POETRY: AN OVERVIEW ✓ He immigrated with his mother and siblings
to the United States in 1895.
Poetry is a kind of artistic writing that uses language
in a special way to create feelings and images in the
reader's mind. It goes beyond just conveying
information, like regular writing does.
Poets use tools like
metaphors, similes, and
Figurative Language personification to create
comparisons and paint
pictures with words.
Poems often have a
musicality to them,
using rhyme schemes,
Sound and Rhythm meter (a specific
pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables),
and onomatopoeia
(words that sound like
what they mean).
Poems can be
structured in many
Structure ways, from tightly
rhymed sonnets to free
verse with no set form.
Poets carefully pick
words to evoke
Emotive Language emotions in the reader,
whether it's joy,
sadness, anger, or
wonder.
SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR POEMS
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
About the Author:
✓ Kahlil Gibran, also known as Gibran Khalil
Gibran, was a Lebanese American writer,
poet, and visual artist.
✓ He was born on January 6, 1883, in Bsharri,
Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, Ottoman
Syria, and died on April 10, 1931, in New
York City, United States.
✓ Gibran is best known as the author of "The
Prophet", which was first published in the
United States in 1923 and has since
become one of the best-selling books of all
time, having been translated into more than
100 languages.
✓ His literary and artistic output is highly
romantic in outlook and was influenced by
the Bible, Friedrich Nietzsche, and William
Blake.
✓ As his mother worked as a seamstress, he
was enrolled at a school in Boston, where
his creative abilities were quickly noticed.
✓ With the financial help of a newly met
benefactress, Mary Haskell, Gibran studied
art in Paris from 1908 to 1910.
✓ In 1911, Gibran settled in New York, where
his first book in English, "The Madman", was
published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1918.
About the Book:
✓ The Prophet, written by Lebanese American
poet Kahlil Gibran, is a timeless classic of
poetry and prose.
✓ Set in the fictional city of Orphalese, the
book follows Almustafa, a prophet, who is
about to board a ship and leave his
homeland after twelve years of living among
the people.
✓ The narrative unfolds as Almustafa imparts
his wisdom to the townspeople before his
departure.
✓ Each chapter addresses a different aspect
of life, including love, marriage, children,
joy, sorrow, beauty, and more.
✓ Through twenty-six poetic fables, Almustafa
shares profound insights on these
fundamental human experiences:
1. The Coming of the Ship
2. On Love
3. On Marriage
4. On Children
5. On Giving
6. On Eating and Drinking
7. On Work
8. On Joy and Sorrow
9. On Houses
10. On Clothes
11. On Buying and Selling
12. On Crime and Punishment
13. On Laws
14. On Freedom
15. On Reason and Passion
16. On Pain
17. On Self-Knowledge
18. On Teaching
19. On Friendship
20. On Talking
21. On Time
22. On Good and Evil
23. On Prayer
 24. On Pleasure
25. On Beauty
26. On Religion
27. On Death
28. The Farewell
✓ As Almustafa bids farewell to the city, he
promises to return in another incarnation,
leaving behind a legacy of profound
teachings.
✓ The book resonates with readers across
generations, inviting reflection on life's
deepest questions and celebrating the
human spirit.
Characters:
A. Almustafa is seen by the townspeople as a
prophet of God. He has spent twelve years
living in the hills of Orphalese, where he has
been serving the townspeople’s spiritual needs
while they take care of his physical needs. As he
prepares to leave Orphalese and return home,
Almustafa agrees to answer twenty-six
questions posed by the townspeople on various
subjects, including love, marriage, children,
beauty, friendship, good, evil, birth, and death.
His departure is bittersweet, and he promises
to return to the people in another incarnation.
B. Almitra is a seeress in the temple of Orphalese.
Throughout Almustafa’s twelve-year stay, she
has been a steadfast supporter. It is Almitra
who encourages Almustafa to answer the
townspeople’s questions before his departure.
She initiates the questioning by asking him
about love and then encourages others to ask
their own questions. Almitra’s final question
revolves around the meaning of death. As
Almustafa departs, she blesses him and
watches with tears in her eyes, the last person
to speak to him before he leaves.
ON DEATH (Excerpt from “The Prophet”)
Then Almitra spoke, saying, we would ask now of
Death. And he said:
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the
heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto
the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death,
open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and
the sea are one.
ON DEATH (Excerpt from “The Prophet”)
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your
silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your
heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to
eternity. Your fear of death is but the trembling of
the shepherd when he stands before the king
whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling,
that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the
breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and
expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top,
then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then
shall you truly dance.
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
About the Author:
✓ William Shakespeare, baptized on April 26,
1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire, England, was an English
playwright, poet, and actor.
✓ He is widely regarded as the greatest writer
in the English language and is often referred
to as England's national poet and “the Bard
of Avon”.
