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.

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.

the analyzing of The End and the Beginning

 

English II

Ms.Quinn

Lichao Zhang

1.14.13

 

 

This poem I think that is the most perfect one that to show the process about rebuilt which from messy to clean, from not exist to birth. The author grew up during war age. She was there to witness this historic scene.

From one end of the war to the beginning of a new life, I think about the background of the people of that particular time should be tough.

Scum, ashes, sofa springs, splintered glass, and bloody rags, dead bodies, rusty carriage, destroyed roads and bridges, the author reference with representatives of the characteristics of the times, no doubt creating a solemn atmosphere but with the newborn breath, and use of contrast tactic reference old things to refer to the occurrence of new things, while foreshadowing below to start a new life.

 

Visible the author fully injected the desire of new life into this lovely poem.

The End and the Beginning

The End and the Beginning

 

By Wisława Szymborska 1923–2012

Translated By Joanna Trzeciak

 

After every war

Someone has to clean up.

Things won’t

straighten themselves up, after all.

 

 

Someone has to push the rubble

to the side of the road,

so the corpse-filled wagons

can pass.

 

 

Someone has to get mired

in scum and ashes,

sofa springs,

splintered glass,

and bloody rags.

 

 

Someone has to drag in a girder

to prop up a wall.

Someone has to glaze a window,

rehang a door.

 

 

Photogenic it’s not,

and takes years.

All the cameras have left

for another war.

 

 

We’ll need the bridges back,

and new railway stations.

Sleeves will go ragged

from rolling them up.

 

 

Someone, broom in hand,

still recalls the way it was.

Someone else listens

and nods with unsevered head.

But already there are those nearby

starting to mill about

who will find it dull.

 

 

From out of the bushes

sometimes someone still unearths

rusted-out arguments

and carries them to the garbage pile.

 

 

Those who knew

what was going on here

must make way for

those who know little.

And less than little.

And finally as little as nothing.

 

 

In the grass that has overgrown

causes and effects,

someone must be stretched out

blade of grass in his mouth

gazing at the clouds.