To an Athlete Dying Young

To an Athlete Dying Young

 

By A. E. Housman 1859–1936

 

The time you won your town the race

We chaired you through the market-place;

Man and boy stood cheering by,

And home we brought you shoulder-high.

 

 

Today, the road all runners come,

Shoulder-high we bring you home,

And set you at your threshold down,

Townsman of a stiller town.

 

 

Smart lad, to slip betimes away

From fields where glory does not stay,

And early though the laurel grows

It withers quicker than the rose.

 

 

Eyes the shady night has shut

Cannot see the record cut,

And silence sounds no worse than cheers

After earth has stopped the ears.

 

 

Now you will not swell the rout

Of lads that wore their honours out,

Runners whom renown outran

And the name died before the man.

 

 

So set, before its echoes fade,

The fleet foot on the sill of shade,

And hold to the low lintel up

The still-defended challenge-cup.

 

 

And round that early-laurelled head

Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,

And find unwithered on its curls

The garland briefer than a girl’s.

Analysis of Wait for me

Wait for me

By Konstantin Simonov

 

To Valentina Serova

 

 

Wait for me, and I'll come back! (Repeating for impressive; motif)

Wait with all you've got!

Wait, when dreary沉闷的，枯燥的 yellow rains(sight, the symbol of war time)

Tell you, you should not.

Wait when snow is falling fast,(symbolism)

Wait when summer's hot,(long time for waiting)

Wait when yesterdays are past,

Others are forgot.

Wait, when from that far-off place,

Letters don't arrive.(very anxious)

Wait, when those with whom you wait

Doubt if I'm alive.

 

(At the beginning of the first stanza, author comes straight to the point—“wait for me, I’m coming back!” which is the motif of this poem and directly bring a vivid picture. Dreary yellow rain; snowing fast; summer’s hot means summer passing soon after hot; yesterday past, above all are provement of point of view. The word”wait” is the theme of stanza)

 

Wait for me, and I'll come back!(create a hopeful atmosphere, looking forward to coming home )

Wait in patience yet

When they tell you off by heart

That you should forget.

Even when my dearest ones

Say that I am lost,(a example of coming back soon)

Even when my friends give up,

Sit and count the cost,

Drink a glass of bitter wine苦酒

To the fallen friend –坠落

Wait! And do not drink with them!

Wait until the end!

 

(The author explains a example that if someone says he is lost, drinking a glass of bitter wine,which means the symbol of sadness. At the end of second stanza, the author says that don’t drink that wine. It shows that he will coming back soon, closing the motif again.)

 

Wait for me and I'll come back,

Dodging避开 every fate命运，注定!

"What a bit of luck!" they'll say,

Those that would not wait.

They will never understand

How amidst the strife,冲突，不和

By your waiting for me, dear,

You had saved my life.

Only you and I will know

How you got me through.

Simply - you knew how to wait -

No one else but you.

 Someone that the author expects for and being impatient waiting.

1941

 

    Idea of this poem is that author trying to explain to his friends or omeone who cares about him, telling them that don’t be impatient of him coming back. HOWEVER, the author uses five sences and symbolism to describe an anxious situation, lead the whole atmosphere into a conflict between being impatient to waiting for him and using environmental clues which are summer’s hot; winter’s snow falling fast and letters are not arrived yet, etc. Also foreshadowing that he is coming back soon.

The mood of this poem is very indefatigable for coming home soon and the author encourages his friends that keeping being patient and waiting for him.

Wait for me by Konstantin Simonov

Wait for me

By Konstantin Simonov

 

To Valentina Serova

 

 

Wait for me, and I'll come back!

Wait with all you've got!

Wait, when dreary沉闷的，枯燥的 yellow rains

Tell you, you should not.

Wait when snow is falling fast,

Wait when summer's hot,

Wait when yesterdays are past,

Others are forgot.

Wait, when from that far-off place,

Letters don't arrive.

Wait, when those with whom you wait

Doubt if I'm alive.

 

Wait for me, and I'll come back!

Wait in patience yet

When they tell you off by heart

That you should forget.

Even when my dearest ones

Say that I am lost,

Even when my friends give up,

Sit and count the cost,

Drink a glass of bitter wine苦酒

To the fallen friend –坠落

Wait! And do not drink with them!

Wait until the end!

 

Wait for me and I'll come back,

Dodging避开 every fate!命运，注定

"What a bit of luck!" they'll say,

Those that would not  wait.

They will never understand

How amidst the strife,冲突，不和

By your waiting for me, dear,

You had saved my life.

Only you and I will know

How you got me through.

Simply - you knew how to wait -

No one else but you.

