The band by A. Gautam
The band sipped ice-cold water from Styrofoam cups,
Stared at the audience with the most confused eyes.
They sought a promise—applaud in advance.
The lead singer, cleared his throat seriously,
The lyrics—once more—escaping his mind.
And the drummer danced with his hands—in the air.
The boy holding the bass guitar, thought himself a superstar,
Throwing smiles and kisses to those who did not care.
Only the girl with long fingers stood quiet, stroking the keys.
Her pony tail flowing without her permission. . .
The stage light was bright; it was time to rock on.

What effect does the descriptive language of this poem provide?
A.
Readers are inspired to create a band of their own.
B.
The descriptive language helps create internal rhymes.
C.
Readers can imagine the scene and the characters vividly.
D.
The mood of the poem changes from despair to sarcasm.

“tell me o swan, your ancient tale” by kabir “the swan” by rilke “spanish dancer” by rilke “your laughter” by pablo neruda “birthplace” by shaffarzadeh “it’s this way” by nazim hikmet “counting small-boned bodies” by robert bly choose two poems that you would like to write about. analyze each poem. study the perspective, or point of view, of the speaker in each of the two poems that you select for this assignment. consider these questions: who is the speaker in each of these poems? what is the speaker’s tone? is there a conflict? is there a message? what does each of the poems have in common? what is different about each of the poems? which literary devices are used in the poems? are these literary devices found in both of the poems? what does the speaker hope to achieve in each of the poems? how are these achievements/goals been met? directions: using the two poems of your choosing, write a clear, concise, two hundred and fifty word essay that compares and contrasts the two poems. make sure you include at least two of the following to support your thesis: tone, point of view, literary devices, and meter.