Prompt: Carefully read the two poems below.

Then in a well-organized essay compare the

speakers reflections on their early morning surroundings and analyze the techniques the poets
use to communicate the speakers different states of mind.
Five A.M. (William Stafford)

Still dark, the early morning breathes

a soft sound above the fire. Hooded
lights on porches lead past lawns,
a hedge; I pass the house of the couple
who have the baby, the yard with the little
dog; my feet pad and grit on the pavement, flicker
past streetlights; my arms alternate
easily to my pace. Where are my troubles?
There are people in every country who never
turn into killers, saints have built
sanctuaries on islands and in valleys,
conquerors have quit and gone home, for thousands
of years farmers have worked their fields.
My feet begin the uphill curve
where a thicket spills with a birds every spring.
the air doesn't stir. Rain touches my face.

Five Flights Up (Elizabeth Bishop)

Still dark.
The unknown bird sits on his usual branch.
The little dog next door barks in his sleep
inquiringly, just once.
Perhaps in his sleep, too, the bird inquires

once or twice, quavering.

Questions---if that is what they are--answered directly, simply,
by day itself.
Enormous morning, ponderous, meticulous;
gray light streaking each bare branch,
each single twig, along one side,
making another tree, of glassy veins...
The bird still sits there. Now he seems to yawn.
The little black dog runs in his yard.
His owner's voice arises, stern,
"You ought to be ashamed!"
What has he done?
He bounces cheerfully up and down;
he rushes in circles in the fallen leaves.
Obviously, he has no sense of shame.
He and the bird know everything is answered,
all taken care of,
no need to ask again.
---Yesterday brought to today so lightly!
(A yesterday I find almost impossible to lift.)

Five A.M. (William Stafford)

Tone Shifts Chart:
Opening Shot
Still dark, the early morning breathes
a soft sound above the fire (1-2)

The quiet atmosphere established creates a pensive tone for the poem. The personification
employed emphasizes the vitality of the morning which reflects wondering thoughts of the
author.
Line 8
Rhetorical Questions
Where are my troubles (8)
The rhetorical question used at the end the stanza is the culmination of his thoughts as he
progresses through his journey. He passes houses full of life (the dog, the couple and their
baby), in isolation. The hollow tone created is established in his the final line of the stanza, with
the rhetorical question where are my troubles? The author is aware that his life currently is
passing with little distress.
Line 9
Shift In Focus and Tone
There are people in every country who never
turn into killers, saints have built (9-10)
On line nine, the authors thoughts shift away from himself and his surroundings and digresses
as he thinks about others. A tone of contemplation is established as the author begins thinking
of those who live in isolation or havent done anything spectacular in their lifetime. The
conquerors who gave up and went home, and the farmers who have toiled for thousands of
years reflect the the authors currently uneventful lifestyle.

Line 16
Shift in Tone
Personification
Rain touches my face (16)
The last phrase of the poem offers a pivotal and final tone shift into tranquility. With the use of a
personification, Stafford is able to illustrate the peacefulness of the morning stroll. Water is often
used as a symbol of clarity and cleansing. The rain that is depicted in the scene highlights the
authors transcendence as his mind is finally set at ease. He comes to a state of peace as he
realizes that a life of peace and quiet ultimately offers him the most personal fulfillment.

Five Flights Up (Elizabeth Bishop)

Opening shot
Still Dark

Like Five A.M. the poem begins with the same phrase still dark Again, the scene illustrated is
one of peace and quiet which allows for a pensive tone.
Line 9
Imagery
Enormous morning, ponderous, meticulous;
The tone shifts from the dark and sleepy tone of the opening stanza to an aware and eerie tone.
Mornings are generally described as bright and sunny, but the poet chooses words like
meticulous to lead up to the birds continued presence. The bird originally was just noticed by
the author, but now the author is kind of creeped out because the poem talks about how the bird
is yawning, a personification that can only be described as eerie.
Line 17
Symbolism
"You ought to be ashamed!"
What has he done?
He bounces cheerfully up and down
everything is answered
all taken care of
no need to ask again
The oblivious nature of the dog creates a tone of admiration tinged with envy toward the dog.
This tone continues into the last stanza of the poem. As the author looks upon the dog, she
clearly sees that the dog has no shame and most importantly no troubles. The use of an
asyndeton and short repeated sentences emphasizes the carefree nature of the dog.
Line 25
Repetition
Yesterday brought to today so lightly!
A yesterday I find almost impossible to lift.
The final sentence of the poem offers the concluding thoughts of the author. The morning she
takes the stroll brings about a sense of renewal. The troubles that were seemingly unbearable
from the night are lifted from when the morning comes.

Compare and Contrast

Title

Five A.M. (William

Stafford)

Five Flights Up
(Elizabeth Bishop)

Situation

Early morning stroll

Early morning stroll

Speaker (Point of View) First Person. He just

woke up. He is looking
outside his window, and
sees the peaceful
houses and baby, and he
questions the nature of
his own existence.
Where are his troubles?
He knows everyone has
troubles, but at this time
he feels completely
peaceful and accepting
of his uneventful life.

First person. She just

woke up, its still dark
outside. A bird is eerily
watching a dog sleeping.
The mental
conversational continues,
and the speaker reveals
how morning is a
renewal, a way to shed
past troubles and other
bad events in order to
move on.

Imagery

Baby, House, Couple The three are described

in isolation in the poem.
Stafford uses these
subjects to allude to the
typical and major
problems that normal
people deal with in life,
before finally asking
where his problems are,
because he never
experienced major
problems.

Bird - The bird is

personified throughout
the piece. It can think
and inquire. It serves as
a reminder of the past, a
reminder of the troubles
of yesterday.

Stafford uses longer runons and doesnt really

change this free flowing
form much throughout
this piece. This freeflowing structure helps
convey longs, peaceful

Bishop uses short, abrupt

sentences in tandem with
loger, more drawn out
sentences. This variation
helps create the effect
that the speaker is trying
to move on from bad

Syntax

Dog - The dog follows its

stereotype, barking and
running around. It serves
as a symbol of the
renewal, because the
dog is oblivious to what
happened the previous
day.

thoughts and rumination

until realization.
Literary Devices

memories of yesterday.

Also uses personification Bird is personified

in last line: Rain touches throughout the poem.
my face.
The bird "inquires",
"yawn(s)" and "know(s)
Uses asyndeton as well everything is answered"
when thinking about
historical events.
Asyndeton: He bounces
cheerfully up and down;
he rushes in circles in the
fallen leaves.