Deon Summerville - Poetry Portfolio

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English 10 By Deon Summerville | Ms. Leschhorn MICDS POETRY PORTFOLIO APRIL 15TH, 2010

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Deon Summerville's Poetry Portfolio for English 10

Transcript of Deon Summerville - Poetry Portfolio

Page 1: Deon Summerville  - Poetry Portfolio

English 10

By Deon Summerville | Ms. Leschhorn

MICDS POETRY PORTFOLIO – APRIL 15TH, 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item Page Number

Epigraph and Personal Essay 3 - 4 “Satellites” Analytical Paragraph 5 “Satellites” by Beyoncé 6 “Smart” Analytical Paragraph 7 “Smart” by Shel Silverstein 8 “Golden Retrievals” Analytical Paragraph 9 “Golden Retrievals” by Mark Doty 10 “All Summer Long” Analytical Paragraph 11 “All Summer Long” by Carol Frost 12 “Winter Thirst” Analytical Paragraph 13 “Winter Thirst” by Gerald Stern 14 Explication of “Annabel Lee” 15 - 17 “The Reunion at East Wilcox” Synopsis 18 “The Reunion at East Wilcox” by Deon Summerville 19 “The Lucky Jack” Synopsis 20 “The Lucky Jack” by Deon Summerville 21 “Sunny Day At The Beach” Synopsis 22 “Sunny Day At The Beach” by Deon Summerville 23 “Inferno” Synopsis 24 “Inferno” by Deon Summerville 25 “The Little Monster Inside of Me” Synopsis 26 “The Little Monster Inside of Me” by Deon Summerville 27 Works Cited Page 28

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Ars Poetica

“…the same thing may be said for all of us, that we

do not admire what

we cannot understand…”

-“Poetry” by Marianne Moore

I don’t know if I ever have or ever will understand poetry. To me it’s a very confusing,

mind-boggling, head-scratching form of literature. I never quite understood the rhyming

schemes, the hidden meanings, or the titles for that matter. But even though I never understood

any of that I always believed poetry to be a great form of expression. I believe it’s an expression

of your feelings, your thoughts, or just anything that comes to mind. I believe that poetry really

has no bounds. With poetry you can write as much as you want or as little as you want. With

poetry you can talk about anything you want; you can talk about the sky or the sea or love or

even ice cream. No matter what poetry will always be special because it comes from the mind of

someone who actually took time to sit down and write it; if what they wrote about had no

significance to them they probably wouldn’t have written it.

What appeals to me about poetry are the different ways you can express yourself. You

can write about love or scorn in a sonnet, or write about anything in a free verse poem. Whatever

you want to write about there is a form of poetry for you. Most of the time poetry also has hidden

meanings and multiple metaphors that leave you thinking, and this is another thing I really like

about poetry. I like that poetry makes you think, think about your life, and your past experiences.

Thinking about the poem in relation to your own life is one of the best parts for me.

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I feel that without poems expression would have no outlet. Usually I express myself with

my poems and I feel that my poems I’ve written are very representative of me or something that I

went through, or something that I am currently going through. My poems are also original and

unique in the way that I still use common themes (i.e. love) but I put my own twist on it. My

poems for the poetry project, I feel, are some of the best poems I’ve written. I feel this way

because I was able to express my true self and I was able to show some of my creativity with

things. The Poetry Project poems all came from the heart and really represented me as a person.

Usually the poems I tend to like are witty and also full of expression. I really like poems when I

feel as though the poet has poured their heart out. I also tend to be attracted to poems that have a

really great rhyme scheme.

Overall, after doing the poetry unit I feel way more confident about reading and writing

poetry than I ever have before. This unit has helped me further understand poetry and to love

poetry for what it is. Also, this project allowed me to learn new ways to express myself through

different forms of poems. The project has exposed me a lot more to something that I never fully

understood before. And even though I still may not understand it fully now, I definitely

understand it better than before. After all of the work we’ve done with poetry I now feel like I

know why people write poetry….

expression.

