Poetry Annotations

“Remember” by Joy Harjo TIEA Paragraph

In “Remember”, Joy Harjo uses repetition to list out objects of the universe so as to inspire readers to be grateful for their origin – nature. Harjo repeats the word “remember” to remind readers that we are small compared to the universe. “Remember the sky that you are born under/know each of the star’s stories/Remember the moon, know who she is/Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the/strongest point of time” (1-5). At the beginning of the poem, Harjo asks readers to remember the sky we are born under, the moon, and the sun. By doing so, Harjo is able to inspire people to be grateful for the origin of life, the start of the living. This creates the effect of contrast between human and nature so as to reach the purpose of emphasizing her message that we are from the universe, and should remain grateful and loving to where we are from. This can bring readers to come to understand the deeper meaning of the poem. It may be Harjo’s criticism of modern humanity and human-environment interactions, but mostly, Harjo’s attempt to strengthen the relationships between human and nature. 

“Hard Work” by Edward Albert Guest TIEA Paragraph

In “Hard Work”, Edward Albert guest uses allegory to empower readers to face “hard work” from a hopeful perspective. Guest uses objects to symbolize the significance of hard work. “Fine youth by it been sadly marred/As plants beneath a withering frost/Because men thought and whispered: ‘Hard.’ ” (22-24) In this poem, Guest discusses people’s reactions to hard work by using objects such as plants to symbolize the hopes and dreams of young people. On the other hand, Guest symbolizes the effects of hard work when people view them as difficult by using “withering frost” since it causes the plants to cease to grow. From this author’s choice, the allegory hard work is able to create a greater impact on the readers’ mind itself. 

“Remember” and “Hard Work”  TIEA Compare Paragraph

Compare:

In “Remember” by Joy Harjo and “Hard Work” by Edward Albert Guest, both authors use literary devices to empower readers to value themselves as someone who matters. Both poems use empower language to convey their different messages but with the same purpose. “Remember you are all people and all people are you” (19-20) “Let’s think of work in terms of hope/And speak of it in words of praise” (25-26). Even though the messages the authors are trying to convey are different, they are similar in purpose. “Remember” is written to empower people to have the courage to face obstacles in their lives. Still, both themes are similar in purpose. Both poems are written to empower readers to believe in themselves, appreciate themselves, value themselves, and know their importance of existing in this world. Both authors do so by using literary devices to make a huger impact on the readers so they can feel more connected to the context and the message of the poems. 

Contrast:

“Remember” by Joy Harjo and “Hard Work” by Edward Albert Guest conveys their messages using different methods and choices. “Remember” is written in on entire stanza in a list form while “Hard Work” has several stanzas, each serving a different purpose. “Remember the sky that you are born under…Remember the dance language is, that life is./Remember.” (1-26) In “Remember”, Joy Harjo writes the entire poem in one entire stanza, listing out each aspect of nature that we should be grateful of. By using repetition to create a list, Harjo is able to empower readers to appreciate their surroundings, be grateful for who they are and where they are from. It is also noticeable that even though the poem is written in a list form, the objects listed progress from general to detailed, externally to internally. “One day, in ages dark and dim,/A toiler, weary, worn and faint,/Who found his task too much for him,/Gave voice unto a sad complaint.” (1-4) Different from “Remember”, “Hard Work” by Edward Albert Guest first starts the poem by writing a short story to bring readers into understanding the topic of the poem. Each stanza after that has a different purpose, rather than listing out things about hard work. I believe that this structure for hard work is more suitable because “hard work is a more concrete topic that doesn’t require excessive empowerment from words. 

Inspirational Poem

“I Exist Because I Matter”

How big is the universe,
In a world so diverse?
To Earth I am small,
What is the purpose at all?

But take a step back, and open your eyes,
You will look around, then you’ll realize,
A dream is much more than a dream,
In the night sky, it’s like a star that beams.

So hold fast to dreams
For if dreams go,
Life is a barren field
Covered with snow.
And hold firm to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is an injured bird
That cannot fly.

We are small, yet our thoughts are strong.
Let go of that kite, let it fly along.
Take a step forward, look up to the sky,
You are in charge.

Let it fly.

Hope Imagery Poem

“Hope”

Hope feels like the gentle breeze that comes from the vast ocean.
Hope tastes like lemonade, at first it’s sour, then it’s sweet.
Hope looks like a feather drifting through the air.
Hope smells like the crispy pages of old books, each story as unique as it can be.
Hope sounds like distant bells, crisp and clear, though not knowing where it’s from, you know it’s there.
Hope, is to rise up after a fall, seeing not obstacles, but endless possibilities.