Here are two published poems for your consideration: "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could

1. Poetry Dedication
Project
-Rylee Shaw

2. I’ve decided to dedicate this project to my mother, Jennyfer Shaw. I want
to do this for her to show some sort of appreciation because I know that I
don’t do it often. My mom is my best friend. This doesn’t even begin to
show all of the thanks that she deserves, but I hope that this will stand for
something. My mother has stood beside me through thick and thin, and
even though we have our differences like every mother and daughter in
this world, there is no one else that I could count on more than I can
count on her. When I’m happy, she is happy. When I’m sad, she is sad but
no matter what emotion I’m feeling and no matter what situation in life
that I’m growing through, my mother is right there. She never lets me
down. She has done so many things for me and still to this day, 18 years
later, goes out of her way to try to please me, even if I don’t deserve it.
She’s a hero in my eyes and she’s a warrior because she has conquered
things that I don’t know if I would ever be able to handle it but it almost
gives me a hope. A hope that reassures me that one day, when life throws
a curveball at me, I’ll get though it because she is my mother and she
taught me how to. My mother held my hand for years but she will hold my
heart for the rest of my life. I believe that mothers and daughters have a
special bond and I truly pity the girls who’ve had to grow up without their
mother because I’d be lost without mine and I’m so truly thankful that
God has given me an amazing life with an amazing family. I can only hope
to be the kind of woman that my mom has become. She is my hope. She
is my inspiration. Thank you, mom. For everything.

3. My 5 original poems

4. Introduction;
My Gram and my mother are the most radiant, beautiful and intelligent women that I
know. Without them, I can’t even begin to contemplate where I’d be in my life. It seems
as if in each stage of my life, I need them both to help pull me through something new
and difficult that I’m facing. Each time is different and each time they know exactly what
to do and how to handle it. Each year as I get older, I need their guidance with
something. They are so wise and I hope to one day be able to hold on to each piece of
advice that they’ve given me and give it to my daughter or son and then onto my grand-
daughter or grand-son. When I was younger, I didn’t realize how much God had blessed
me. Each season I’ve named after my gram and my mom because it truly fits their
personality, how I see them and how special they are to me. They are two very important
people to me and they mean more than words can possibly express. When I look at
them, they inspire me. They make me want to be a better person than what I am. They
stand beside me, they support me, they are always there for advice, and because of
that, I’m thankful because I know that not everyone is granted such a wonderful gift.
That’s what they are to me, and I don’t intend on wasting it.
Poem;
We are three generations
My Gram
My mom and I
We also are three seasons
That are passing gently by
My Gram is early Autumn
And I myself am Spring
My mom, well she is Summer
We possess the good those seasons bring

5. Introduction;
I wrote this poem about myself. I’m sure it also fits the lives of many other teenagers
who have grown up in small towns or one small hometown all their lives. Everyday I
dream of seeing the place where I grew up in my rearview mirror because I wish to
achieve greater things than my area has to offer. I’d love to live on my own in a far away
city, go to college and start a life of my own that is completely different from what I’ve
ever known. It’s a scary thought, but it’s also an exciting thought just because I know
that it’s a possibility for me and I want to go far. I know that one day when I’m packing
my bags, getting ready to leave my home, my family, my friends and my neighbors, that
a feeling of grief will wash over me. As much as I dread my town, I know that I will end
up missing it because it’s my home and it’s where I’ve always felt comfortable. Years
from now, after I’ve experienced more things, I hope to be married with kids. I’m going
to eventually settle down with my family in a safe, small neighborhood just like the one I
grew up in.
Poem;
When you live in a little town
You dream of bigger places
Of high-rise buildings
Big bright lights
And even different faces
I love my little family
They're faces that I love
But one day
Some day
I will see the things that I've dreamed of