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*Satellites *

The song “Satellites” by Beyoncé speaks of the love between herself and a lover. In the song she

speaks of how she’s yearning for love because her and her lover have been split apart for a while.

She explains how the distance between the two has caused her to hurt and really dislike the times

when they are apart. In the song she uses the metaphor of satellites to compare their love to the

satellites in the way that they seem to pass each other every once in a while and then depart and

only meet up again after a long time. She feels as though their love can’t be as strong if they are

isolated from each other and she doesn’t know how to carry on if they can’t see each other as

much as she would like. I like this poem because Beyoncé sings the song really well and I

believe that many lovers could probably relate to this song because they might feel pain when

their lover is away.

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Satellites by Beyoncé

Satellites flashing by

It's a beautiful state we're in

But how can we love in isolation?

Think how happy we can be when we just try

We're nothing like we seem

Passionate words are never spoken

You don't know how I bleed

When I leave your side

In your eyes love's alive

We've come untied

'cause we're flashing by

Like satellites, satellites

Take all the rules away

How can we live if we don't change?

We're always on display

Let's run and hide

In our eyes love's alive

We've come untied

'cause we're flashing by

Like satellites, satellites

If we don't communicate

We'll exist in our own space

We have all the love we need

While we're apart I cannot breathe

Satellites flashing by

Satellites

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*Smart*

“Smart” by Shel Silverstein describes a situation where the speaker, a young boy, receives 1

dollar form his father and tries to outsmart him. The boy becomes when naïve when he tries to

trade his dollar bill for 2 quarters, and then the 2 quarters for 3 dimes and so on. This poem

shows the innocence of children because the little boy didn’t know what he was doing he just

thought that more objects means more value. The boy thinks his father will be proud of him

when he tells his father that he traded the dollar bill, but it turns out that the father is so angry

that he turns red and is speechless. And being the innocent child the boy is he believed that his

dad was speechless because he was proud of him. I like this poem because it was very witty and

showed the fun spirit of children.

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Smart by Shel Silverstein

My dad gave me one dollar bill

'Cause I'm his smartest son,

And I swapped it for two shiny quarters

'Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters

And traded them to Lou

For three dimes-I guess he don't know

that three is more than two!

Just them, along came old blind Bates

And just 'cause he can't see

He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,

And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs

Down at the seed-feed store,

and the fool gave me five pennies for them,

And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,

and he go red in the cheeks

And closed his eyes and shook his head-

Too proud of me to speak!

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*Golden Retrievals*

“Golden Retrievals” by Mark Doty personifies a dog, the speaker, as a fed up dog that is tired of

being bossed around by humans. The dog speaks of how the owner thinks the dog likes to catch

and fetch, but in reality the dog doesn’t like those things they actually bore him. This poem gives

a different point of owning pets since its form the dog’s point of view. Usually in poems the

speaker is a human, but in this one it’s a dog and that’s what makes it so unique. It makes you

think about whether pets actually like to do the things you make it do like fetch, etc. Usually you

won’t know what the animal thinks about the situation but now you get an opinion from the

actual animal. I like this poem because of the different perspective it takes on the roles of pets

and humans. Also, the poem shows how humans usually overlook the feelings and emotions of

their pets; they just try to have pets as companions and they think that the animals will enjoy

everything that you want it to do.

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Golden Retrievals by Mark Doty

Fetch? Balls and sticks capture my attention

seconds at a time. Catch? I don't think so.

Bunny, tumbling leaf, a squirrel who's--oh

joy--actually scared. Sniff the wind, then

I'm off again: muck, pond, ditch, residue

of any thrillingly dead thing. And you?

Either you're sunk in the past, half our walk,

thinking of what you never can bring back,

or else you're off in some for concerning

--tomorrow, is that what you call it? My work:

to unsnare time's warp (and woof!), retrieving,

my haze-headed friend, you. This shining bark

a Zen master's bronzy gong, calls you here,

entirely, now: bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow

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*All Summer Long*

“All Summer Long” by Carol Frost examines the everyday life of a child in the summertime.

