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Wind And Window Flower – This poem means that not everything can go the way you think it’s supposed to go. “Lovers
forget your love,” is an example of the meaning of “Wind and Window Flower” because lovers think they are supposed to be
together, but they can’t be because they forget their love when it seems people who love each other are meant to be
together. The wind was concerned with dead weeds and unmated birds the things that are barely loved, when it seems that
everything should be loved.
Lovers, forget your love, - Forget your relationships
And list to the love of these, - Listen to the love of the window flower and the winter breeze
She a window flower,- One lover is a flower in the window that represents the girl
And he a winter breeze.- The other lover was a winter breeze who represents a man
When the frosty window veil – The ice shards were melted so the flower could see
Was melted down at noon, - The ice was melted at noon
And the caged yellow bird- There was a caged yellow bird
Hung over her in tune, - The bird was singing above the flower in a cage
He marked her through the pane,- The wind noticed the flower through the window
He could not help but mark,- The wind couldn’t help noticing the flower
And only passed her by,- The wind just passed by the flower
To come again at dark.- The wind would return again at night
He was a winter wind,- The wind was a winter wind
Concerned with ice and snow,- The wind was concerned with ice and snow
Dead weeds and unmated birds,-The wind was concerned with unloved things
And little of love could know.- and not many people know
But he sighed upon the sill,- that he looked through the window
He gave the sash a shake,- He shook the sash
As witness all within- as everybody said
Who lay that night awake.- who were awake that night
Perchance he half prevailed – Perhaps he kind of won
To win her for the flight- To win the flower
From the firelit looking-glass – from the glass
And warm stove-window light.- and the warmth of window light
But the flower leaned aside- But the flower leaned away
And thought of naught to say,- and thought of nothing to say
And morning found the breeze- And morning found out that
A hundred miles away.- the breeze was gone, it was a hundred miles away
This poem relates to The Outsiders because the Socs and Greasers both want something that they may never get. An
example is Darry wanted to go to college, but his family couldn’t afford it even on a scholarship. Another example from
the book is Johnny’s death because nobody wanted Johnny to die, and Ponyboy even knew the gang could go without
anyone except Johnny. There are many complications and struggles in this book that ended a way the characters of the
book didn’t want.
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The Trial By Existence – Everybody will die someday no matter how brave. When they die they will still be able to be as
brave as they were on Earth because it is their reward for their bravery on Earth.
Even the bravest that are slain Shall not dissemble their surprise On waking to find valor reign, Even as
on earth, in paradise; And where they sought without the sword Wide fields of asphodel fore'er, To
find that the utmost reward Of daring should be still to dare.
Robert Frost
Line by line paraphrase- Everybody will die one day. They won’t be surprised to wake up and be dead. In
paradise, where there were no weapons, there was a wide field to fight on. They find they still have
bravery for their award of being brave, so they will be brave forever.
This relates to The Outsiders because the characters that died, died a gallant death. Johnny died
courageously for the kids in the fire, so when he passed away he was rewarded greatly because he
didn’t have to live with people who don’t care for him or spend his whole life in a wheelchair. Dally also
died gallantly because if you truly understand his death, you will see he died honorably. Dally knew
nothing could ever be the same without Johnny, so he died because he knew he couldn’t go on without
Johnny. Dally was brave when he died because he blamed himself for Johnny’s death, so when he
decided he wanted to die, it was a big decision for him. When Bob died he represented most of the Socs’
situation. Bob wanted someone to set limits for him so maybe after his death, more parents started
setting limits so their child won’t end up like Bob had.
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The Exposed Nest – People will help you when they care at certain times. Sadly though, people will forget
they care about you for any reason and never come back to care for you or help you again.