6. Introduction;
From the time I was able to attend school, which was around four years old, I was told
that my time from pre-school to 12th grade would fly past. I never believed anyone. I
dreaded school with a passion, all I’ve ever wanted to do since I started was to graduate.
I know for a fact that I have wished away my childhood like it was nothing because it
didn’t mean a lot to me when I was young and now here I am, a senior in high school at
PAVCS. I never dreamed my life would have taken the route that it has or that my youth
would speed past faster than anything I’ve ever experienced but it has. This year as I
filled out a college application to one of my favorite colleges, I couldn’t help but stop to
think that I can’t believe I’m 18 years old and applying to Penn State University. I
couldn’t possibly be this old already. Wasn’t I just 10 the other day playing with my
friends from next door? I don’t exactly know where I’m going with my life and it’s a fear
of mine. I know that I want to go places and meet all kinds of new people but I’m not
sure when. I was accepted into PSU but right now I’m deciding whether I want to go
straight away or maybe work for a year to save up money and then proceed my dreams.
I have my entire life ahead of me and I know we aren’t promised tomorrow but
everything happens for a reason and things will come to me as they are supposed to.
Poem;
I don't like to admit it
But I have a hidden fear
I think that being on my own
May take another year

7. Introduction;
This year on May 1st, 2012, I lost one of my best friends. My dog, Bella. I had her since I
was 13 years old and just in the 7th grade. She recently became sick and wouldn’t eat
and seemed to be in a lot of pain. We made countless visits to the vet and spent
hundreds of dollars trying to figure out what the problem was. Eventually, I decided to
get a second opinion. The moment I walked her into the veterinary office, the Dr. looked
at her and knew right away what the problem was. He said that he had felt a mass built
up into her stomach and told me that he thought for sure that it was a tumor but asked if
he could run some x-rays to be sure. I knew then at that moment that my dog most
likely wasn’t going to make that trip home with me. A few minutes later, he carries her
back in as she looks over to me with sad eyes. The vet told me that Bella was diagnosed
with Lymphoma and that she was also in a lot of pain because her spleen was enlarged
and that the only way we could save her was to give her a bone marrow transplant which
would cost around $900 and even then, it was not guaranteed to work. The only choice I
had was to put her to sleep. I held her as the vet injected the needle and I talked to her
until I felt her breath slow and her heart come to a stop. After I came home, my heart
was broken and I couldn’t bare to be home without her, it felt so empty and so to help fill
that void that I felt, I adopted a puppy and named him Luka. He’s a sweetheart and even
though he has helped stop the sadness that I felt, no one will ever replace Bella.
Poem;
I have a dog
My dog is great
He's always there
And never late
At least not late for supper
Nor ever late for snack
And if by chance
That I forget
I think
He might attack

8. Introduction;
This poem that I wrote is about a girl who is adjusting from childhood into
adulthood, someone like myself. You’re not a girl, yet you’re not a woman and to me, it’s
sort of a difficult stage. You’re expected to act like an adult, but you’re still treated like a
child(in most cases). As I’m leaving my teen years, I’m figuring myself out just like
everyone else my age. I definitely feel like I’m opening new doors in my life and I’m
searching for what I want to do and who I want to be or just how I want to live my
life, and it isn’t an easy task. I look back on all the years as I’ve grown up and I’m
wondering where the time has gone. I love to sit back with friends and family and
reminisce on the old times and then we gather around to sit and talk about the new and
what our future holds. I believe everyone leaving their teenage years, turning into their
early 20’s feels like this, at some point in their time. I’m not positive on what my future
holds or what my destiny is, but I put faith in the idea that God has a plan for me. A
great plan. He won’t give me something that I can’t handle. I’m ready to take on what
life has next in store for me!
Poem;
Away, away
My early life
Has passed away too soon
I feel like I have entered
In a door that takes me far
Perhaps not far in distance
I'm not living on a star
But I am not the child I was
And not the woman I WILL be..
I'm just upon the threshold
Of my destiny

