Poems By Stevenson
Summer Sun Great is the sun, and wide he goes Through empty heaven with repose; And in the blue and glowing days More thick than rain he showers his rays. Though closer still the blinds we pull To keep the shady parlour cool, Yet he will find a chink or two To slip his golden fingers through. The dusty attic spider-clad He, through the keyhole, maketh glad; And through the broken edge of tiles Into the laddered hay-loft smiles. Meantime his golden face around He bares to all the garden ground, And sheds a warm and glittering look Among the ivy's inmost nook. Above the hills, along the blue, Round the bright air with footing true, To please the child, to paint the rose, The gardener of the World, he goes. Interpretation/Subject
This poem is about the wonder and curiosity he felt as a child when he would see the sun and how it affected and inspired him as a child. Connection to me I can connect to the poem because the sun was very interesting as a child and I would often personify things (like the sun), humans are often inclined to do this because we are pattern seekers and will always assume intent when something happens. Author's Mood/Feeling about the subject In this poem, the author's mood about summer sun is happy and whimsical. Words and phrases that are clues as to what the mood is are repose, golden, "maketh glad", smiles, warm, and "to please". |
Shadow I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed. The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow-- Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, And he sometimes goes so little that there's none of him at all. He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close behind me, he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed. Interpretation/Subject This poem is about the narrator's shadow, in this poem the narrator holds a shadow to the same standard someone might hold a person to, this seems to be from the perspective of a child who is still learning about the way things are, and does not understand the differences between objects and people. Connection to me My connection to this poem is that my grandmother used to read it to me, and when I finally learned to read, I would sometimes read it to myself. Author's Mood/Feeling about the subject The author's mood of this poem is judgement and admonition towards his shadow. Words and phrases that are clues about what the mood is are "there is no use in him that i can see", "not at all like proper children", "doesn't have a notion how children ought to play", "he's a coward", and "like a lazy sleepy head". (While the mood in this poem is one of judgement and admonition, it is really meant to be funny.) |
The Swing How do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue? Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do! Up in the air and over the wall, Till I can see so wide, River and trees and cattle and all Over the countryside-- Till I look down on the garden green, Down on the roof so brown-- Up in the air I go flying again, Up in the air and down! Interpretation/Subject
This poem is about a child's excitement at riding on a swing set, and is possibly about Stevenson's own childhood and how he liked to go on swings as a child. Connection to Me I can definitely relate to this poem because as a young child, one of my favorite things to do on a playground was to ride on the swings and pretend I could fly. Author's Mood/Feeling about the subject The author's mood of this poem is fondness and exhilaration. Words and phrases that are clues about what the mood is are "it is the pleasantest thing a child can do", and "up in the air I go flying again". |
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