This poem explores a man who regrets rejecting another woman for his rose tree, or mistress. In the first stanza, he is offered another flower but declines, saying he has his pretty rose tree. In the second stanza, he goes to tend to his rose tree only to find that she has turned away out of jealousy, and her thorns are now his only company. The poem examines the speaker's regret over choosing his mistress over another, as his mistress has now rejected him, leaving him with only the pain of her thorns. It conveys the theme of regretting past relationship choices through symbolic language and a comparison to a rose tree.

1. POETRY EXPLICATION PROJECT
Sierra White
Spring 2012

2. TO BRIANA
Dear Briana.
I know I told you this was a simple project I needed you to take a look at but I
also hope you truly read everything I wrote. It is a collection of poems that
remind me of you in a way with your relationships, there are also poems that
point out how no matter what everything can get better!
I hope you enjoy this “Book of poems” and I cannot wait till we are finally
able to meet as friends!

3. WHERE?
BY: SIERRA WHITE
One,
Two
Three
Four
Here I go out the door
Where I have no idea,
Lets have a few adventures this year.
To the Car with keys in hand,
“Where?” you may ask.
To Explore the land,
Start the Engine,
Drive down the road,
Where to go,
I do not know
I look at the gas gauge
And to my dismay,
The adventure today
A trip to the Gas station
Where I must pay.

4. WHERE? EXPLICATION
Written in the year 2012 by the unpublished author Sierra White Where is a simplistic poem
that tells of an everyday adventure everyone experiences a few times a week. As you begin
to read the poem the first four words are structured in a un uniform pattern that take your
eyes on an adventure of their own. Just the start off with simple counting makes you
wonder where this poem will go. There are a few different tones through this poem; it
starts out with anticipation where the person is not sure where exactly they will be going for
the day. That anticipation turns to excitement at the idea of exploring the land both known
and unknown places. Near the end of the poem the tone turns to dismay and
disappointment at the fact that she cannot go on much of trip because of the need for gas.
The speaker of this poem could be a person of any age, while the author is only 16 and just
most likely just starting to experience the fun of paying for her own gas. This poem could
be focused towards anyone of any age looking for an adventure. The title of the poem
really explains the poem to the reader, no one knows exactly where they will go once they
leave their house. They have an idea, maybe a destination they have to reach but once they
leave their comfort of their home the question of , where, I s open to any answer. The
rhyme scheme of this poem is not organized, it has a random effect and again leads you
wondering where the poem will go next. The structure in in one main body, no broken
stanzas just one long body of the poem.

5. THE RED SHOES
BY SIERRA WHITE
I know they‟re here
But where is here
Are they in a corner
Or on a shelf,
Did I lend them to someone else?
I love those shoes
They make me feel free
Little Red Shoes,
COME TO ME!
Mom is yelling
“Its time to go out the door”
I scan the floor looking for them,
Then I spot them once again.
Just sitting there looking for a friend,
On my feet they go with ease
These little red shoes,
make me feel free

6. THE RED SHOES EXPLICATION
This poem was written sometime in the fall of 2010 by the young author Sierra
White. At the time she was only 15 and still figuring out her identity and how she was
applying herself to her own sense of style. This poem tells about her favorite pair of
shoes and one of the many times she had misplaced her shoes in her room. The
speaker is that of a teenager talking to her shoes, like most of us do at a time when
we loose something we need, for instance our shoes, keys wallet or any other
inanimate object. The tone of the poem is playful and fun, but it also has a sense of
urgency where the speaker actually calls out to the pair of shoes out of desperation.
The rhyme scheme to this poem is AABCCDEDEFGHHHEDE
While this is a sporatic rhyme scheme with no general Patten this is a typical trait of
White, she never particularly enjoyed having exact rhyme schemes.
The poem is not broken into stanzas and paragraphs for organization, instead it has a
simple body, all of the lines group together in the center. This pattern causes the
reader to continue on with the poem, it also shows the story line of this poem. The
title of this poem tells people what the subject of the poem it, it may not mean much
to a person who would just read the poem. After taking a moment to read the story
behind the title you realize that White wrote the poem because the red shoes were a
part of her personality and it seemingly made her feel like a different person.

7. MILES DON’T MATTER
BY: SIERRA WHITE
Those three words that make us Phone calls,
survive. Emails,
They make us look forward to the Skype through I-pads
next day we talk.
Miles won't get between us.
Miles Don't Matter
Friends don't understand why we try
The truth is we don't deny
No matter the distance between our
hands The trust we feel
No matter the time between our The Miles we don't see.
touch
No matter the miles between us. Miles Don't matter if the love is
We don't let it stop us. strong
Miles don't stop the Love we have.

8. MILES DON’T
This poem is one that speaks volumes in the matter of long distance
relationships. The Title of this poem, Miles Don‟t Matter, helps explain the
meaning of the poem. In this poem you see a set of three stands each
between three and four lines. While the last sentence of the poem is more of
a statement it closes the poem. The speaker of this poem would most likely be
a young teenager or a person who has been in a long distance relationship at
any age. It is noticeable that there is one point in the poem where it talks
about technology, this makes me believe that the speaker, is a teenager or adult
who is very knowledgeable with technology. When you look at the poem you
can see the true love between two people who are willing to put in the time
and energy for the relationship to last.