The tone of the poem represents how summer is usually relaxed and calm. This poem shows the

open imagination of children especially in the line: “The sky is clay for the child who is past

being tired…” This line refers to how children mold clay into different shapes and to the child it

seems as if the clouds are different shapes. The child believes the clouds are different shapes

because they have a vivid imagination and they are also bored. The poem also talks about how

the child is lonely and they don’t like silence so they end up talking to themselves to fill the

silence. And this shows how children can make the best of situations and be creative by coming

up with things to do. I like this poem because the description of the summer reminds me of my

own summers. It reminds me of the smells, the sounds, and the humidity. It also reminds me of

how much I’m actually outside in the summer.

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All Summer Long by Carol Frost

The dogs eat hoof slivers and lie under the porch.

A strand of human hair hangs strangely from a fruit tree

like a cry in the throat. The sky is clay for the child who is past

being tired, who wanders in waist-deep

grasses. Gnats rise in a vapor,

in a long mounting whine around her forehead and ears.

The sun is an indistinct moon. Frail sticks

of grass poke her ankles,

and a wet froth of spiders touches her legs

like wet fingers. The musk and smell

of air are as hot as the savory

terrible exhales from a tired horse.

The parents are sleeping all afternoon,

and no one explains the long uneasy afternoons.

She hears their combined breathing and swallowing

salivas, and sees their sides rising and falling

like the sides of horses in the hot pasture.

At evening a breeze dries and crumbles

the sky and the clouds float like undershirts

and cotton dresses on a clothesline. Horses

rock to their feet and race or graze.

Parents open their shutters and call

the lonely, happy child home.

The child who hates silences talks and talks

of cicadas and the manes of horses.

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*Winter Thirst* “Winter Thirst” by Gerald Stern explores the world and life of the speaker in the winter season.

The town the speaker lives in is probably in an industrial town because he describes how the

snow has black flecks in it and that’s probably from the soot coming from a factory. The job the

narrator was working at probably didn’t have light since they said they carried candles around

and it guided their way. This poem is an untraditional sonnet. I believe the reason the poem is

still considered a sonnet because I believe this is a caudate sonnet; a caudate sonnet is a sonnet

that has the traditional 14 lines but has a coda (extension) in this case it has a 7 line coda. I like

this poem because the descriptions are very vivid and it takes a while to understand but once you

do understand you find out that it is a beautiful poem.

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Winter Thirst by Gerald Stern

I grew up with bitumous in my mouth

and sulfur smelling like rotten eggs and I

first started to cough because my lungs were like cardboard;

and what we called snow was gray with black flecks

that were like glue when it came to snowballs and made

them hard and crusty, though we still ate the snow

anyhow, and as for filth, well, start with

smoke, I carried it with me I know everywhere

and someone sitting beside me in New York or Paris

would know where I came from, we would go in for dinner—

red meat or brown choucroute—and he would

guess my hill, and we would talk about soot

and what a dirty neck was like and how

the white collar made a fine line;

and I told him how we pulled heavy wagons

and loaded boxcars every day from five

to one A.M. and how good it was walking

empty-handed to the no. 69 streetcar

and how I dreamed of my bath and how the water

was black and soapy then and what the void

was like and how a candle instructed me.

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“Annabel Lee” Explication

The poem “Annabel Lee,” by Edgar Allan Poe, addresses the conflict of losing someone

you love which in this case is the speaker’s wife who has died. Through the poem the speaker

shows that he and his wife have deep love for each other, a love like no other. They had both

grown up in the kingdom together: “She was a child and I was a child, / In this kingdom by the

sea” (7-8). Throughout most of the poem the speaker speaks in mainly a lilting tone, but when

his wife dies is when the tone of the poem changes. Mainly the speaker is just talking about the

kingdom by the sea in general terms, but after his wife dies he visits her tomb on the beach:

“And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side / Of my darling, my darling, my life and my

bride, / In the sepulcher there by the sea” (37-39). Throughout the poem the speaker is most

likely addressing the person reading the poem or he is telling his story to a friend or family

member. He probably feels compelled to speak at this moment because of his love for his wife;

she means a lot to him, at least enough to talk about her in such an expressive way. The speaker

probably feels as though their story should and needs to be heard.

