Report On My Poetry Culminating Activity

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

In my reading of Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening I start off by trying to speak as though the character is absorbing the atmosphere of the woods, which can be taken from his description of the calming and beautiful sight before him. I then choose to take a deep breath as the immersion of beauty is taken away from the character; he realizes that he must continue on his way before he wastes too much time. The sigh shows the character’s disappointment in the fact that he will not be able to remain looking into the heart of the woods. He reluctantly acknowledges the fact that he must keep the promises that he made, muttering under his breath. Finally, he recognizes that he has a long journey ahead of him, and emphasizes that point to himself by saying it one final time in a flat tone.

The refrain in the final stanza is used to emphasize that the character’s journey is not close to over, and that he has to carry on and leave the sight behind. I believe that the use of this poetic device reminds readers that sometimes you have to reiterate to yourself to focus on your work. Distractions can have you unfocused, and to get back on track you must tell yourself why you must pursue your goals. This was the message that he attempts to convey by using refrain.

The image that I selected connects to the poem by depicting what the speaker sees through his eyes. While the narrator speaks as though it’s a very dark and cold night, he still sees the woods as lovely, and I believe he is picturing the vibrant colours of the wintry forest, with snowflakes falling down. The path in the picture symbolizes the welcoming nature that he feels emanating from the forest, as if it were almost inviting him in. This is the feeling keeps him for a moment before he must continue on his journey. Trying to capture his feelings and views on the woods were the two reasons that I chose this photo.

Ulysses

In my recording of Ulysses I speak in a deep and powerful voice to try and replicate the passion that Ulysses used to convince his old crew to follow him back out to sea. He wants to go out fighting, and strongly believes that that is his purpose. As a result, his monologue is fiery and dramatically read to persuade the others that this is also their fate. In the second line, he describes them as one heart, all beating as one, heroically. Then he states that while time and fate has weakened them, that they are still strong in will. This shows that he’s likely talking to his old crew because they have all been weakened by their journeys, but the fact that they are still here today means that they are still strong in will. I thought that he would put emphasis on them being strong in will, as the first part is not very positive. As a result he tries to say that what they lack in strength, they make up for in willpower.

The anaphora in the final line of the poem is used to summarize the purpose of Ulysses’ final journey. He is stating simply that he wants, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. ” This can be seen as the message of the entire poem, as Alfred Lord Tennyson wants the reader to live their life to the fullest as Ulysses’ describes, albeit to a less extreme extent. The anaphora is used to emphasize how you should strive, seek, and find in life, and not yield for anything or anyone. That is why I think that this line should be read with the most power of any in the passage. The image I selected connects to the poem by illustrating the message that Ulysses conveys in his monologue. He wants to ride off into the sunset, which is actually referenced earlier in the poem when he states that he wants, “to sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of the western stars, until I die. ” He wants his last breath to be on the seas adventuring and discovering new things, and that’s why I chose to use an image of a ship sailing off into the sunset.

Falling Song

In my reading of Falling Song I attempted to connect my voice to the emotions of the speaker, basing my tone off of the sad explanation of how he felt in this moment. In the first line, he states that he is leaning over the window sill, and this continues into the next line where he describes the dullness of his surroundings, and his view of the hollow city. I interpret that his description of the view is stated in a solemn, sorrowful way that shows how lifeless he finds the city. As a result, I read that part with a depressed, somber feel to it. I also put emphasis on the consonant sounds of the adjectives to accentuate the way he looks at the view. The final two lines use a simile to explain to the reader how he feels in this moment. It states, “(I) felt like I'd missed a parade I would have wanted to follow. ” This shows how he, if given the chance, would have followed the geese, (that he saw earlier in the poem, ) back into the wild, and back to freedom. The use of this simile shows that he values nature over the concrete jungle of the city, and how he yearns to be with nature. He deems that nature holds greater importance, (at least to him, ) over an urban lifestyle. The simile uses a well thought out comparison to express the feelings of the writer at this time. The image I chose connects to the poem in the sense that it portrays how the speaker feels trapped in the dull city. The buildings in the photo look as if they are towering over the viewer, giving an almost claustrophobic feeling. The streets are predominantly colourless and bland, and have no visually appealing aspects. It perfectly captures the lifeless atmosphere that the speaker in the poem gets from the view. That is why I chose this image, as it conveys how the speaker feels confined in the bland landscape of the city.

Journey Of The Magi

In my recording of Journey Of The Magi I try to convey how the speaker feels regret and awaits his death after going to witness the birth of Jesus. In the first line, the speaker states that him and the other two wise men returned to their kingdoms after their difficult journey to Bethlehem. At this point, he does not use immense emotion, he just calmly mentions his arrival. In the second line, the wise man expresses that once he returns, he no longer feels a sense of ease. This is when I start to sense the speaker seep with anguish, and seeing why he regrets his journey. The third line is where the explanation comes for his anguish, as he uses a metaphor and states that all of the civilians in his kingdom are now, “an alien people clutching their gods. ” He is trying to illustrate how he no longer even recognizes his own people, as they all believe in Christianity now, and put that before anything else. This upsets the King because they don’t follow him as they did before.

The use of a metaphor actually shows that, while the King calls his people aliens, he is the one who really feels alienated from them because of the birth of Christianity. In other words, the birth lead to the death of his old kingdom. The final line is full of regret; all he says is, “I should be glad of another death, ” and that death is his own. He cannot wait for his suffering during the post-death era to come to an end, and I believe that his voice portrays the fact that he has given up on life.

The image that I chose connects to the poem as the candle is a symbol for the hope of the distraught King. He finally gives up on anything going back to the way it was before, and simply is living out the rest of his days in agony. He yearns for the day that he dies, and in that way, the candle can also symbolize the calm passing of the King. That is why I chose this image for The Journey of The Magi.