You were forever finding some new play.- You were playing around
So when I saw you down on hands and knees- I saw you crouching on the ground
I the meadow, busy with the new-cut hay,- I was working with hay
Trying, I thought, to set it up on end,- I was busy trying to make the hay stand
I went to show you how to make it stay,- I was going to show you how it might work
If that was your idea, against the breeze,- I would block the wind with hay
And, if you asked me, even help pretend-If you asked me to pretend
To make it root again and grow afresh.- to make the hay grow again
But 'twas no make-believe with you today,- But that wasn’t what you asked me
Nor was the grass itself your real concern,- You didn’t care about the grass
Though I found your hand full of wilted fern,- even though you had a handful of wilted fern
Steel-bright June-grass, and blackening heads of clovers.-grass and clovers
'Twas a nest full of young birds on the ground- There was a nest of baby birds on the ground
The cutter-bar had just gone champing over- the cutter fell over
(Miraculously without tasking flesh)- but it didn’t hurt the birds
And left defenseless to the heat and light.- The birds were left defenseless to heat and light
You wanted to restore them to their right- You wanted to keep them safe
Of something interposed between their sight- from anything in sight
And too much world at once--could means be found.- There was much meaning everywhere
The way the nest-full every time we stirred- every time we moved
Stood up to us as to a mother bird- The birds looked at us like we were their mother
Whose coming home has been too long deferred,- who was coming home late
Made me ask would the mother-bird return- I wondered when the mother would come back
And care for them in such a change of scene- and care for the birds
And might our meddling make her more afraid.- and might our presence make her afraid
That was a thing we could not wait to learn.- but we couldn’t wait for that
We saw the risk we took in doing good,- We realized the risk we were taking for doing good
But dared not spare to do the best we could- but we didn’t hold back doing the best we could
Though harm should come of it; so built the screen- We built the birds a screen for shade
You had begun, and gave them back their shade.- You gave them back their shade
All this to prove we cared. Why is there then- We proved we cared
No more to tell? We turned to other things.- but why don’t we have anything to say, we did other things
I haven't any memory--have you?- I don’t remember, do you
Of ever coming to the place again- If we ever came back to that place again
To see if the birds lived the first night through,- to see if the birds lived through the night
And so at last to learn to use their wings.- and see if they would ever learn to fly
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Robert Frost
The poem “The Exposed Nest” by Robert Frost relates to The Outsiders because they each have a similar
theme. The similar theme is people will care about you until something makes them forget their care and
then that person won’t care for you or help you again. An example from The Outsiders is the way Cherry
treats Ponyboy. Cherry cares about how Ponyboy feels outside of school she helps him and treats him
like a friend, but in school she doesn’t care about Ponyboy. In school Cherry forgets how she does care
about Ponyboy because of her social ranking of being a popular Soc. Ponyboy doesn’t mind because he
understands the way things are because of social rankings, but he knows that she treats him differently
when her friends aren’t around like they are at school.
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Reluctance- People don’t except things. Man doesn’t follow the drift of things or go
with grace instead of reason. When love disappears we don’t accept it, therefore we
close off our feelings. When something doesn’t go the way we want it to we just
decide not to accept it.
Out through the fields and the woods And over the walls I have wended; I have
climbed the hills of view And looked at the world, and descended; I have come by
the highway home, And lo, it is ended. The leaves are all dead on the group, Save
those that the oak is keeping To ravel them one by one And let them go scraping
and creeping Out over the crusted snow, When others are sleeping. And the dead
leaves lie huddled and still, No longer blown hither and thither; The last long aster is
gone; The flowers of the witch-hazel wither; The heart is still aching to seek, But the
feel question 'Whither?' Ah, when to the heart of man Was it ever less than a
treason To go with the drift of things, To yield with a grace to reason, And bow and
accept the end Of a love or a season?
Robert Frost
The poem “Reluctance” relates to The Outsiders in many ways. The characters from
The Outsiders don’t accept death, love, or pity. Ponyboy says he would rather have
someone’s hate than their pity, Ponyboy won’t accept that people take pity on him
because of his situation so he would rather feel hatred from them. When Johnny
dies in The Outsiders Dally can’t handle it and refuses to live without Johnny. Dally
wanted to die because he knew he couldn’t live without Johnny, so he makes the
police shoot him. Ponyboy reacted to Johnny’s death by blocking everything out, he
couldn’t stand remembering Johnny, so he makes himself belief Johnny is alive.
Every time somebody mentions Johnny’s death he refused to believe Johnny was
dead. Randy was different from Ponyboy and Dally, he accepted the death of his
best friend Bob and he tries to be a better person for the sake of his friend and
Ponyboy.
Write line by line for 3 of the poems