The poem starts off with the speaker introducing to us Annabel Lee. He tells of her living

in the kingdom by the sea, and how she thought of nothing else but loving him: “And this

maiden she lived with no other thought / Than to love and be loved by me” (5-6). When he says

she has no other thought than to love him he is insinuating that Annabel wants to be loved and

specifically by him. In the first stanza the rhyme is as follows: “ababcb.” The speaker then

moves on to telling us how both he and Annabel grew up in the kingdom and even though they

were children they had a really passionate love for each other: “But we loved with a love that

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was more than love-- / I and my Annabel Lee” (9-10). Their love was so strong that the angels in

heaven crave to have a love as good as theirs. The rhyme scheme of this stanza becomes a little

less structured than the first with a rhyme scheme of: “dbebfb.”

The next two stanzas talk of the death of Annabel Lee and the relationship between

Annabel’s death and the angels of heaven. The speaker describes Annabel’s death: “A wind blew

out of a cloud by night / Chilling my Annabel Lee” (15-16), and when Annabel dies the speaker

feels as though they have snatched something very meaningful from him. The speaker begins to

blame the angels for his lover’s death: “The angels, not half so happy in heaven, / Went envying

her and me—” (21-22), claiming that they envy their love so much that they want to kill Annabel

because they are jealous. The angels killing Annabel is pretty ironic because angels are supposed

to represent purity and spiritualism. But the angels could also be selfish and want Annabel to

become an angel because maybe god believes she will serve a good purpose as an angel. No

matter what the reason for Annabel’s death the speaker still remains hurt.

The last two stanzas of the poem become less and less structured than the others and

maybe this is because the speaker’s thoughts a scattered at this moment due to the loss he has

taken. He goes on to talking about how no one can separate him and Annabel’s souls even

though she has died: “Can ever dissever my soul from the soul / Of the beautiful Annabel Lee”

(32-33). He feels as though their love is very strong and unbreakable. As his life goes on, the

speaker’s thoughts and dreams never stray away from Annabel Lee.

In the last four lines of the poem the speaker visits his wife’s tomb by the sea. The sea

shows significance here because it portrays a role of destruction because the kingdom in itself is

so vulnerable being that close to the sea. The sea is also a liminal space in which Annabel lost

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her life, leading her into the afterlife. Also, the sea just keeps getting stronger and strong which

could potentially lead to the destruction of other’s lives, maybe even the speaker’s life.

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*The Reunion at East Wilcox*

This terza rima shows someone's excitement about visiting their family. The speaker of the poem

hasn't seen all of their family in a long time and so this reunion is a very exciting event for them.

The speaker loves the family reunions so much because when they're around their family they

feel safe and protected from the troubles of the world.

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The Reunion at East Wilcox by Deon Summerville East Wilcox is a very familiar place; It's a place I yearn to see every summer break. It's filled with memories and laughter that I could never replace. As I arrive I look around as I wake, Wondering how many family members I will see, And wondering what kind of cake my aunt will bake. As I look around I only spot three, Three cars occupied by familiar faces, Three cars occupied by family members filled with glee. One is my cousin whom just got braces, Another is an uncle whom I haven't seen in a year, And another is an aunt whom my mother embraces. Now that we're all here, We won't have to worry nor fear.

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*The Lucky Jack*

This free verse is centered around a jack. The speaker was given the jack by her grandfather as a

gift; she often carries it around because she believes it to be lucky. But, will her luck leave when

she loses it?