✓ His works continue to captivate audiences
worldwide with their profound insights into
human nature and enduring literary
brilliance.
✓ Shakespeare's legacy includes a
remarkable collection of plays and poems.
Some of his notable works include:
1. "Hamlet"
2. "Romeo and Juliet"
3. "Macbeth"
4. "Othello"
5. "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
6. "Julius Caesar"
7. "King Lear"
8. "The Tempest"
9. "Much Ado About Nothing"
 Excerpt from “Shall I compare thee to a
summer’s day?”
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course
untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
The Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka
About the Author:
✓ Wole Soyinka, born on July 13, 1934, in
Abeokuta, Nigeria, is a Nigerian playwright,
novelist, poet, and essayist.
✓ His literary contributions have left an
indelible mark on the world of literature and
activism.
- Soyinka attended
Government College
and University
College in Ibadan.
- In 1958, he
Background and graduated with a
Education degree in English
from the University
of Leeds in England.
- His academic
journey laid the
foundation for his
prolific literary
career.
- In 1986, Wole
Soyinka was
awarded the Nobel
Prize for Literature.
Nobel Prize for - His works reflect a
Literature blend of satire,
serious intent, and a
keen awareness of
the evils inherent in
the exercise of
power.
- "A Dance of the
Key Works Forests": His first
important play,
written for Nigerian
independence
celebrations,
stripped away
romantic legend and
revealed the
complexities of the
fledgling nation.
- "The Lion and the
Jewel": A playful
satire on
Westernized
schoolteachers.
- "The Trials of
Brother Jero" and
"Jero’s
Metamorphosis":
Mocking clever
preachers and their
credulous followers.
- "Kongi’s Harvest":
Critiquing African
authoritarian
leadership.
- "The Road":
Reflecting his
disillusionment with
Nigerian society.
- Soyinka is not only a
literary giant but
also a political
activist.
Activism and Impact - His works challenge
oppressive systems
and advocate for
justice and human
rights.
Excerpt from “The Telephone Conversation”
The price seemed unreasonable; location
indifferent.
The landlady swore she lived off premises.
Nothing remained but self -confession. ‘Madam,’
I warned, ‘I hate wasted journey- I am African.’
Silence. Silenced transmission of pressurized
good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, folly
‘HOW DARK?’ … I had not misheard … ‘ARE YOU
LIGHT OR VERY DARK?’
Button B. Button A. stench of rancid breath of
public hide –and- speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double –tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shammed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification
 Excerpt from “The Telephone Conversation” the landlady's own
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis- frame of reference by
‘ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?’’ revelation comparing his skin to
came. brunette and then
“You mean- like plain or milk chocolate?” highlighting the contrast
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light between his face and
Impersonality. Rapidly, wavelength adjusted, other body parts. This
I chose. “West African sepia”- and as an forces her to confront
afterthought, the limitations of her
“Down in my passport.” Silence for racist views.
spectroscopic The poem satirizes how
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her racism persists even
accent when overt
Hard on the mouthpiece. “WHAT’S THAT?” discrimination might be
conceding, Social Commentary illegal. It leaves the
“DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.” “like brunette.” reader thinking about
“THAT’S DARK ISN’T IT?” “not altogether. the landlady's ignorance
Facially, I am a brunette, but madam, you should and the frustrating
see the rest of me. experiences faced by
Palm of my hand, sole of my feet people of color.
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused
Foolishly, madam- by sitting down, has turned The United Fruit Co. by Pablo Neruda
My bottom raven black- one moment madam!”-
sensing About the Author:
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears – “Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t ✓ Pablo Neruda, born Neftalí Ricardo Reyes
you rather see for yourself?” Basoalto on July 12, 1904, in Parral, Chile,
was a remarkable Chilean poet, diplomat,
❖ A satirical poem is a form of poetry that uses and politician.
humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to ✓ His literary contributions earned him the
criticize or mock individuals, institutions, prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature in
societal norms, or political situations. Satirical 1971.
poems often employ wit and clever wordplay to
Early Life and Love Poetry:
convey their message and often aim to provoke
thought or change through laughter or ✓ Neruda began writing poetry at the tender
amusement. age of 10.
✓ His first book of poems, "Crepusculario",
A man calls a landlady
was published in 1923.
The Situation about an apartment.
✓ His poetic repertoire spanned various
Initially, things seem
pleasant. styles, including surrealist poems,
When the caller reveals historical epics, political manifestos, and
Shift in Tone he's African, the passionate love poems.
landlady's friendliness ✓ His collection "Twenty Love Poems and a
disappears. Song of Despair" (1924) remains a poignant
The poem exposes the exploration of love and longing.
landlady's prejudice by ✓ Neruda's impact extends far beyond his
reducing the man to his native Chile; he is celebrated as one of the
Focus on Skin Color skin tone. She uses most significant Latin American poets of the
terms like "light" or 20th century.
