"Miracles"
Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
5 Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love …
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
10 Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
15 These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
20 Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.
To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?
in Just–
E.E. Cummings
in Just—
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
5 whistles far and wee
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring
10 when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
15 from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
it's
spring
and
the
20 goat-footed
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee
In both "Miracles" and "in Just—," the poets use images that appeal to the senses. In a paragraph, compare the use of imagery in the two poems. First, present images in each poem that appeal to the senses of sight, sound, and touch. Then, state at least one way in which the imagery in the two poems is different and one way that it is the same. Include details from the poems in your paragraph.
This is what I have so far: The image in "Miracles" that appeals to the senses of sight, sound, and touch is exquisite. The image in "in Just—," that appeals to the senses of sight, sound, and touch is ____________________. One way the imagery in the two poem is different is ______________. One way the imagery in the two poem is the same is ______________.
Please help me understand how to do this or help.
1. Make three lists for each poem:
~ one list of the lines/words that include sight
~ one list of the lines/words that include sound
~ one list of the lines/words that include touch
Make sure you include quoted words and line numbers.
2. You should end up with six lists (perhaps 2 pages with 3 lists on each page).
3. THEN you'll be ready to start writing your paper.
Miracles
lines that include sight:
• dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky
• the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
• watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
words that include sight:
• Sight
• Look
• Watch
lines that include sound:
• talk by day with any one I love …
• the motion of the waves
words that include sound:
• Talk
lines that include touch:
• wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
• sit at table at dinner with the rest,
words that include touch:
•
in Just–
lines that include sight:
• when the world is puddle-wonderful
• and bettyandisbel come dancing
words that include sight:
• far
lines that include sound:
• whistles far and wee
words that include sound:
• whistles
• wee
lines that include touch:
• from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
words that include touch:
•
Analyzing the use of imagery in poetry requires careful examination of the specific words and phrases that evoke sensory experiences. In your case, you are comparing the use of imagery in two poems: "Miracles" by Walt Whitman and "in Just–" by E.E. Cummings.
To complete your paragraph, let's start by identifying the sensory images in each poem. In "Miracles," Whitman appeals to sight with lines such as "Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky" and "birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air." He appeals to sound with "watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon" and touch with "wade with naked feet along the beach." These images depict various natural elements and experiences.
Now, let's turn to the sensory images in "in Just–" by E.E. Cummings. In this poem, Cummings primarily focuses on the sights and sounds of spring. He appeals to sight with phrases like "the world is mud-luscious," "the little lame balloonman," and "goat-footed balloonMan." The repeated phrase "whistles / far / and / wee" appeals to sound and evokes imagery of the balloonman's whistle. There is less emphasis on touch in this particular poem.
Now that we have identified the sensory images in each poem, we can compare their use of imagery. One way the imagery in the two poems is different is in their overall focus. "Miracles" by Whitman employs a more extensive range of sensory images to celebrate everyday experiences, including natural phenomena and human interactions. On the other hand, "in Just–" by Cummings concentrates on the sights and sounds of spring, particularly in relation to childhood activities.
However, one way the imagery in the two poems is the same is that they both create vivid sensory experiences through their carefully chosen words. Whether it's Whitman's depiction of "honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon" or Cummings' portrayal of the "whistles / far / and / wee" of the balloonman, both poets convey their intended imagery with evocative language. In this sense, they share a common goal of engaging the reader's senses and bringing to life the scenes they describe.
To further enhance your analysis, explore additional examples of sensory imagery in the poems and consider their impact on the overall themes or emotions conveyed by the poets.