9. ROMANTIC HOW?
Roses are Red and they draw blood too
Violets are Blue Violets look pretty
How is that romantic? And have nice colors,
I have no clue But no fragrance to encourage
People hear those words Romance in a poem
They always think, I don’t think so
Oh what a poet. I will take daisies
Romance and love And pretty flamingos.
that’s the way to show it
I do not understand
nor do I want to.
Roses have thorns

10. ROMANTIC HOW EXPLICATION
The poem “Romantic How?” has a unique personality. Yes poems can have
personalities! In a way there seems to be a situation where the speaker may be
talking to a good friend or acquaintance explaining why he/she does not think
certain things are romantic. You are given multiple images as you read this
poem, the first two lines “Roses are Red/Violets are Blue” you are given a
visual picture of flowers that most people receive on special occasions. Those
first two lines also bring forth the typical beginning to a romantic poem. As
you continue on the poem you see lines that state “Roses have thorns/and they
draw blood too. / Violets look pretty / And have nice colors/ but no fragrance
to encourage. ” Reading those lines you do not see as romantic of a picture as
you did with the first two lines of the poem. This poem is not organized into
separate stanzas but instead a large body, the tone of this poem is playing ful
and joking. You are able to notice this tone especially when you get to the last
two lines. “I will take daisies/ and pretty flamingos.”

11. FRIENDS
BY: SIERRA WHITE
Faithful till the end
Ready to talk when you need them
Insure that you stay on track
Everyready to listen
Never Put you down
Depend on you for things
Sunshine on cloudy days

12. FRIENDS EXPLICATION
This poem is not only a sweet poem but it is known as an acrostic
poem meaning there is a word spelled from the first letter in each
line. In this poem you can see that word is friends. As you read this
poem you see what the author views true friendship as. The tone of
this poem would be serious and sweet at the same time. As you read
you only see positive things, giving you an image of what true friends
should be like for example, “Ever ready to listen/ Never put you
down” those are two statements that tell you what that person
expects from a friend.

13. MIX THEM TOGETHER
SIERRA WHITE
White and black Add them together
Night and day And you create something, See
They do not mix
Or do they When you only look
At one or another
What do you call gray You are missing a world
Or twilight time Unlike any other
Why don’t you read
In-between the lines Mix things together,
Create something new
Things are different See the whole world
Yes I agree In a new point of view

14. MIX THEM TOGETHER
EXPLICATION
When you first read the title of this poem the first thought that may jump into
your mind is that of a recipe for a cookie mix. That‟s not what the title of this
poem is talking about. In this poem you are given a set of stanzas that create a
tone of seriousness but at the same time happiness. This speaker of this poem
would be seen as and older person who has had years of expierence explaining
to a younger child or even teen that you should see things just in black and
white. A few of the images that you are given in this poem include that of a
sky in between the daytime and the night time. The colors white and black
mixed together to create the color gray. The title of this poem gives you the
symbolism that you can mix anything together, people, colors, or time of
day, to create something new and different.

15. HEART, WE WILL FORGET HIM
BY: EMILY DICKINSON
Heart, we will forget him,
You and I, tonight!
You must forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
When you have done pray tell me,
Then I, my thoughts, will dim.
Haste! „lest while you‟re lagging
I may remember him!

16. “ Heart, We Will Forget Him,” is written by Emily Dickinson and the title describes the main theme of
this poem. While this poem is only a few lines long you are able to receive the impression that
Dickinson had recently been through a breakup that left her trying to forget the relationship. When
you read this poem you see the speaker is a female, possible of any age that has a broken and hurt
heart. The speaker is talking directly to their heart creating personification within this poem. While
reading this poem you are able to see that the speaker is talking about a man that she requests her heart
to forget, and the speaker tells the heart exactly what to forget. In the like “You (the heart) must forget
the warmth he gave” the impression that the speaker lover made her feel warm and secure is brought
to you mind. There is also a mental image of a man possible giving a women his coat or holding her
close on a cold night to create the image of warmth. In the next like “I will forget the light” the
speaker puts in how she herself will attempt to forget the man whom she was so fond of. This brings
forth a mental image of someone important and you is placed first above everyone else.
The tone of this poem is sorrow, but at the same time hopefulness. There is sorrow in this poem
because the speaker is attempting to forget someone who made and impression on her heart mind and
soul in a way that she will have a hard time forgetting. There is a hopeful tone to this poem in the last
few lines, “Then I, my thought will dim./Haste! „least while you‟re lagging / I may remember him!”
You see a person who is willing to remember who they want their heart to forget, or she is willing to
try and stop her feelings of love, but until them she wants to remember all of the good things that
happened.
The Rhyme scheme of this poem is ABCBDAEA, with the organization being one body not separating
the lines into separate stanzas. This creates a more unified look to the poem showing that the thought
process between the speaker and her heart are connected and flowing continuously.

