship With Family In “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke (963 words, 3 pages)

An admittedly autobiographical poet, Michigan-born Theodore Roethke draws much of his influence for his subject matter from everyday life. Many of his poems deal with his own self-introspection and quest to find himself through verse. Roethke is a visceral poet whose evocative verse reflects real-life struggles and questions of faith ... Read More

Nature in the Poem Rain and Two Other Poems by Langston Hughes (781 words, 2 pages)

How does Hughes present nature in Rain and at least 2 other poems?The main theme Hughes stresses throughout Rain is the abiding nature of Rain. This is shown very clearly in the first line of the poem, where Hughes states, Rain. Floods. Frost. And after frost, rain. This further accentuates ... Read More

The Use of Repetition in The Emperor of Ice Cream by Wallace Stevens (291 words, 1 pages)

In The Emperor of Ice Cream, Wallace Stevens uses form, imagery, and repetition to portray a theme of capturing the moment. His form, informal free-verse is relaxed. He uses the imagery of the women in their everyday dress, and the boys with flowers in newspaper to show a nonchalant attitude ... Read More

Metaphors, Imagery, and Irony in Introduction to Poetry, a Poem by Billy Collins (582 words, 3 pages)

Irony in Introduction to PoetryIn Billy Collins poem Introduction to poetry, the speaker is assuming the role of a teacher whos tasked with teaching poetry to unwilling students. Collins attempts to convince the audience that poetry is not such a difficult part of literature to understand, and reminds them of ... Read More

Symbolism and Themes in Nothing Gold Can Stay, a Poem by Robert Frost (722 words, 3 pages)

When something is too good to be true, it most likely turns out to be false. Yet, when analyzing the poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay written by Robert Frost, it goes deeper into something being too good to be true and brings out symbolic pieces of evidence. This evidence can, ... Read More

The Innocence of Childbirth in Unknown Girl in the Maternity Ward, a Poem by Anne Sexton (1396 words, 5 pages)

Unknown Girl in the Maternity Ward Anne Sextons poem, Unknown Girl in the Maternity Ward, opens with the innocence of a child being born. However, as the poem goes on, the truth about the childs existence surfaces. An unwed mother describes her child as she sees him, You lie, a ... Read More

Delusional Stereotype Among the Man’s World in Donkey Gospel, a Book by Tony Hoagland (1232 words, 4 pages)

Donkey Gospel by Tony Hoagland focuses on how the world has formed a delusional stereotype amongst the mans world. He includes personal life experiences within his poems, and while reading through what he has to say he allows us to travel through time and almost feel like we were there ... Read More

Understanding the Use of Ode as a Grand Poem (469 words, 1 pages)

Ode (Gk song) A lyric poem, usually of some length. The main features are an elaborate stanza-structure, a marked formality and stateliness in tone and style (which make it ceremonious), and lofty sentiments and thoughts. In short, an ode is rather a grand poem a full-dress poem. However, this said, ... Read More

A Perspective of Living with a Father with a Confused Mind in The Minefield, a Poem by Diane Thiel (693 words, 2 pages)

In the poem The Minefield by Diane Thiel, the narrator expresses their point of view living with a father whose mind has been confused by dreadful memories of losing his friend during his childhood. There is an interpretation of the trauma it caused the father and the long-lasting effects it ... Read More

Imagery, Symbolism, and Other Literary Devices in We Real Cool, a Poem by Gwendolyn Brooks (609 words, 3 pages)

There are countless methods that are applied in the field of writing in order to fully explain ones thoughts. In the poem We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks, there is a constant use of repetition and symbolism that takes place. Written in 1959, a time in which jazz was one ... Read More

Social Constructionism in Mending Wall, a Poem by Robert Frost (1409 words, 5 pages)

Social constructionism is the idea that there are boundaries that separate members of a society through certain means. As stated in the dictionary, it is defined as a social mechanism, phenomenon, or category created and developed by society a perception of an individual, group, or idea that is 'constructed' through ... Read More

A Correlation Between the Novels I Felt a Funeral, In My Brain by Emily Dickinson and And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard (596 words, 1 pages)

Poetry Cross Reference in And We Stay by Jenny HubbardI felt a Funeral, in my Brain by Emily Dickinson directly correlates with the novel And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. First and foremost, throughout the novel, the main character, Emily Beam, is fascinated with, Emily Dickinson, with her 1,775 poems ... Read More

The Guidance by Time Through One’s Journey in Life in To an Empty Page, a Sonnet by Robert Pack (470 words, 2 pages)

To an Empty Page EssayRobert Packs sonnet, To an Empty Page, is written in callresponse format to show readers that time will guide one through their journey of life, but only he can discover what to make of it. In the sonnets structure, Pack writes in two columns, voice and ... Read More

The Struggles of African Americans with Oppression and Hatred in Still I Rise, a Poem by Maya Angelou (1015 words, 4 pages)

Still I RiseYou may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, Ill rise.Does my sassiness upset you?Why are you beset with gloom?Cause I walk like Ive got oil wellsPumping in my living room.Just like moons and like suns,With ... Read More

American Poetry Essay Examples