Places among the stars

Places among the stars,
Soft gardens near the sun,
Keep your distant beauty;
Shed no beams upon my weak heart.
Since she is here
In a place of blackness,
Not your golden days
Nor your silver nights
Can call me to you.
Since she is here
In a place of blackness,
Here I stay and wait

 

I really like this poem because of it's tone.  The title itself is so calming, and I think the general idea here is very heartwarming.  I take this poem to mean that this man will wait for this woman forever because he loves her.  It's a truly genuine feeling that I think everyone can relate to.  It seems as if this poem only has one stanza, but it's a good one.  I don't see a lot of alliteration, rhyme, or assonace here, but there is amazing imagery.  The way the stars are compared to something on Earth is very practical.  He says the stars are "in the garden of the sun."  This is somewhat of a Metaphor.  The following line adds to the tone and love theme of this poem:  "Shed no beams upon my weak heart."  I see these "beams" in his heart as a symbol of her love and how it completes him.  Being with her makes him strong.  All they want to do is sit together under the stars and enjoy each other's company.  It's a sweet idea!  

 

Maria's favorite Poem:

 

You tell me this is God?

I tell you this is a printed list,

A burning candle, and an ass.

 

I think that I like the poem because it's so in your face. I believe that this poem is saying that just because you have something written doesn't mean that it's proof of anything. I don't want to offend anybody by picking this poem I just feel that this can be food for thought.

 

Jim's favorite poem:

 

Three little birds in a row

Three little birds in a row
Sat musing.
A man passed near that place.
Then did the little birds nudge each other.

They said, "He thinks he can sing."
They threw back their heads to laugh.
With quaint countenances
They regarded him.
They were very curious,
Those three little birds in a row.

 

To me this poem separates social class by using birds instead of a real human class like nobles and peasants. The birds being the nobles and the person passing by being the peasant. The birds mock the person about his/her singing because obviously birds are better at singing than a person that is tone deaf. So they blatantly make fun of the person while s/he is walking by and s/he probably wants to say something but doesn't because of social constraints or he just would look stupid yelling at some birds. So he just walks away.

 

Robin's pick for worst poem:

 

Yes, I have a thousand tongues

Yes, I have a thousand tongues,
And nine and ninety-nine lie.
Though I strive to use the one,
It will make no melody at my will,
But is dead in my mouth.

 

I guess I just don't really understand this poem, and that's why I don't like it.  The concept of having more than one tongue to lie with is just too far-fetched for me.  I don't get it.  This poem is only one stanza, but is very concise and confusing at the same time.  The meaning of this poem is not clearly understood, so neither is the tone.  I see no rhyme, or any other real poetic elements like assonance or alliteration.  I would have to say, though, that the symbol here is the "tongue," I'm just not sure what it's a symbol for.  Overall, I think this poem is not a good example to use for studying poems.  It does, however, leave you wondering and wanting more, which maybe is the point in the first place. 

 

Maria's Pick for worst/weird poem:

Behold, the grave of a wicked man

Behold, the grave of a wicked man,
And near it, a stern spirit.

There came a drooping maid with violets,
But the spirit grasped her arm.
"No flowers for him," he said.
The maid wept:
"Ah, I loved him."
But the spirit, grim and frowning:
"No flowers for him."

Now, this is it --
If the spirit was just,
Why did the maid weep?

I picked this poem because I guess it annoyed me. So what if a person was bad or whatever when they were alive. There will always be a person in their lives that really truly love them and I think that if they feel the need bring flowers to the grave then so what. The people suffering are the people who are still alive with the memories of the past loved ones. The spirit in the poem sucks!