9. 5 Published Poems

10. “Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of
Dante Alighieri wrote the poem always.
“Remember Tonight”. It has always been A promise. Like a reward for persisting through
one of my favorites and I first heard it on life so long alone.
a television show. This poem talks about A belief in each other and the possibility of
a marriage and how you will remember
tonight because a marriage should be the love.
beginning of always. No matter what A decision to ignore, simply rise above the pain
you’ve been through before, no matter of the past.
what pain you’ve felt, you have a belief in A covenant, which at once binds two souls and
each other and a love that is ever lasting.
The speaker was Dante, himself yet severs prior ties.
addressing any reader, to give them A celebration of the chance taken and the
advice to not take life for challenge that lies ahead.
granted, because so many people do so. For two will always be stronger than one, like a
You realize what you do today will affect
your life tomorrow so you remember the team braced against the tempest civil world.
important things in life and you cherish And love will always be the guiding force in our
them, such as a marriage because once lives. For tonight is mere formality.
you bind those two ties, you’ve mad a Only an announcement to the world of feelings
promise to God to be with that person for
the rest of your life. In this poem, you’ll long held. Promises made long ago.
find symbolism and hopeful and In the sacred spaces of our hearts”
loving, innocent and real images. The
tone in this poem to me is hopeful and -Dante Alighieri
inspiring, full of adoration and realization
for the things ahead in your life that
you’re about to face. The kind of tone and Title: Remember Tonight
images that run through your head at Dramatic Situation: A marriage that rises above all else
night, not allowing you to fall asleep. Speaker: Dante Alighieri
“Remember Tonight” is a 10 line stanza Addressee: The reader, to give advice to anyone to not take life for
with a theme of a love that will always be granted.
your guiding force throughout your Occasion: To give advice to anyone to not take life for granted
lifetime, rising above all else in the world Subject: Realizing that what you do today, will affect your life
because you have that one person, you tomorrow so remember the things you do tonight because it is and will
have a love and a belief in one another. always be the beginning of your forever.
The diction of this poem is engaging and Images: Symbolism, allusion, innocence, hopeful
optimistic and entirely full of passion. I Tone: Inspiring, hopeful, adoration, realization
chose this poem for my reader because it Structure: 10 line stanza
reminds me of a love that she has with Theme: A love will always be your guiding force, a marriage that is so
my father, and the kind of love that I beautiful it rises above everything else, a belief in one another.
Diction; Passion, engaging, optimistic
want to have some day.

11. Title: Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep
Dramatic Situation: Dealing with a death
Speaker: Mary Elizabeth Frye
Addressee: To those of who are close to Mary after she passes, or to
anyone dealing with the death of a loved one.
Occasion: Learning to deal with a death of someone close, to not cry
“Do not stand at my grave and weep but to cherish memories.
Images: Symbolism, metaphors, calming, serene, winds, diamond
on snow, ripened grain, gentle autumn rain, morning’s
I am not there; I do not sleep. hush, uplifting rush.
Tone: Uplifting, encouraging, inspirational
I am a thousand winds that blow, Structure:
Rhyme Scheme: ababcdcd
Title Symbolism: Do not weep for the departed, for the are happy
I am the diamond glints on snow, and will meet again.
Theme: Keeping those passed loved ones in your heart, but to be
happy for them and to know that you will be with them again
I am the sun on ripened grain, someday, do not cry.
Diction: Straight-forward, calming, hopeful.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep is one of the most
When you awaken in the morning’s hush beautiful poems I’ve ever read. Everyone in this world dies but
not everyone knows how to deal with it. One day or
another, you will lose a loved one and throughout your
I am the swift uplifting rush life, some lose many. In this poem, it teaches you how to deal
with an accident such as this. It teaches you how to deal with
Of quiet birds in circled flight. death. The speaker is coming from the point of one who has
passed and moved onto the next life. They are addressing their
I am the soft stars that shine at night. loved ones who weep over them and who miss them. This poem
is showing you to not weep over a loved one, but to put them in
your heart ad cherish your memories with them for the rest of
Do not stand at my grave and cry, your life. They do not want to be remembered by you being sad
and hurt. There are lovely cases of symbolism and metaphors
I am not there; I did not die.” with calming and serene feelings to this poem. There are winds
with diamonds on snow, ripened gran, with gentle autumn
rain, your morning’s hush, uplifting rush. Those images are how
-Mary Elizabeth Frye people want to be remembered after they have died. The rhyme
scheme is abab and then it changes onto c and d. The title
symbolism is the main point of the entire poem. Do not weep for
those who have gone onto life after death, because they are
happy and know that you will one day meet again. The theme
tells you to not cry, keep your loved one in the safest place of
your heart and relive your wonderful memories over and over in
your head so that you do not forget them. The diction of this
poem is straight-forward. It tells all. It is calming and it is
hopeful as it has helped many people throughout the years, deal
with death. I chose this poem for my reader because she was
the person who was there for me the most when I lost one of
my best friends to a tragic car accident 4 years ago.