"dark" chocolate, ✓ His words continue to resonate with readers
highlighting the worldwide, capturing the essence of human
absurdity of judging
emotions and societal struggles.
someone based solely
on appearance.
Witty Response The man cleverly uses
 Excerpt from “The United Fruit Co. (La United - Born on March 26,
Fruit Co.)” 1874, in San
When the trumpet sounded, Francisco,
it was all prepared on the earth, California, Frost's
the Jehovah parcelled out the earth father was a
to Coca Cola, Inc., Anaconda, journalist named
Ford Motors, and other entities: William Prescott
The Fruit Company, Inc. Frost Jr., and his
reserved for itself the most succulent, mother was Isabelle
the central coast of my own land, Moodie.
the delicate waist of America. - After his father's
It rechristened its territories untimely death from
as the ’Banana Republics’ Early Life tuberculosis in
and over the sleeping dead, 1885, Frost and his
over the restless heroes sister Jeanie were
who brought about the greatness, the liberty and raised by their
the flags, paternal
it established the comic opera: grandparents in
abolished the independencies, Lawrence,
presented crowns of Caesar, Massachusetts.
unsheathed envy, attracted - Frost graduated
the dictatorship of the flies, from high school in
Trujillo flies, Tacho flies, 1892, sharing
Carias flies, Martines flies, valedictorian honors
Ubico flies, damp flies with Elinor White,
of modest blood and marmalade, whom he had
drunken flies who zoom already fallen in love
over the ordinary graves, with.
circus flies, wise flies - Frost's deep interest
well trained in tyranny. in poetry led him to
Among the blood-thirsty flies achieve professional
the Fruit Company lands its ships, publication in 1894
taking off the coffee and the fruit; when his poem "My
the treasure of our submerged Butterfly: An Elegy"
territories flow as though appeared in The
on plates into the ships. Independent, a
Meanwhile Indians are falling weekly literary
into the sugared chasms Poetic Career journal.
of the harbours, wrapped - He continued to
for burials in the mist of the dawn: hone his poetic
a body rolls, a thing skills while
that has no name, a fallen cipher, attending
a cluster of the dead fruit Dartmouth College
thrown down on the dump. and later Harvard
University.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost - Frost's poetry often
explores themes
About the Author: related to nature,
individualism, and
✓ Robert Frost (1874–1963) was an American
the human
poet celebrated for his evocative depictions
condition.
of rural life in New England. - "Stopping by
✓ His poetry resonates with readers due to its Woods on a Snowy
mastery of American colloquial speech and Notable Works Evening": A
its portrayal of ordinary people facing contemplative piece
everyday situations. about choices and
responsibilities.
 - "The Road Not both options.
Taken": A reflection - Ultimately, the
on life's diverging speaker chooses the
paths and the less traveled path,
impact of decisions. believing it has
- "Mending Wall": A made all the
meditation on difference in their
boundaries and life.
human connections. - Choices and
- "Birches": An Uncertainty: The
exploration of poem highlights the
memory, difficulty of making
imagination, and the decisions when
passage of time. faced with multiple
- Frost received the paths. The speaker's
Pulitzer Prize for hesitation and
Poetry. longing for both
- He also won the roads reflect the
Awards and Honors Bollingen Prize in universal struggle of
1962. choosing one path
- Frost served as poet over another.
laureate from 1958 - Individualism and
to 1959. Themes Nonconformity: By
taking the less
Excerpt from “The Road Not Taken” common route, the
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, speaker asserts
And sorry I could not travel both their individuality.
And be one traveler, long I stood However, Frost
And looked down one as far as I could leaves room for
To where it bent in the undergrowth; interpretation—
Then took the other, as just as fair, whether this choice
And having perhaps the better claim, truly made a
Because it was grassy and wanted wear; significant impact or
Though as for that the passing there if the speaker merely
Had worn them really about the same, believes it did.
And both that morning equally lay - Making Meaning:
In leaves no step had trodden black. The poem invites
Oh, I kept the first for another day! readers to reflect on
Yet knowing how way leads on to way, their own life
I doubted if I should ever come back. choices and how
I shall be telling this with a sigh they interpret their
Somewhere ages and ages hence: past decisions
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— Key Lines - "Two roads diverged
I took the one less traveled by, in a yellow wood..."
And that has made all the difference. - "And sorry I could
not travel both..."
- "I took the one less
About the Poem:
traveled by, / And
- The poem describes that has made all
a moment when the the difference.”
speaker encounters
a fork in the road in a
Summary yellow wood.
- Faced with two
diverging paths, the
speaker regrets not
being able to explore