Before Reading
I dwell in Possibility—
Poem by Emily Dickinson
Variation on a Theme by Rilke
Poem by Denise Levertov
blessing the boats
Poem by Lucille Clifton
What if you couldn’t
FAIL?
RL 2 Determine a theme of
a text. RL 4 Determine the
figurative meanings of words;
analyze the cumulative impact
of specific word choices on
meaning. RL 5 Analyze an
author’s choices concerning how
to structure a text. RL 10 Read
and comprehend poems.
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Think about living in a world of endless possibility. You have no
limitations, and you have every advantage available to you. If you
want to sing, you have an extraordinary voice. If you want to feed
the hungry, world leaders adopt your plans. What would you do in
life if you knew that you could only succeed?
QUICKWRITE Make a short to-do list of things you’d like to
accomplish if success were assured. Then, with a partner, discuss
your list. What are some of the entries? How do you feel inside as
you imagine completing these tasks?
Meet the Authors
Emily Dickinson
poetic form: lyric poetry
A lyric poem is a short poem in which a single speaker
expresses personal thoughts and feelings on a subject. In
ancient Greece, lyric poets expressed their feelings in song,
accompanied by a lyre. While modern lyric poems are no
longer sung, they still retain common characteristics such as:
• a sense of rhythm and melody
• imaginative language
• exploration of a single feeling or thought
Reading the lyric poems on the following pages aloud will help
you appreciate these characteristics.
text analysis: figurative language
Figurative language is an expression of ideas beyond what the
words literally mean. Three basic types of figurative language,
or figures of speech, follow:
• A simile compares two unlike things that have something
in common, using like or as. (bats, sailing like kites)
• A metaphor compares two unlike things by saying that one
thing actually is the other. (bats, snub seven-pointed kites)
• Personification lends human qualities to an object, animal,
or idea. (bats, performing a graceful ballet)
Poets use figurative language both to convey abstract thoughts
and to offer a fresh outlook on everyday things. As you read
the following poems, use a chart like this one to record and
analyze examples of simile, metaphor, and personification.
Example
Type
Two Things
Compared
“I dwell in
Possibility—/ A
fairer House than
Prose–”
metaphor
poetry/possibility
and a house
Ideas
Suggested
reading skill: compare and contrast
Comparing and contrasting the poems—identifying the
similarities and the differences between them—will help you
understand each poem’s central theme. As you read, compare
the feelings expressed and the figurative language used. Also
think about the time period in which each poem was written.
1830–1886
Passionate Poet
As an adult, Emily Dickinson rarely left her
father’s home or welcomed visitors.
rs.
Yet she managed to write poems
ms
that are remarkable for their
originality and awareness of
human passion. Using unusuall
imagery and syntax, she
explored such powerful
emotions as love, despair,
and ecstasy.
Denise Levertov
1923–1997
A Poetic Vocation
Denise Levertov’s view that writing
poetry should be like a religious
ous
calling was influenced by the
e early
20th-century poet Rainer Maria
aria
Rilke, whom she claimed as a role
model. Levertov often used her
art in service of political ideals,
als,
tackling such issues as the
Vietnam War and the nuclear
ar
arms race.
Lucille Clifton
born 1936
Honoring Heritage
Lucille Clifton’s poetry honors
nors African
heritage and expresses optimism
ptimism
about life. Clifton is a professor
fessor of
humanities at St. Mary’s College,
which boasts a premier varsity
arsity
sailing program. Sailboatt races
there may have inspired
“blessing the boats.”
Authors Online
Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.
Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML10-787
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I DWELL IN
P
OSSIBILITY—
emily dickinson
I dwell in Possibility—
A fairer House than Prose—
More numerous of Windows—
Superior—for Doors— a
5
a
The speaker is not literally
living in a House of
Possibility. What idea is
really being conveyed in
this metaphor?
Of Chambers as the Cedars—
Impregnable1 of Eye—
And for an Everlasting Roof
The Gambrels2 of the Sky— b
b
Of Visitors—the fairest—
10 For Occupation—This—
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise—
1. Impregnable: unconquerable.
2. Gambrels: a type of roof with two slopes on each side.
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unit 7: the language of poetry
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
An extended metaphor
compares two unlike
things in more than one
way. The house metaphor
continues from the first
stanza to the next. In lines
5–8, what is Dickinson
saying about the size and
scope of this house?
