Beaming Notes
Your Guide to Literature
Themes of the Poem: American haiku: Carl Sandburg’s “Fog” is not a traditional haiku, as it extends the length of the haiku from 3 lines to 6 lines. However, it does bear remarkable similarities with the American form of the haiku, as used by such poets as Ezra Pond in “In a Station of the… Continue reading Fog by Carl Sandburg Theme: 2022
Setting of the poem: This poem seems to be set at a place from which one can get a panoramic view of both the city of Chicago and its harbour. Going by the poet’s words, that place is Grant Park. From there, one can easily get a full perspective of the entire area covered by the… Continue reading Fog by Carl Sandburg Analysis: 2022
About the poet: Carl Sandburg was born on 6th January 1878. His parents, August and Clara Johnson, had emigrated from Sweden. After encountering several August Johnsons in his job for the railroad, Sandburg’s father renamed the family. For thirty years Sandburg collected material to write his six-volume definitive biography of Abraham Lincoln. The 1920s also saw… Continue reading Fog by Carl Sandburg Summary: 2022
Setting of the poem Fire and Ice This poem is set in the time of apocalypse or the end of the world. The poet here speculates on what might cause such an event to happen. However, the sense of immediacy in the poem leads readers to believe that the poet sees the apocalypse looming on… Continue reading Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Analysis: 2022
About the poet: Robert Frost was born on 26th March 1874, in San Francisco. Frost and his wife Elinor Miriam moved to England in 1912, after they tried and failed at farming in New Hampshire. It was here that Frost met and was influenced by such contemporary British poets as Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, and Robert Graves. Frost’s… Continue reading Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Summary: 2022
This poem tells a simple story, but its message is very inspiring. The young man upholds his beliefs both on his banner and in his own journey. The journey is through a very harsh terrain, yet he does not stop. He is tempted to stop by the warm fires of the houses in the village… Continue reading Excelsior Analysis by H.W. Longfellow: 2022
About the poem:“Excelsior” is a brief poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published in 1841 as part of his poetry collection entitled Ballads and Other Songs.The word “Excelsior” is translated from Latin as “ever higher”, and also loosely but more widely as “onward and upward”. The title of “Excelsior” was reportedly inspired by the state seal of New York, which bears the… Continue reading Excelsior Summary by H.W. Longfellow: 2022
This poem shows us how difficult it can be for a young girl to grow up. In childhood, we are happy to listen to fairy tales and imagine ourselves to be in the same situation. However, this cannot last forever. At some point in time or the other, we all have to grow up. One… Continue reading Amanda by Robin Klein Analysis: 2022
About the poet: Robin Klein is an Australian children’s writer. She was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1936. Before becoming a writer, she had several different jobs, such as working as a nurse, at a bookstore, and as a teaching aide at a school for the disadvantaged. Her writing often features young protagonists who… Continue reading Amanda by Robin Klein Summary and Meaning: 2022
The poet’s mode of writing is a very intelligent one here. By setting up a contrast between the real and the ideal, he makes an important point about wildlife conservation. The tiger belongs in the forest. There it can hunt as and when required. It hunts not out of envy or out of hatred, as… Continue reading A Tiger in the Zoo Analysis by Leslie Norris: 2022