17. MY MISTRESS’ EYES
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
My mistress‟ eyes are nothing like the sun
Coral is far more red than her lips‟ red,
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun,
If hairs be wires, black wires grow upon her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks,
And in some perfumes is there more delight,
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak: yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound,
I grant I never saw a goddess go,
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground,
And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare,
As any she belied with false compare.

18. MY MISTRESS’ EYES
EXPLICATION
William Shakespeare is known for his works as a playwright and a poet. In his poem “My Mistress‟ Eyes”
you see something that some may call unromantic and in one way or another mean. That is because they
may not be looking at the right lines within this poem. In this poem the speaker is someone who is in love
with a mistress whom others may look at ill. The speaker would seem to be an older gentleman who is
probably speaking with a good friend who he is able to trust. In the poem the speaker is explaining what
his mistress looks like and why he fancies her.
This poem is filled with images all based around a single subject, the speakers mistress. In this poem you are
given exactly what the mistress looks like, in the first line of the poem, “My mistress‟ eyes are nothing like
the sun.” The speaker starts off by saying that the eyes that normally are bright and cheerful in a person are
not like that for his mistress. Then he continues by describing how she looks, he states that Coral is redder
than her lips, and that her chest is paler than snow. As he says this you start to see am image of a pale
women who is not very attractive in today‟s standard. Then the speaker goes on describing the way her black
hair, looks more like wires placed on her head. She has no blush to her cheeks and her breath is not
something you would want to smell, he also states that while he loves to hear her speak the sound is worse
than music. Through most of the poem you see a women who no one could possible fall in love with or
who no one could fancy, but then you continue reading. In the last few lines of the poem the speaker states
how he things his love with his mistress is rare and no one is able to compare with his love. This shows that
no matter what you look like or who you see there is someone who appreciates you for who you are.
The rhyme scheme in this poem is ABABCDCDEFEFGG, this poem is also organized into a single body
instead of separate paragraphs also known as stanzas. By having this poem as a body instead of multiple
short paragraphs you are able to see how the entire poem is talking about one person and how everything
flow together within the poem.

19. MY PRETTY ROSE TREE
WILLIAM BLAKE
A
flower was offered to me:
Such a flower as May never bore.
But I said "I‟ve a Pretty Rose-tree",
And I passed the sweet flower o‟er.
Then
I went to my Pretty Rose-tree
To tend her by day and by night.
But my Rose turn‟d away with jealousy:
And her thorns were my only delight.

20. “My Pretty Rose Tree” is a poem who main subject is a rose tree. The rose tree is not a literal
rose tree that grows in a flower garden but a women who can be compared to a rose tree for
how the speaker treated her. The speaker in this poem would seem to be a man who lost
something who was dear to him and is trying to figure out what happened and why he no longer
has the, pretty rose, he loved to dearly. In this poem you see a few images the first you see is in
the second line where the speaker was given a flower, and in the third line it describes how the
flower was so pretty it was never seen before. You also see how the speaker tended to this rose
tree night and day, and in the end the Rose he was tending to decide to lash out with jealousy and
only let him have her thorns. Through the course of the poem you see a story of a love broken
apart by jealously.
The tone of this poem is confusing, in the beginning of the poem you see a happiness that
someone offered him a flower that had beauty and radiance, but he decided to turn away that
flower because he had his own rose tree. Then the poem turns to confusion because all while he
turned down the flower offered to him the speakers Rose decided to leave out of jealously. The
speaker is questioning where the relationship went wrong between him and his Rose, because he
was there and tended to the every need both night and day but in the end she decidedly left. The
poem has a very night pattern to it with the rhyme scheme of ABABACAC. While there are only
two stanzas the split of the stanzas comes at the point where the tone of the poem also changes.

21. A FRIEND LIKE YOU
BY: NATASHA
Everyone should have
a friend like you
You are so much fun to be with
And you are such a good person
You crack me up with laughter
And touch my heart with your kindness
You have a wonderful ability
To know when to offer advice
And when to sit in quiet support
Time after time
You've come to my rescue
And brightend so many
Of my routine days
And time after time
I've realized how fortunate
I am that my life includes you
I really do believe that
Everybody should have a friend like you
But so far it looks like
You are one of a kind!

22. A FRIEND LIKE YOU
EXPLICATION
This poem is not written by a classical author who is known across the world
but by a person who I believe was looking at our relationship as she wrote this
poem. This poem speaks volumes to anyone who has a friend and who wants
to let them know how much of a friend they are. Instead of there being
multiple stanzas there is one large body paragraph built up of all the line in
the poem. As you read the poem you see a picture being drawn of all the
qualities you may want in a friend, from the quiet support, to brightening up
the day. The tone of the poem is a tone of truthfulness and love. As a person
reads this names may start coming to mind of people who fulfill the meaning
of “A friend Like You.”The Rhyme Scheme of this poem is simple, there is no
real rhyme scheme. As a poem on friendship the words flow together with
there not needing to be a rhyme scheme.

23. CLOSING
As a final note, I know there are not many poems here, but as our friendship
grows so will this book of Poems, I love you like a Sister Bri! And you know
it.
Sierra

24. BIBLIOGRAPHY