12. “dive for dreams Title: Dive for Dreams
Dramatic Situation: Taking numerous risks or chances throughout life.
or a slogan may topple you
Speaker: E.E. Cummings
(trees are their roots Addressee: The reader
Occasion: Search for your own ideas, dream big
and wind is wind) Subject: Diving for your dreams, don’t let anyone hold you down. Do what you
trust your heart have to do and be you.
Images: Metaphor, trees and wind, sea’s and fire, live and love
if the seas catch fire Tone: Cheerful, enlivening, pleasant
(and live by love
Title Symbolism: Chase your dreams, don’t stop at any length
Theme: Keep searching for what you want in life or you wont ever grasp it and to
though the stars walk backward) trust in your heart and to use it to love
Diction: accelerating, jaunty, vivacious, optimistic
honour the past
but welcome the future
(and dance your death Dive for dreams was sort of difficult for me to understand at first but
now I realize that what he’s saying is the truth. I appreciate E.E.
away at the wedding)
Cummings’ work
never mind a world and I love this piece. The title is call Dive for Dreams which is pretty
with its villains or heroes self explanatory. To get where you want to go in life, you dive for your
dreams. You don’t stop for anyone or anything, you do what you have
(for good likes girls
to do to get where you want to go. The dramatic situation is about
and tomorrow and the earth) taking numerous risks or chances throughout life, don’t hold back. The
in spite of everything
speaker would be E.E. Cummings giving his readers advice on how to
pursue your dreams. The occasion is searching for your own
which breathes and moves, since Doom ideas, finding out what you want to do and the type of person that you
(with white longest hands want to be. Along with the subject, going to any length to get what you
want in life, because you live once, you need to make your time
neating each crease)
worthy. Dream big! Achieve great things! There are metaphors all
will smooth entirely our minds throughout this poem, which I love: the trees and wind, the sea’s and
-before leaving my room fire, how you live and love. It makes the tone cheerful, enlivening and
mostly pleasant. When you talk about going after your
i turn, and (stooping
dreams, knowing you aren’t that far, it makes you happy and cheery.
through the morning) kiss The title is what defines the entire poem, don’t stop or give up what
this pillow, dear
you are trying to reach. Everyone deserves to get their dream. The
theme teaches you to keep on searching, grasp it and take it because
where our heads lived and were. “ you deserve it. You need to use your heart and use it to love. The
-E.E. Cummings
diction is jaunty, vivacious and it made me feel extremely optimistic. I
chose this poem for my reader because she also wants me and pushes
me to dive for my dreams.

