The Want of Peace by Wendell Berry

All goes back to the earth,
and so I do not desire
pride of excess or power,
but the contentments made
by men who have had little:
the fisherman’s silence
receiving the river’s grace,
the gardener’s musing on rows.

I lack the peace of simple things.
I am never wholly in place.
I find no peace or grace.
We sell the world to buy fire,
our way lighted by burning men,
and that has bent my mind
and made me think of darkness
and wish for the dumb life of roots.

Analysis of the Poetry Using the SIFTSEI Method:

S - Sense:
What is the poem about?

This poem is about how people all desire fame, honor, and money, not getting satisfied with what they have, although they might be insignificant. However, the author has exactly the opposite opinion of the majority's. As it says on the second and the third line of the first stanza, the author points out that he does not desire any power. This poem is, thus, about the juxtaposition of the author's point of view and the majority's perspective.

I - Intention:
Why was this poem written? What is the poet trying to tell us? What is the purpose of this poem?

I assume that this poem was written in order to stress the disappointment of the author as people try to harm the environment to satisfy their desire. This idea can be seen from the fourth, fifth, and the sixth line of the second stanza.

F - Feeling:
How does this poem make you feel about the content / personally and what makes you feel this way? How does the poet manage to evoke these emotions in the reader?

This poem made me realize how I was so accustomed to desiring more and more. Since I found myself agreeing with the author's point of view, I felt that I should be a bit more abstemious at times. Personally, the first line of the first stanza caught my attention. To the author, it is a given assumption that everything goes back to the earth. I did not realize this until I read this very line. What the author meant by this, I think, is that whatever we do is going to affect the environment, and that whatever we obtain will not affect us after we pass away.

The poet makes us think that the author has an opposite point of view from the majority of the people by using different subjects in a sentence. On the second line of the first stanza, the author writes that, ""I" do not desire." However, on the fourth line of the second stanza, the author writes that, ""WE" sell the world to buy the fire." The sixth line of the second stanza, "and that has bent my mind " also makes the readers think that the author is disappointed in people for being greedy.

T - Tone:
What tone or vioce has the poet used to convey his message?(Narrative)

The tone the poet uses to convey his message is simple and concise. As you can see, a line contains no more than six words. Moreover, the author somewhat contrasts his point of view with the majority's point of view by organizing them into two different stanzas. This comparison coveys the message that the author's opinion and the majority's are separated.
The author also uses repitition to convey his message, as can be seen from the last three lines of the second stanza. Other than these, the author does not seem to have a particular emotion, making the message even more powerful and determined.

S - Style / Symbol:
What style does the poet employ and how does this affect the work as a whole? What symbols or symbolic concepts are evident in the work and how do they influence the work?

The style of the poem is concise and straightforward. The author does not concentrate on hiding his true meaning by using poetic devices. Instead, the author directly indicates what he thinks, as it can be seen from the second line of the first stanza, and so I do not desirv. This makes the work as a whole sound powerful and determined.

The fisherman’s silence, receiving the river’s grace, the gardener’s musing on rows, fire are the symbols the author used. The first three refer to the little things we appreciate, and the fire represents the desire people have. The first three provide vivid images that help the readers understand the author's point more easily. Fire being symbolized as people's desire does an excellent job at describe how people have a great desire for wealth and how people get to desire more and more just like fire spreads out as time passes.

E - Emotion:
What mood or emotions are evoked by the poet's usage of language / imagery and Poetic devices?

No particular emotion with somewhat depressing and disappointed mood are evoked by the poet's concise, straightforward usage of language and by a perfect symbol fire. (I think I explained this enough in previous questions.)

I - Imagery:
What imagery is employed by the poet?

The imageries that poet employed are visual. The fisherman’s silence, receiving the river’s grace, the gardener’s musing on rows are the imageries created by the author to help convey his message.

TPCASTT Analysis of WE TRIED by Thomas C. Saudners, Jr.

T - title: the meaning of the title without reference to the poem.

I think the meaning of the title is that although we tried, we failed in the end. I had this feeling because the title was capitalized. I felt like the author was pointing out that it already happened.

P - paraphrase: Put the poem, (line by line if you need to), in your own words.

we tried to do what we wanted to do, not what we were expected to do
But it might not work out.
What I wanted to do was wrong.
So was what I desired. Why?
Hurry up.
Unnecessary limitations always exist.
Even in simple things.
Just let me do what I desire to do.
Let me be myself.
Hurry up.
Let's just enjoy the nature,
as it is.
What serenity,
Peace.
Hurry up.
Why, to die.

