The Oxford Book Of American Poetry Chosen and Edited by David Lehman Slide Show by Elizabeth Ayhens

Content Edgar Allan Poe Robert Frost Lew Welch Overview “To Helen” “Nothing Gold Can Stay” Lew Welch “The Basic Con” Overview Purpose Theme and Tone Figurative Language Poet’s Biography

“To Helen” Edgar Allan Poe

“To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore to his own native shore. On desperate seas long wont to roam, Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have brought me home To glory that was Greece, And the grandeur that was Rome. Lo! in yon brilliant window niche How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand! Ah, Psyche, from the regions which Are Holy Land!

Overview: Purpose The purpose behind this poem was a love poem Poe wrote for Sarah Helen Power Whitman. He sent it to her several years after meeting her at Valentines Day lecture he hosted. They courted but never married.

Overview: Tone The tone of this poem is hopeful because of this woman’s beauty; he cannot wait to return home.

Overview: Figurative Language The figurative language that Poe uses in this poem is similes. “Helen, thy beauty is to me like those Nicean barks of yore,…..” “How statue-like I see thee stand,…..”

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston in 1809. He is considered the father of modern detective story. He contributed significantly to the genres of horror and science fiction.

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Robert Frost

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Robert Frost Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

Overview: Purpose The purpose of Frost’s poem is to say that beauty does not last forever. He uses examples of nature like leaves to explain that they are not green all the time.

Overview: Theme and Tone The tone of this poem is depressing and regretful. The poet does not continue to discuss the constant renewal of nature’s beauty. The theme is that beauty does not last forever.

Overview: Figurative Language Frost uses metaphors in this poem. “Nature's first green is gold,……” “Her early leaf's a flower;……..”

Robert Lee Frost (1874-1963) Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California. He is a four-time Pulitzer Prize winning American poet.

“The Basic Con” Lew Welch

“The Basic Con” Lew Welch Those who can’t find anything to live for, Always invent something to die for. Then they want the rest of us to Die for it, too.

Overview: Purpose The purpose of Welch’s poem is telling how sometime people want you do suffer like they are. “Then they want the rest of us to die for it, too.”

Overview: Theme and Tone The tone of this poem is sarcastic and ironic because anyone can relate to the message. The theme in this poem is to not try to make everyone martyrs.

Overview: Figurative Language The figurative language is an idiom. Anyone who reads this poem with be familiar with it’s language.

Lewis Barrett Welch (1926-1971?) Lew Welch was born August 16, 1926 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a member of the San Francisco Beats (poets movement). In May 1971, Welch walked off with a rifle and was never seen again.

Work cited Lehman, David, ed. The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Oxford University Press. 2006. 1-1132.