At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border

William E. Stafford, in his poem “At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border,” forces his readers to honor peace, rather than war, by using a unique rhyme scheme and contrasting images of what is imagined and what is reality. Stafford’s rhyme scheme highlights phrases that contrast each other in the first stanza. For example, he compares having heroic soldiers to a heroic sky by rhyming “die” and “sky.” He does the same when comparing grass to a monument by rhyming “hands” and “stands.” The most influential tool that Stafford uses is imagery that is not the reality. The poem’s title already shows his negative attitude toward the fact that this field is not monumental, but shows us why it should be by comparing it to a field that is. By writing phrases such as “the battle did not happen” and “no people killed or were killed,” Stafford is making his reader question whether places of war should be honored. By comparing a peaceful field to that of war, the reader begins to recognize that we should be honoring peace, not heroic actions of war.

Do You Have Any Advice for those of us Just Starting Out?

Ron Koertge, in his poem “Do You Have Any Advice for those of us Just Starting Out?,” creates a creative and productive environment for the reader by creating relatable imagery that contrasts with each other. When Koertge suggests bringing a cheap notebook with “a kitten or a spaceship” on the front, the imagery is becoming more relatable to the reader. The reader can think of the dollar section at target or the many notebooks he/she has been given as presents that are cute but they have no thoughts to be put in them. The reader than suggests going outside to think and compares those who think outside the box and are happy to those that think inside the box and are un-creative by explaining the contrasting imagery of the child in the library. The third to last stanza uses the words “the higher it gets” and “grins” to show how happy the child is to be going outside of social norms. The second to last stanza uses the words “falls” and “frowns”to show that others are unhappy with those that go outside the social norms. These contrasting uses of imagery show that one is happy and creative once they begin to think outside the box, like a child would. By creating relatable and understandable imagery and contrasting the mood of a creative thinker with those of the average man/woman, Ron Koertge creates a productive environment for an aspiring writer.

Flight

In “Flight,” Laurel Blossom creates an easy-going, fun tone, by including rhyme, meter, and her own twist on common knowledge of the regions of the United States. By creating the easy to follow rhyme scheme of ending three lines with the same sound, such as “you”, “goo”, and “do,” Blossom creates an on-going flow that the reader does not have to struggle to keep up with. This lets the reader relax and enjoy the poem, like the author enjoys the Florida sun. By having a meter that includes few syllables per line, the reader again forces an easy flow of the poem to make it more easy-going. Blossom brings the fun of Florida to life by adding her own, humorous take on simple words. For example, she says “land of euphoria” where the rhyme and meter would lead to the reader expecting to hear “land of the free.” By creating an poem that is easy to follow along with an exciting and fun to read, Laurel Blossom brings the Florida attitude to life and creates an environment of freedom and fun in the sun.

The Summer I was Sixteen

In “The Summer I was Sixteen,” Geraldine Connolly creates a nostalgic tone by explaining her summer as a teenager in great detail using imagery that presents her past in both a joyful and judgmental way. Connolly uses imagery such as the “turquoise pool” and the “mirage of bubbles” to create a feeling for the reader of the freedom and fun of summer vacation. However, she also uses imagery to describe the naive child she was at the time. By saying that she “did not exist beyond the gaze of a boy” and comparing the cotton candy to the “sweet furtive kisses” she is showing that being a teenager is not all about fun. She later explains that they were “tossing a glance through the chain link at an improbable world.” She uses these examples of teenage drama and confusion to show that even though it was a simple time, she is only somewhat nostalgic, as she sees that she has come far from that naive stage of her life. By using the imagery of both fun times and times of drama and confusion, Geraldine Connolly brings the typical teenage summer in a way that makes the reader feel both nostalgic, but also glad they have grown up and are no longer curios or focused on boys and what their future may hold.