in just- by e.e. cummings

There is something so distinctly whimsical about this poem that captivated me. Never mind that it didn't really make much sense the first time I read it, or that it doesn't follow any of the usual conventions I encounter in poems. It reminded me of Disney's Alice in Wonderland, with its playful, carefree tone. It is such a spring poem, full of happiness and the vibrancy of youth. It makes me feel like closing my eyes and letting myself go. There are things you encounter that make you feel like nothing can go wrong, and this poem is one of those.

The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams

The first time I encountered this poem was in senior year in high school for our poetry lesson. I didn't immediately get what the poem was trying to say, but there was something about it that I liked, and I couldn't quite forget it. The poem seemed so simple but full of potential for interpretation as well. As I was reading (and rereading..and rereading) it, I also wondered why so much depended upon the red wheelbarrow, why it was glazed with rain water and why the white chickens were there. The only way I could answer that question was with a cornucopia of situations and stories about the red wheelbarrow and its great destiny.

We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks

First off, I think the poem reads wonderfully. It sounds great, and the effects of the alliteration and rhyme in it add to the smooth quality of the poem.
The poem seems to be glamorizing the lives of the seven delinquent pool players of the Golden Shovel. I got the impression that the pool players were the ones speaking in the poem, telling the readers about their lives and ultimately, their mistakes. There seemed to be no hint of remorse or regret in the poem though. Reading this, I recalled the quote, "Live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse." And live fast they did.

Love Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare

This is one of the few works of Shakespeare in which I do not need to have a study guide beside me to half understand it. I liked the poem not only for its message but also for its language. There is something about it that feels so archaic, that reading it makes me remember the olden times when people used to express their love for each other in such eloquent terms. It was not merely "I will always be here for you through thick or thin" but rather, "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds." I feel it is a very beautiful poem, professing love we can no longer express in our everyday language.

Tonight I Can Write by Pablo Neruda

This is easily one of my favorite poems of all time. Call me sentimental but there's just something about this poem that makes me want to sigh and marvel at the beauty of a "shattered" or a "starry" sky. Reading the poem is like hearing a lullaby. There is a sense of calm about this poem, something so romantic without being cheesy or fake. There is a sadness and a longing that I am so unfamiliar with, and this feeling, despite being unfamiliar, can still make me feel so alive.

Cargoes by John Masefield

The first time I read this poem, I didn't really get it. It sounded good but.... So, I looked up some words (okay, maybe a lot) to get the gist of the whole thing and one thing I can say about it is that it can really call images to mind (of course when you know the meaning of the words). I don't have a hard time imagining the galleon "dipping into the Tropics" with its cargo of diamonds and topazes.

The different stanzas also speak of different eras and empires: the Assyrians, the Spanish and the English. It shows how objects of value differed in those times. The first two stanzas involve cargoes of great luxury while the last one is much more humble. It seems to be illustrating the things that defined a particular empire or time. As time passes, the things that people value become less and less grandiose and more utilitarian, practical and useful. What that says about our society now, I'm not really sure. Humble, yes. Rich? Yes too, I guess. But happy?