C - connotation: looking for deeper meaning.

Personification: listen to the trees softly whisper. Although trees can not whisper, the author described the sound of leaves swaying in the wind as whispering.

Connotation: rain and fishing.
Rain has a negative connotation, I think, because it seems to imply that although we tried to live outside, we might fail. Thus I think rain has a hidden meaning of failure, or a negative consequence.
Fishing is symbolizing something simple and easy, I think, because it says unnecessary rules exist even in fishing. So I assume fishing is something that is simple enough to have no rules.

Imagery: Iimages the author described are mostly visual: running naked in the moonlight, swimming naked in the pond, feeling the breeze against my face, smell the river, drink from the springs

A - attitude: Looking for the author's tone. How is the writer speaking?

Overall, I think the author's tone is definitely negative as the last line clearly shows; Why, to die. It also sounds like the author is disatisfied with the past and the present. The author says, "this was wrong, so was this. There were always unnecessary rules. Just let me do this and this. Let's just do this." His tone is definitely complaining about what he can not do, not appreciating what he can enjoy.

S - shifts: Looking for shifts in tone, action, and rhythm. Don't just write the number, discuss
how the shifts affect the poem

On the fourth line, it says, "Why?". And the last line finally responds as it is written, "Why, to die." Besides that, there is no other shifts I could find.

T - title: re-evaluate the title as it pertains to the poem

It now seems like the author is saying that although we as boys have tried, we could not escape from the limitations of the world. The fact that all letters are capitalized seems to emphasize that they failed.

T - theme: What does the poem mean? What is it saying? How does it relate to life?

This poem seomewhat demonstrates how people feel when they are restricted. Although I am not sure if the author is saying that swimming naked in the pond is equivalent to dying, I think the main idea of this poem is that limitations and restrictions prevent people from enjoying what and how everything is.
It relates to life in the sense that many people want to do what they want, but they can't because of the situation they are in. For example, a student can't go hang out with friends all day because the student's first priority and responsibility will be studying. It is also associated with ilfe in that boys generally are more rebellious than girls are.

WE TRIED by Thomas C. Saudners, Jr.

As boys we tried to live outside.
But it might rain
Running naked in the moonlight was wrong.
So was swimming naked in the pond. Why?
Hurry up.
There were always rules, unnecessary.
Even fishing.
Just let me feel the breeze against my face, and smell the river.
Let me listen to nature's voice.
Hurry up.
Let's just walk, listen to the trees softly whisper,
Drink from the springs, feel the sun.
What serenity,
Peace.
Hurry up.
Why, to die.

Cage Bird by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Analysis :)

This poem uses two contrasting images in order to show a theme. One is a free bird, and the other is a caged bird. While the free bird enjoys the wide sky, the caged bird is unable to escape from the cage. And yet, the bird sings in order to express his feelings and thoughts. The word “dare” in the first stanza seems to note the difference between a free bird and a caged bird. In the second stanza, cage seems to represent limitations that the caged bird is unhappy to have since it says “bars of rage”. However, the decision to open up his throat to sing, which bars cannot completely block, indicates the caged bird’s firm determination to refuse to be submissive.

Repeating parts such as “his wings are clipped and his feet are tied, so he opens his throat to sing attempt to emphasize its importance. As “his tune is heard on the distant hill,” the freedom is not near but still there is hope. It is like a wish that the caged bird is looking forward to.

Contrasting images such as the sighing trees, fat worms, and his shadow shouting on a nightmare scream seems to portray how desperate the caged bird is for freedom. The poem ends with the stanza same as the third one, emphasizing the author’s point once more.

Thoughts :)

I chose one of the poems from Maya Angelou because I loved her poem called “Still I Rise” that we read in class the other day. I loved how she used various methods to portray hidden meanings. In this poem, I think this poem also has a lot of hidden meanings behind, which is the reason why I chose this poem to analyze.

First of all, I loved the way how the author managed to compare the life of a free bird and a caged bird in order to show what blacks feel about the whites. I love the analogy here. A free bird refers to a white man, and a caged bird refers to a black man more likely.

I am truly glad to have the opportunity to read her poems because these poems are making me like poetry that I have been avoiding for my life :)