Detail of Cape Cod Morning (1950),
Edward Hopper. Oil on canvas,
341/8˝ × 401/4˝. Smithsonian
American Art Museum, Washington,
D.C. © Heirs of Josephine N.
Hopper, licensed by the Whitney
Museum of American Art.
In what way does this
image illustrate the
feelings expressed in
Dickinson’s poem?
Give specific details.
i dwell in possibility
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Variation on a Theme by Rilke
(The Book of Hours, Book I, Poem I, Stanza I)
denise levertov
5
10
A certain day became a presence to me;
there it was, confronting me—a sky, air, light:
a being. And before it started to descend
from the height of noon, it leaned over
and struck my shoulder as if with
the flat of a sword, granting me
honor and a task. The day’s blow c
rang out, metallic—or it was I, a bell awakened,
and what I heard was my whole self
saying and singing what it knew: I can. d
c
FIGURATIVE
LANGUAGE
In this poem, a day is
given human qualities.
What idea does Levertov
highlight through this
use of personification?
d
COMPARE AND
CONTRAST
How similar are the
feelings expressed in this
poem and Dickinson’s
poem?
790
blessing the boats
(at St. Mary’s)
lucille clifton
5
10
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that e
e
LYRIC POETRY
What feeling is the
speaker expressing?
20
variation on a theme by rilke / blessing the boats
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After Reading
Comprehension
1. Recall In Dickinson’s poem, what is the speaker’s house “fairer than”?
2. Recall What did the speaker of Levertov’s poem hear when “the day’s blow
rang out”?
3. Paraphrase What does the speaker of Clifton’s poem wish?
Text Analysis
4. Interpret Metaphor In Dickinson’s poem, the house is the basis for a
metaphor that is carried throughout the poem. What does this extended
metaphor suggest about being a poet and living a life of the imagination?
5. Interpret Figurative Language Reread lines 4–7 in Levertov’s poem and
identify two examples of figurative language. What idea is conveyed? How
does the figurative language illustrate the relationship between the speaker
and the day?
6. Analyze Personification Find two or three examples of personification in
Clifton’s poem. What is given human qualities, and to what effect?
7. Compare and Contrast Themes Complete a chart like the one shown.
Then, use this information to compare and contrast the themes of the poems
you’ve read. What does each poem say about possibility?
Feelings Expressed
Figurative
Language Used
“I dwell in Possibility ”
“Variation on a Theme
by Rilke”
“blessing the boats”
8. Evaluate Lyric Poems Review the characteristics of lyric poetry listed on page
787. Which poem would work best as the lyrics of a song, and why?
Text Criticism
9. Critical Interpretations French poet Jean de La Fontaine said, “Man is so made
that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.” Evaluate the three
poems against his statement. Do they support his claim? Why or why not?
What if you couldn’t FAIL?
Does fear ever limit your possibilities? Explain.
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unit 7: the language of poetry
RL 2 Determine a theme
of a text. RL 4 Determine the
figurative meanings of words and
phrases; analyze the cumulative
impact of specific word choices
on meaning. RL 5 Analyze an
author’s choices concerning how
to structure a text. RL 10 Read
and comprehend poems.
Language
grammar and style: Create Rhythm
L 1a Use parallel structure.
Parallelism is the use of similar grammatical constructions to express ideas that
are related or equal in importance. In the following excerpt from her poem
“blessing the boats,” Lucille Clifton uses parallelism to add rhythmic cadence
to her writing. Notice how, in two different instances, she uses an inverted
sentence structure that begins with the words “may you,” followed by predicates.
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever (lines 6–11)
Note how the revisions in blue use parallelism to improve this first draft. Revise
your poem by making similar changes.
student model
Through confusion, my mind becomes spaghetti.
Through
, my dreams become
Confusion makes meatballs of my dreams.
reading-writing connection
YOUR
Broaden your understanding of lyrical poems by responding to this
prompt. Then use the revising tip to improve your writing.
TURN
writing prompt
revising tip
Short Constructed Response: Lyric Poem
Review your response.
Have you used
parallelism to add
rhythm to your poem?
In four or more lines, write a poem about a feeling
you’ve had. Incorporate at least two examples of
figurative language.
Interactive
Revision
Go to thinkcentral.com.
KEYWORD: HML10-793
i dwell . . . / variation . . . / blessing the boats
793