Snippets Into My Brain

Poetry

So we were learning about poems in school a while ago, and I'm bored, so here are some of the poems we learned about in class and what my teacher said they meant plus my own opinions. 

Dreams by Langston Hughes 

Hold fast to dreams 

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That can not fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go 

Life is a barren field 

Frozen with snow.

So this one is pretty obvious. It's telling you not to let go of your dreams or else you'll feel trapped, empty, and won't be able to reach your full potential. The metaphors used in this poem (fields, birds) are normally signs of beauty and freedom, but now they have been restricted and what once made them made them unique and symbolic have been taken away (broken-winged, barren, frozen with snow). This is what will happen to you if you let your dreams slip away.

Masks by Shel Silverstein 

She had blue skin

And so did he.

He kept it hidden

And so did she.

They searched for blue 

Their whole life through,

Then passed right by 

And I never knew. 

This poem made me really sad to read for two reasons. The first reason is that they hid themselves and never felt like they belonged. The second reason is that they were soulmates, and they never met. All they wanted was someone to relate to and to not feel so different, and they'll never get that. 

We also read a poem named Oranges, but I didn't like it, and it's long, so I won't include it. Our teacher said it symbolized first times and milestones, but I think that's dumb. If I had to guess, I'd say that it represented love.