13. Title: Hope is the thing with feathers
Dramatic Situation:
Speaker: Emily Dickinson/Unknown Narrator
“HOPE is the thing with feathers Addressee: The Reader
Occasion: Learning to find hope in yourself
Subject: Turning inwards and feeling safe and secure, finding the hope that has
That perches in the soul, perched upon your soul and avoiding the outside world.
Images: Imagery, metaphor, feathers, soul, gale, storm
And sings the tune without the Tone: bittersweet, poignant
words, Structure: 3 line stanza
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB for the first four lines, no continuing straight-forward rhyme
And never stops at all, scheme.
Title Symbolism: Finding hope
Theme: Finding hope coming from within, the only way you can. Hope is sweetest
during a storm.
And sweetest in the gale is heard; Diction: A simple poem with a simple meaning
Emily Dickinson wrote this poem about hope. It shows how she
And sore must be the storm
turned herself from the rest of the world, when she was going
That could abash the little bird through tough times, “the storm” and found hope coming to her from
within. Which is where most people find hope, from themselves. The
That kept so many warm. speaker I would like to believe is Emily, herself but it could also be
coming from the point of an unknown narrator. The addressee would
be the reader, or to someone who is going through a “storm” and
I ’ve heard it in the chillest land, needs to find hope, the thing with the feathers. The occasion is
learning to find the hope in yourself, it’s buried in every soul. Subject
is turning inwards, feeling safe and secure while searching yourself
And on the strangest sea;
for the hope that is perched upon your soul, avoiding the outside
Yet, never, in extremity, world. Dickinson used imagery a lot in this poem, along with
metaphors, feathers, soul, abash and storm. To me, “Hope” was
It asked a crumb of me.” bittersweet and poignant. Only because you are finding the hope, but
you have to go through the storm and rough patches of your life
before you realize it’s what you need and where you need to go to
-Emily Dickinson reach it. The structure is a 3 line stanza with a rhyme scheme of
ABAB for the first four lines, no continuing straight-forward scheme.
When you find hope is the title symbolism, it is also straight-forward.
The theme and message coming from this simple poem is reaching
within yourself and finding hope to go on another day, the only way
you can. Hope is the sweetest during a storm. I chose this poem for
my reader because she is who I hope to be like, my inspiration.

14. “There is a place where the sidewalk ends Title: Where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins, Dramatic Situation: Leaving darker streets to get to the end of the
sidewalk.
And there the grass grows soft and white, Speaker: Shel Silverstein
Addressee: The reader
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
Occasion: Getting to where the sidewalk ends
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight Subject: Leaving past things to move on to the future.
Images: before the street begins, grass grows soft and white, moon-bird
To cool in the peppermint wind. rests, peppermint winds, smoke blows black, asphalt flowers
Tone: Happy, high-spirits, elated
Structure: 3 stanza
Let us leave this place where the smoke Rhyme Scheme: AABBBA CADDDA DDDA
blows black Title Symbolism: There are brighter days ahead
Theme: Leaving bad things behind and looking towards bigger and
And the dark street winds and bends. brighter things in the future.
Diction: There’s a greater place where the sidewalk ends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured Shel Silverstein wrote “Where The Sidewalk Ends”. A poem about
and slow, leaving darker streets/times to get to the end of the sidewalk.
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go Kind of like the phrase “The grass is always greener on the other
side. The addressee would be the reader/audience learning the
To the place where the sidewalk ends. occasion of the poem which is set on getting to where the
sidewalk ends. Pushing through tough times and working
hard, gets you to brighter, sunny days. There are many images
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured used throughout: before the street begins, grass grows soft and
and slow, white, moon-bird rests, peppermint winds, smoke blows
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows black, asphalt flowers. The tone to me seemed to be
go, happy, optimistic, high-spirited, elated and so forth. The structure
of this poem is 3-stanza with a rhyme scheme of AABBBA
For the children, they mark, and the CADDDA DDDA. The title symbolism is showing you that the
children, they know
sidewalk does come to and end and you have to pave it correctly
The place where the sidewalk ends.” to have brighter days after you leave the sidewalk. The theme of
this poem is about leaving bad things behind and looking towards
larger, more radiant things on the road ahead. There’s a greater
-Shel Silverstein
place where the sidewalk ends. I chose this poem for my
reader, because she used to read this poem to me a lot when I
was younger.