Poetry Analysis:

1) Howl by Allen Ginsberg

- The title, Howl, talks about the voice that everyone has, that has a baying howl that no one can here, but wishes for something more. It describes the life of many different kinds of people, conforming to society and living lives with false happiness, which is the ultimate emptiness.
- The poem begins with "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,..." and contiunes to say, "who... poverty and tatters... the supernatural darkness. contemplating jazz... ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine" Then it continues to explain the unnatural circumstances that exist when people stop caring, and start looking for self righteous pleasure.
- "Ate fire...; waking nightmares...; shoes full of blood..." These don't literally mean that they are eating fire, but being exposed to eating things that is bad for themselves. The term "waking nightmares" is used to describe the meaning of fear in someones life. Saying that "shoes" are "full of blood" indicates that there is pain in walking and going on for hours without help.
- This poem has a solemn tone. The author is critical and intense about his views on which this society seems to be organized. I felt that the poem led to very controversial points that people are afraid to talk about but are really crucial.
- The shift comes right from the beginning, describing the madness to people who were once good, then it goes into people who are uncaring, people who are inexperienced, and into the lives of people who don't care enough about their own lives to try to fix anything.
- The title is about the cry for help. That "madness" is the source of much anger and that many people look for excuses to not cry out in their lives.
- The theme of the poem is to have recognition of all of the things that can make us get distracted from what is important in life, and to recognize when people and objects have value... and when they do not.

2) Cat by JRR Tolkien:
- This poem is named Cat simply because it is about a cat that lounges around and sees things as an animal with little intelligence, day dreaming on a mat.
-"The fat cat... dreams... unbowed, proud, where loud roared and fought his kin, lean and slim, in the East feasted on beasts and tender men.:
- As we see that meat is referred to, but when in reality it most nearly means prey. "The cat leaps upon his meat..." This is not simply just meat but the thrill of the hunt through recognition of what the prey may provide.
- The author describes the cat as something that wishes for dignity. A longing to be more proud and independent then the life he has now. It makes me feel sorry for the cat, because he can't do what he truly wants to, but at the same time he is being lazy and doing nothing but daydreaming, giving a good idea of the selfishness of cats personalities
- The shift is from the cats reality to his day dream, where instead of being dependent on a master for food, stalks pray for his own benefit, then comes back to his senses, only just hoping.
- Not really, it is about a cat who wishes to be a greater cat.
-  The theme is that no matter how hard you wish to be something you are not, you will simply never get there by dreaming about it, and you will just bring yourself dissatisfaction by not trying to attain your goals.

3) Hope by Emily Dickinson:
- The title's meaning is to describe hope as something that can be carried out, with care, and will fall without guidance.
- "'Hope' is the thing with feathers... It sings... and never stops... and it's sweetest song... is heard... in the chillest land... and on the strangest sea"
- "Perches in the soul", most literally it would mean to take a spot on top of the soul where it could survey and rest. But this means that it will keep itself in ones soul, and sing sweet songs so that we can push ourselves to become more.
- The author of this poem seems very grateful for hope. She describes it as being there at the most awkward and lowly of times and being thankful for it's support of her, though she has done nothing in return. For me, I feel that it creates a realization that hope can be there in the most unlikely times, and it makes me feel satisfied and content.
- The shift is at the very end of the poem, when the author changes tone from warm and hopeful diction to dark and mysterious situations.
- The title says simply that hope will be like a bird to cheer you on, but never actually helping you.
- The theme of the story is that hope is like a singing bird, that can be found in unlikely places to warm you when you get lost or lonely, and expects nothing in return. Hope often and use it to your own advantage.