Analyzing the Literary Works; Poem/Poetry

A. Definition

• Poetry: Collection of poems
• Poem: The Spontaneous over flow of the powerful feeling recollected in tranquility. (William Wordsworth)
• Poet: The author of the poem/poetry.

B. Kind of Poems

• Ballad: A simple song or poem, esp. one that tells an old story.
• Ballade: A poem of one or more stanzas, each with 7,8, or 10 lines or musical composition of a romantic nature.
• Didactic poem: Poem which is in tended to teach.
• Narrative poem: Poem which tells a story.
• Sonnet: The 14 lines poem.
• Ode: Poem that written in an irregular matter and expressing noble feelings.
• Lyric: Poem that expressing direct personal feelings.
• Lyrics (pl): Verses of a song.
• Epic: poem which tells about heroic deeds.

C.  Analyzing the Poem/Poetry

1. Analyzing by the Nature of Poetry
1. Sense or Theme: The form of expression (What's the poem talks about).
2. Tone: The writer's attitude toward the readers. It means the poet should write the poem adjusted to the readers interest, to the situation.
3. Felling: The writer's point of view. It means the writer's attitude towards the subject mater his/her own experience or other experience.
4. Intention: The aims (Purposes).
2. Analyzing by the Method of Writing Poetry
1. Rhyme & Rhythm: The flow or movement of a line, whether it goes fast or slow, calm or troubled.
2. Diction: A choice of words (pemilihan kata).
3. Concrete word: Very powerful words (kata yang bermakna kuat).
4. Imagery: Mental picture (daya khayal).
5. Figure of Speech: Gaya bahasa-majas (simile, metaphore & Personification).
• E.g:
  Personification:
  O.. Rose thou art sick
  The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.
  Hyperbole:
  I’ve told you a million times
  Simile:
  She is beautiful as a picture
  He is as quiet as a church mouse
  Metaphor:
  She is an angle to me

D. Paraphrase the Poem

The Sick Rose By William Blake	Paraphrase
O Rose thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm: Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy.	This poem talks about the rose that refers to a young virgin woman that has blinded by her love towards the man. That man took her heart and make fun of her. Howling storm signifies the magnitude at which the man cunningly comes in and defiles her bed of crimson joy (happiness – a fake feeling of joy) taking away all her radiance and causing her to wither (sickness – destroy her life.)

 

Lucy By William Wordsworth

Paraphrase

She dwelt among the untrodden ways Beside the springs of Dove Maid whom there were none to praise And very few to love A violet by a massy stone Half hidden from the eye! Fair as a star, when only one Is shining in the sky. She lived unknown, and few could know When Lucy ceased to be But she is in her grave, and, oh, The different to me!

This poem talks about a plain looking quiet woman who may have been good, kind, talented and intelligent. Considered to be a little pretty as long as there were no other women around to show her up. But she saw through her plain looks to see the true value of the soul inside herself. She never received any praise or recognition when she was alive. When she died she left a deep pain in hearts of the care few people who bothered to get to know her.

The Kangaroo By Barron Field	Paraphrase
Kangaroo, Kangaroo! Thou Spirit of Australia, That redeems from utter failure, From perfect desolation, And warrants the creation Of this fifth part of the Earth, …	This poem talks about the spirit of Australian people. The kangaroo represents the Australian spirit. The spirit that is worth as a form of redemption of the words failure and destruction in the past and also blessing in disguise as part of one of the continents in the world.

The Boss of the Shearing Shed

When I was young, I used to roam, for I was hard as nails; I humped my swag along the track in sunny New South Wales. I followed all the dusty roads, where’er my fancy led, And that was how I came to meet the boss of the shearing shed. He made us work the whole day long on a board all wet with slime, And when I stopped to blow me nose, he said I was wasting time! So, I grabbed his prize merino ram, and I slipped and cut its head, And that was how I got the sack from the boss of the shearing shed. Then sadly I rolled up my swag and started down the track, And there I met a pretty girl, a mounted on a hack; I asked the lass who she might be, and this is what she said, “Why, Sir, I am the daughter of the boss of the shearing shed!” Well, soon I found I loved that girl, and it was plain to see, By the twinkle in her pretty eyes, she’d took a shine to me! One day, we wandered off to town, and there we two were wed; And now I am the son-in-law of the boss of the shearing shed!

Paraphrase

This poem talks about the man (the poet) who has wandering life with a hard life. Once, he met the Boss of the shearing shed and then he work for him, but the Boss of the shearing shed made him and the other worked all day long with muddy conditions. Although he was stopped to take a breath for a moment, the Boss thought it was just a waste of time. He was upset and decided to pull the Boss’ Merino ram then shave fur its head, and that’s why he got fired by the Boss of shearing shed. Then, he returned to wander along the road and he have to struggle of his life. Through met a pretty girl who is actually the daughter of the Boss of the shearing shed, then they falling love each other and got married. Even he had to accept the fact that he has been being the son-in-law of the Boss of the shearing shed who he hates before.

Goodbye (Alan Maley)

Paraphrase

“Do not lie”, She said. “I’ll try”, He said. “My Eye”, She said. “Don’t cry”, He said. “I’ll die”, She said. “Oh, my”, He said. “Good bye”, She said.

This poem talks about a couple that will separate from each other. A woman asked her lover to don’t lie her. The man said that he would try to do that, but actually, he didn’t. The woman was disappointed and so sad, then the woman began to cry. The man tried to persuade the woman to stop crying. However, the woman felt hopeless and she couldn’t endure her hurt then she decided to leave the man by say goodbye.