Mitchell+Br's+Favourite+Poems

__http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j7huh5Egew Seven Nation Army__ I'm Gonna fight 'em Off A Seven Nation Army couldn't hold me back They're Gonna Rip it off Taking there Time right behind my back - And I'm Talkin' to myself at night because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind behind a cigarette

And the message coming from my eye says leave it alone

Don't want to hear about it Every single one's got a story to tell Everyone Knows about it From the Queen of England To the Hounds of Hell - And if I catch ya commin back my way I'm gonna Sell it to you And that ain't what you want to hear but that's what I'll do - And the feelin' commin from my bones says find a home

I'm goin' to Witchita Far from this opera for evermore I'm gonna work the straw Make the sweat drip out of every pore - And I'm Bleedin, and I'm Bleeding, and I'm Bleedin, Right before the Lord All the words are gonna bleed from me and I will sing no more - And the stings commin from my blood tell me go back home

__Reflection__ The poem/song “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes is one of my favourite songs. I like this song because it is worded well and is not just a heap of words jumbled together and screamed aloud. I have always liked this song since its release but never really new its name, the band or what it meant until the last couple of years.

There could be a variety of interpretations on the meaning of the song. This song is about possibly Jack White (band member) and the seven nations of the world and how the media is driving him mad. Near the end of the song where he says "I'm going to Wichita/I'm gonna work the straw/let the sweat drop from every pore" he's going to live the simpler life that doesn't include the media, even if it means hard labor, but eventually he doesn't like the labor and finds that he has to go back to the music biz. The song could also be about rumours and the people who spread them. Rumours spread like wildfire and pretty soon everyone knows it. But it tends to get embellished, leading to even more outlandish tales ‘every single one's got a story to tell.’ Hes not going to get caught up in the circulation of information, or propaganda, ‘Queen of England’ (the whole king and country, or political,) ‘Hounds of Hell’ (reference to the religious cries of fearing an anguishing after life).

The last verse details Jack's desire to escape it all and return to a simpler life (working the straw in Witchitaw). Despite the song being famous for its guitar tune this song also uses interesting language techniques making the song an effective poem. Throughout 7 nation army there is a common rhyming scheme and repetition. In the first verse the last word of the line is used again two lines later. First line - off, second line - back, third line - off and last line - back. The general rhyming scheme is: a, b, c, b or; a, b, a (repetition), b. For example: And I'm Talkin' to myself at night (a) because I can't forget (b) Back and forth through my mind (c) behind a cigarette (b)

__Garden of Love - William Blake__

I went to the Garden of Love,

And saw what I never had seen;

A Chapel was built in the midst,

Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut

And "Thou shalt not," writ over the door;

So I turned to the Garden of Love

That so many sweet flowers bore.

And I saw it was filled with graves,

And tombstones where flowers should be;

And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,

And binding with briars my joys and desires.

__Refection__ __The point__

I believe that blake is saying that what is often a joyful situation can be destroyed by the church, which is suppose to promote this. Seeing that this poem was written in the early 1800's, churches were known to over-emphasizing rules. With the freedom of early "innocent" childhood, the Garden of Love in this poem is symbolic of the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden being the utopia God set us to live in is also symbolic of the freedom left for us, so that we may grow in religion. The church's in the 1800's were oppressive and the typical bible thumpers over-emphasized every rule or commandment. This oppression inhibits the "innocence" and turns religion into a job. The symbolism of the graves being the loss or "death" of the real meaning of religion. "Tombstones where flowers should be."

__Imagery__

The imagery conveyed when the persona described the garden was that of colourful flowers, nature and green meadows. In the second and third stanza's the imagery that is shown is of sorrow, black dirt, a cemetery with crying people and priests in their black clothing and a chapel with dull coloured walls. I get this imagery from the negativity to the church in the poem and the grief shown by the persona.

__General__ The poem is made effective not only through the imagery conveyed but also through the language of the poem. There is an evident rhyming scheme from start to finish: a, b, c. b.