[stylist] Poem: After the Winter

Tue Feb 5 19:20:14 UTC 2013

Glad you enjoyed it Aine.
I wish you a safe and good journey back to NZ.
You will literally be living out this poem, yourself, as you travel from one 
world to another, where the seasons and the landscape change. Your trip 
makes Robert Hayden's journey in the poem come to life.

Most of my students, if not all of them, had never read anything by Robert 
Hayden before taking my African American Art and Literature course in 
college. He was a surprise to them, and they just loved him as they dug into 
his work.

There are so many wonderful new experiences to have in this journey we share 
in literature.
Lynda

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Aine Kelly-Costello" <ainekc at gmail.com>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 1:43 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Poem: After the Winter

> Thanks for sharing Lynda. I like the images  the poet evokes of him and 
> probably his lover moving from what seems a very cold and perhaps 
> prolonged winter (given the descriptions and the birds and trees), to what 
> sounds like a peaceful and prosperous spring/summer. (And reminding me 
> that in 5 days upon returning to NZ, I will quite literally be moving from 
> winter to summer although probably not in quite such a lyrical and relaxed 
> fashion :))
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net
> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Tue, 5 Feb 2013 13:14:22 -0500
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Poem: After the Winter
>
> Lynda,
> This is beautiful and captures the winter longings of those of us in 
> eastern
> Pennsylvania as well. *grin* Thanks for sharing it; my poetry education is
> sorely lacking.
> Donna
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda 
> Lambert
> Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 11:01 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Poem: After the Winter
>
>
>
> Morning Writer's!
>
> I sit here at my desk this morning in a room flooded with bright light. 
> It's
> been snowing here in western Pennsylvania for a few days, and the 
> landscape
> is brilliant with sunlight on new snow.
>
>
>
> Because this is Black History Month, the landscape outside my window
> reminded me of a lovely poem by Claude McKay, an African American poet. I
> have copied and pasted  his poem, "After the Winter" at the end of this
> message.  I added three periods at the end of each line so you can hear 
> the
> line breaks via JAWS. I think this works pretty well.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> You can visit this website for biographical information on Claude McKay. 
> He
> was one of the major voices of the Harlem Renaissance. This was a literary
> and art movement that brought African American writers, musicians, and
> artists to the forefront of modern American culture.
>
>
>
> http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/claude-mckay
>
>
>
> I have selected this poem today because it reflects on the changing 
> seasons,
> when in the midst of Winter, our thoughts begin to turn towards the
> forthcoming  Spring we begin to anticipate.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> After the Winter
>
> BY CLAUDE MCKAY
>
>
>
> Some day, when trees have shed their leaves. . .
>
>     And against the morning's white. . .
>
> The shivering birds beneath the eaves. . .
>
>     Have sheltered for the night,. . .
>
> We'll turn our faces southward, love,. . .
>
>     Toward the summer isle. . .
>
> Where bamboos spire the shafted grove. . .
>
>     And wide-mouthed orchids smile.. . .
>
>
>
> And we will seek the quiet hill. . .
>
>     Where towers the cotton tree,. . .
>
> And leaps the laughing crystal rill,. . .
>
>     And works the droning bee.. . .
>
> And we will build a cottage there. . .
>
>     Beside an open glade,. . .
>
> With black-ribbed blue-bells blowing near,. . .
>
>     And ferns that never fade.. . .
>
>
>
>
>
> by Claude McKay
>
> (1890 - 1948)
>
>
>
>
>
> To Think About:
>
> Here are some things to think about as you read through this poem several
> times:
>
> What sort of relationships is he speaking about here?
> What does he say about love?
> Is "love" a person as well as a feeling?
> Does he speak of romantic love, or something else?
>
> Throughout the poem he speaks of "we" - Who do you think he was speaking 
> to,
> and why?
>
>
> Look again now, and see what he is showing us about nature.
> What is his view of nature?
> What does his landscape look like?
> How does he describe trees? flowers? other plants?
> Do you see here a romantic view of nature?
> Do you have a feeling he has ever been to such a place as he has described
> here?
>
>
> The poem is about "winter" yet "spring" is clearly present in the poem.
> Can you compare and contrast the view of Winter with that of Spring here?
> Look for the differences and the similarities between the two.
>
> Finally, go back again and examine the form of this poem.
> It is 16 lines.
> The 16 lines are divided into groups of four lines.
> Each set of 4 lines features a rhyme scheme.
> The  rhyme scheme will change with each new set of four lines.
>
> How does this form add to the content of the poem?
>
> Imagine you are sitting with Claude McKay. He is speaking directly to you.
> What does he have to share with you this morning?
>
> _________________________
> Lynda Lambert, BFA,MA,MFA
> 104 River Road
> Ellwood City, PA 16117
>
> 724 758 4979
>
> My Blog:  http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
> My Website:  http://lyndalambert.com
>
>
>
>
>
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