Poets

A poet I came across which captivates my interest is Gary Soto.
Why I liked him? That is because he was actually not academically motivated but soon grew to like poetry, also he had to juggle between writing as well as poetry, not many people can perform such a feat. Did you know that he had Mexican-American parents? I feel that he has worked his way to success. I think that he was influenced by some of the older and more famous poets, for example Pablo Neruda and Edward Field, who were renowned poets. If you enjoy reading poetry about a person's life, why not try Gary's poems, his are one-of-a-kind, depicting his life as a Chicano, like what he did during the day, life experiences and so on. A literacy critic by the name of Joyce Carol Oates once commented on Gary's works. She said that Gary Soto's poems are funny, fast , heartening and extremely believable. She also commented that his works were like Polaroid love letters, or snatches of music heard out of a passing car, thus depicting that his works were great, being down-to-earth just like one's life. Gary Soto was not only a poet but also a writer, having written some novels like Amnesia in a Republican County(2003), Poetry Lover (2001) and so on. Thus he won the "Before Columbus 1985 American Book Award", and has continued poetry and writing ever since. He has also written numerous young adult and children's books, in the process edited three anthologies: Pieces of Heart (1993), California Childhood (1988), and Entrance: Four Latino Poets (1976). Back to his poetry pieces, a classic example of how he spends his life is "A red Palm" (http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19704). It shows him doing his daily routines like going out etc. Another one about the scenery around him is "Looking around, Believing" (http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19709) having the method personifcation to express his feelings. With these wonderful pieces of poetry, he was honored with some medals, like the Andrew Carnegie Medal,United States Award of the International Poetry Forum and a few more. Thus, we can prove that Gary Soto was a good poet.


Source:www.poets.org

Figuarative language(Poetry)

Song lyrics: Next Plane Home by Daniel Powter

I woke up early to baby blue eyes from afar whoah whoah

and when the sun comes through and lights you like the angel you are whoah whoah

I know I do you wrong when I'm with you I've been gone

With every season change, it looks the same, November to June whoah whoah

And dont these empty streets skip a beat the flowers dont bloom whoah whoah

I can't believe I missed your birthday again

and I wanna come back but I just dont know when now

And I'm so lonely you're not here with me

That's why I'm gonna be on the next plane home

The road that never ends round the bend I see your smile whoah whoah

I'd swim across the sea to be with you for a while whoah whoah

cos I've made a life of been gone

now the way that I feel I just dont belong

And I'm so lonely you're not here with me

thats why I'm gonna be on the next plane home

And you're you're the only face I wanna see

thats why Im gonna be on the next plane home

Stand around try to make every moment

and be somebody yeah anybody

it seems the whole world is taking me over

I need somebody to help me get back to you

and I've always been a million miles away

but things are gonna change I just wanna come home

And you're you're the only face I wanna see

thats why I gonna be on the next plane home

yeah I'm taking the next plane home

Now I'm getting the next plane home

Now I'm taking the next plane home

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1.The song lyrics has hyperboles, metaphors and uses the method of personification.Hyperboles are shown in "Whoah" to express the singer's feelings and"taking the next plane home" to express the singer's willingness to go home. The singer's desire to go home shows in the personification of "I'm taking the next plane home" in the chorus part.Where as Metaphors are used to express the singer's feelings.I think the singer chose these 3 methods because they show that he desires to do something and is showing it.


2.I liked this song because the singer has put together the lyrics and it rhymes well. The expression is also good which makes the song very lively. It also shows me that the singer has a strong will to do something as the hyperboles used produces these effects. With the use of personification, I can see the writer's "actions" and "feelings" and thus makes the song interesting.The song is also lively as the choice of words are not long and mundane, it uses short words which also produces the 3 types of figurative language. Altogether, the song is very catchy and the words are used correctly to fit the description of being away from a loved one.