Beaming Notes
Your Guide to Literature

‘Daybreak in Alabama’ was first published in 1940 in a journal called Unquote that was brought out of Yellow Springs, Ohio. There is no identifiable rhyme scheme in the poem. It is written in free verse. However, this does not in any way take away from Hughes’s poetic craft, since each line flows beautifully and… Continue reading Daybreak in Alabama Analysis by Langston Hughes

‘Daybreak in Alabama’ speaks about two kinds of aspirations, both of which were also important to the African-American poet Langston Hughes (1902-1967) in his real life. The first aspiration is explicitly stated within the space of the poem – that of becoming a musical composer. It is well known that Hughes was interested in the… Continue reading Daybreak in Alabama Summary by Langston Hughes

Written in the form a sestina, ‘A Miracle for Breakfast’ has a complex structure. In a sestina, the last word of each line in the first stanza is repeated in varying order in the next five stanzas, ending with the three-line seventh stanza known as an ‘envoi’ involving all six repeated words. In ‘A Miracle… Continue reading A Miracle for Breakfast Analysis by Elizabeth Bishop

Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979) is an American poet who lived through both the First World War and the Second World War, as well as the Great Depression. She not only observed the unemployment and poverty of millions in America, but also experienced it in her own life. This helps her to write poignantly about loss. ‘A… Continue reading A Miracle for Breakfast Summary by Elizabeth Bishop

This article provides a complete line by line analysis of the poem “Elegy written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray. Thomas Gray(1716-1771) was born in London and studied at Eton and Cambridge. With such a scanty production, Gray holds a key position in the history of English poetry and this very “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is… Continue reading Summary of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray

Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son” was first published in Crisis magazine in December 1922. It reappeared in The Weary Blues, Hughes’ first collection of poetry, in 1926. The poem is addressed from a mother to a son, warning him about life’s obstacles. Mother to Son: About the Poet Langston Hughes (1902-67) was an African American… Continue reading Mother to Son: Analysis and Summary

POET INTRODUCTION:William Butler Yeats was an important 20th century Irish poet. He was a powerful influence behind the Irish Literary Revival and also founded the Abbey Theatre along with Lady Gregory, and Edward Martyn. He served as its chief for some time and also promoted J.M. Synge, Sean O’ Casey and others.  In 1923, he… Continue reading When You are Old Analysis and Summary by W.B.Yeats

POET INTRODUCTION: Roger McGough (1937-present) is an English poet from Liverpool who performs his poems publicly. A teacher and a lecturer in his early life, he was also a successful pop singer along with John Gorman and Mike McGear in a trio. As a poet, he gained national recognition through the publication of The Mersey… Continue reading Let Me Die a Young Man’s Death Analysis and Summary by Roger McGough