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The Lucky Jack by Deon Summerville

Rusty as a nail,

worn out like a 50 year old shoe

the jack fell out of her pocket right before her baton twirling performance.

She didn't know of this, and if she did she would be

---DEVASTATED.

A gift is what it was--for her 7th birthday.

She carried it in her pocket everywhere she went because she believed it to be

---lucky.

She loved

the metallic sound it made as it made contact with the ground

the 2 straight points and the 4 round ones

the feel of its coarse exterior

She started baton twirling because the baton reminded her so much of the shape of her lucky

jack.

After she finds out about the jack being lost will she become:

hurt?

Depressed?

Anguished?

…the jack might be lost forever…but the memories it holds shall be with her eternally

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*Sunny Day at the Shore*

This hymnal measure details someone's day at the beach. On the beach the speaker is able to

escape society and actually enjoy life. While on the beach the speaker is able to examine things

they hadn't noticed before in the city life.

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Sunny Day at the Shore by Deon Summerville With tepid water poised beneath, Teal seashells 'tween my toes Sun beaming downward, passing by Sun gleaming 'bout my nose. My sandy digits cozy now, While rapid tides gain force, As the glistening ball sets west A ship changes its course.

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*Inferno*

This sonnet examines the consequences of telling lies. It shows how these lies can affect not only

yourself but others as well. It also shows how telling a lie could potentially ruin the relationships

you have with others.

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Inferno by Deon Summerville

With hatred brandished about our faces,

Staring sharply into each other's eyes;

Bodies fervent as the ablaze places,

Feeling the pain of each other's deep lies.

Our bodies burning ardent flames of grief,

They flicker rapidly, humid, stronger;

Our hatred echoes frantic although brief,

Our hatred echoed frantic though longer.

Steam billows from our blazing midnight clash,

While waking countless families from their trance;

Soot, flames, combustion, smolder amidst ash,

Our bond crumbling into big, bad romance.

Tears, terror, distress--appear through the climb,

The inferno will come in life sometime.

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*The Little Monster Inside of Me*

This "I Am" poems examines me as a person. It illustrates my characteristics, abilities and

things I appreciate. Basically, it outlines everything I'm about.

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The Little Monster Inside of Me by Deon Summerville DEON ANTHONY SUMMERVILLE Kind, courteous, chaotic Teen, lean, sometimes mean I am all of these, but also…. I am courageous,

willing to push my talents to the limit which sometimes can be outrageous. I am a dancer,

one who loves to dance and choreograph. I am an actor,

who loves to express himself through the bodies of different characters. I am a little monster,

captivated by every song, video and lyric GaGa releases. I am a gleek,

every week faithfully watching episodes of Glee. I am a bibliophile,

I try to wrap my mind around any book I can get my hands on, even the ones I haven't read in a while.

I am an optimist, I expect all of my goals to come true and for everyday to be a good one.

I am cooperative, willing to listen to others' opinions.

I am a Gemini, whose birthday is June 4th and sometimes my mood switches back and forth.

I am yours, yours to cherish and love.

I am free, free to be me.

I am Deon Summerville, a 15-year-old aspiring to succeed.

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Works Cited

Beyoncé. "Satellites." I Am…Sasha Fierce. Columbia, 2008. CD.

Doty, Mark. "Golden Retrievals." Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems. New York:

HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. 225. Print.

Frost, Carol. "All Summer Long." Poetry Foundation. 05 March 2010.

<http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=181144 > Web.

Kelly, Joseph, ed. The Seagull Reader Poems. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008.

Print.

Moore, Marianne. "Poetry." Kelly The Seagull Reader 226. Print.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "Annabel Lee." Kelly The Seagull Reader 249-250. Print.

Silverstine, Shel. "Smart." Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper & Row Publisher's Inc.,

1974. 35. Print.

Stern, Gerald. "Winter Thirst." American Sonnets: Poems. New York: W.W. Norton &

Company, Inc., 2002. 11. Print.