deon summerville - poetry portfolio
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Deon Summerville's Poetry Portfolio for English 10TRANSCRIPT
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.