 

1941

analysis of Water

file://D:\HOMEWORK IN 11TH 2nd\English II\Water.htm

Water

Water

By Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803–1882

 

The water understands

Civilization well;

It wets my foot, but prettily,

It chills 寒战my life, but wittily, 机智地，俏皮地

It is not disconcerted, 不安地，惊惶地

It is not broken-hearted:

Well used, it decketh (docked停住，连接)joy,

Adorned,被修饰的 double joy:

Ill used, it will destroy,

In perfect time and measure

With a face of golden pleasure

Elegantly优美的 destroy.

Analysis of Spring

English II

Ms.Quinn

Poetry analysis

Lichao Zhang

1.22.13

 

Spring (Theme is renewal, rebirth; Mood is happy and excited; Tone is positive and energetic)

 

By Edna St. Vincent Millay1892–1950

 

To what purpose, April(the transfer spring to summer, the author has special feelings---Foreshadowing), do you return again?

Beauty is not enough. （the exclamatory sentence to express that he loves spring, no limited）

You can no longer quiet(emotional word; a symbol of spring) me with the redness(a color of spring; a figurative language: red means energy, passion, kind of antonym of quiet. Also it is an example of metaphor to show not only color, but also the hope of spring. And using vision which is the one of sensory imagery or five senses. In addition readers can feel and touch the spring )

Of little leaves(symbolism; a symbol of spring) opening stickily( a big key word; the description of personification, it means leaves opening slowly, the author doesn’t want them opening too fast, through leaves shows he loves spring and he is reluctant to leave in the spring ).

I know what I know.

The sun(symbolism; a symbol of spring) is hot(simile,the author feels power, spring is a powerful season, life renew) on my neck as I observe (vision and touch which are the one of sensory imagery or five sense, feels the spring express loving spring)

The spikes(a big key word a strong feeling word) 钉牢of the crocus.番红花

The smell of the earth(symbolism which is the foundation of life, everything growing on this planet)泥土 is good.

It is apparent 显然的that there is no death(an energetic land).

But what does that signify意味?

Not only under ground are the brains of men(simile, means human beings)

Eaten by maggots.蛆虫 (sarcasm, irony, maggots means human; human overusing the natural resources;human lost their respect for their home, for where they grow and live; call on for being respected for nature; the author showing his respectful; mood is full of revere敬畏 )

Life in itself

Is nothing（sarcasm）,

An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.(irony, empty and uncarpeted means nothing; a sort of metaphor express that human being disrespectful will get nothing )一个空杯，一趟楼梯未铺地毯的班机

It is not enough that yearly一年一次, down this hill, (?)

April

Comes like an idiot(simile&figurative language&hyperbole&metaphor, crazy for coming, showing the author is crazy for loving spring), babbling(onomatopoeia,sound of spring which are everything is growing; the movement of inside of the author, excited and happy; hearing sound)咿呀学语，喋喋不休 and strewing(a big key word; personification; author won’t let spring pass; love spring)撒播 flowers(symbolism).

Spring

By Edna St. Vincent Millay1892–1950

To what purpose, April, do you return again?

Beauty is not enough.

You can no longer quiet me with the redness

Of little leaves opening stickily.

I know what I know.

The sun is hot on my neck as I observe

The spikes of the crocus.

The smell of the earth is good.

It is apparent that there is no death.

But what does that signify?

Not only under ground are the brains of men

Eaten by maggots.

Life in itself

Is nothing,

An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.

It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,

April

Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

Spring

By Edna St. Vincent Millay1892–1950

To what purpose, April, do you return again?

Beauty is not enough.

You can no longer quiet me with the redness

Of little leaves opening stickily.

I know what I know.

The sun is hot on my neck as I observe

The spikes of the crocus.

The smell of the earth is good.

It is apparent that there is no death.

But what does that signify?

Not only under ground are the brains of men

Eaten by maggots.

Life in itself

Is nothing,

An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.

It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,

April

Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

China III

China III

By Adrienne Su b. 1967 Adrienne Su

 

 

It is too much a part of things,

even though the source来源 is not within.

 

In small American cities

with and without universities,

 

it keeps a constant presence  不变的存在

in the Confucian sense, 道理，观念

 

the inner arriving to match匹配

the outer, spirit not separate 分离

 

from matter (the latter illusion幻觉，错觉

left by the missions传授

 

the people have made such fine

use of). There are times

 

when you have to pretend

to embrace 信奉，皈依an idea or befriend帮助，扶助

 

your adversaries敌人. If constantly不断地，时常地

misinterpreted, use the mystery

 

as currency. You have to start

somewhere. Be wise明智: depart离开，启程

 

from where they’ve already put you.

A country itself can’t betray you.

 

This poem has a certain history background about a decade from 1966-1976. During this decade the government made a huge wrong decision that to destroy all the old thing from Chinese history which are particularly including Confucian sense stuff and all the traditional constactures.

The mood of this poem is extremely serious about that period unforgettable history. And the poet try to tell people who could not find a exit from that horriable nightmare to get rid of it.

The tone of this poem is heavy and strong about emotional feeling and physicstical reaction.