Poem Analysis

Poem by Donald Kneene #84

The poem is about loneliness and how it can affect our daily lives. In the first three lines, the writer is saying that he is isolated from the city and its inhabitants. Somehow he seems to be situated so far that no one can notice his presence. Since he’s living alone, he’ll constantly feel depressed meaning that he’s anxious, sorrow, and full of agony. Though agony was not directly talked about in the piece, it can easily be sensed by the reader. The author is taking the basic human fear of loneliness and improvises it into his poem. He tries to use rather touching sentences to connect this common fear to the reader.

Poem by Bai Juyi

The poem is about warmth and describes this feeling with a common thing, air. The meaning of the first line is that the pillow’s quilt is warm creating a soothing atmosphere making the author’s body relaxed and smooth. The second line implies that even though the curtains aren’t open, the wind can still reach you and it will remain in the air. The meaning of the last line is that the wind can often come to you even in your sleep. I believe he is using personification to make the atmosphere seem like its living. I can also tell that the tone is meant to be relaxed and quiet.