Poem 1: "Still Here" (Langston Hughes)

I been scarred and battered.

My hopes the wind done scattered.
Snow has friz me,
Sun has baked me,

Looks like between ‘em they done

Tried to make me
Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’—
But I don’t care!
I’m still here!

Line by Line Meaning:

"I been scarred and battered."

The speaker has faced pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally. "Scarred and
battered" suggests experiences of hardship, possibly oppression, violence, or struggles in life.

"My hopes the wind done scattered."

The speaker’s dreams and aspirations have been taken away, as if blown away by the wind. This
could symbolize life’s challenges, racial injustice, or other forces that have made it hard for them
to hold on to hope.

"Snow has friz me,"

The coldness of life, symbolized by snow, has frozen the speaker, possibly representing the
cruelty, loneliness, or struggles they have endured. "Friz" (a dialectal form of "froze") reflects the
speaker’s voice and background, emphasizing authenticity.

"Sun has baked me,"

The heat of the sun has burned the speaker, which may symbolize the suffering endured under
harsh conditions—possibly referencing the physical labor of Black workers in the past or the
harsh realities of life.

"Looks like between ‘em they done"

The opposing forces (snow and sun) have both tried to break the speaker down. This line
suggests that hardships come from different directions—both extreme cold and extreme heat,
showing that no matter the circumstances, suffering persists.

"Tried to make me"

These forces of hardship have attempted to break the speaker’s spirit and take away their
happiness.

"Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’—"

The challenges faced were meant to make the speaker lose joy (laughing), love (loving), and
even the will to live. This could reflect oppression, depression, or systemic struggles that try to
take away human dignity and joy.

"But I don’t care!"

Despite everything, the speaker refuses to be broken. This line expresses defiance and strength,
showing a refusal to be defeated.

"I’m still here!"

The final statement is a declaration of survival and resilience. No matter what life has thrown at
them, they are still standing strong, refusing to be erased or broken.

Overall Meaning:
Hughes’ poem captures the resilience of marginalized people, particularly African Americans,
who have endured oppression, racism, and hardship but have remained strong. The poem’s
conversational tone and use of dialect make it deeply personal and relatable, while its message of
perseverance and defiance makes it universally inspiring.

Poem 2: “Don’t Quit” (Edgar A Guest)

1. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

- Life doesn't always go as planned. Challenges and setbacks are part of life.

2. When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

- When everything feels difficult and exhausting, like you're climbing a steep hill.

3. When the funds are low and the debts are high,
- Financial struggles can add a heavy burden to life.

4. And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

- It's hard to stay positive when things feel overwhelming, even though you want to feel happy.

5. When care is pressing you down a bit,

 - Responsibilities and worries weigh heavily on your mind.

6. Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

- It's okay to take a break when you're tired, but don't give up.

7. Life is queer with its twists and turns,

- Life is unpredictable and full of surprises that can take us in unexpected directions.

8. As every one of us sometimes learns,

- Everyone goes through difficulties at some point. It’s a part of life.

9. And many a failure comes about

- Failure happens to many, often because people stop trying.

10. When he might have won had he stuck it out;

- Sometimes, success is just one more effort away, but we fail because we give up too soon.

11. Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

- Even if progress feels slow, don’t give up.

12. You may succeed with another blow.

- One more try could lead to success.

13. Often the goal is nearer than

- Success may be closer than it seems.

14. It seems to a faint and faltering man;

- When you're discouraged, the goal may appear farther than it really is.

15. Often the struggler has given up,

- Many people quit when they’re almost there.

16. When he might have captured the victor's cup.

- The "victor’s cup" symbolizes success, which could have been achieved if they had
persevered.

17. And he learned too late, when the night came down,
- It’s only after giving up that one realizes the mistake of quitting, and it’s too late to go back.

18. How close he was to the golden crown.

 - The "golden crown" represents the reward or ultimate achievement, which was nearer than
the person realized.

19. Success is failure turned inside out,

- Failure is often a stepping stone to success. What seems like failure may actually lead to
success.

20. The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

- This line uses the image of clouds, often associated with doubt or uncertainty, but with a
"silver tint," which means that doubt can have a positive side. The silver lining refers to the hope
or potential that can come from struggling or uncertain times. Just like clouds with a silver
lining, difficulties can lead to growth, lessons, or even success.

21. And you never can tell how close you are,
- You can’t always tell when you’re close to your goal.

22. It may be near when it seems afar;

- Success may feel far away when you’re struggling, but it might actually be very close.

23. So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

- Keep going, especially when things are toughest.

24. It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- The worst moments are often when success is just around the corner. Don’t give up when
things feel hardest.

Summary:
The poem teaches that perseverance is key. Even when things seem difficult, and the road feels
long, success is often just around the corner. The phrase "silver tint" represents how doubt or
difficulty can have a positive side, leading to eventual success, just like the silver lining on a
cloudy day. The message is clear: keep pushing forward, rest when necessary, but never quit.

Poem 3: "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is a well-known poem that explores themes of
choices, individuality, and the uncertainty of decision-making. Below is a detailed line-by-line
explanation of the poem.

Stanza 1: Setting the Scene

1. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,"

●​ The speaker comes across a fork in a wooded path where two roads split in different
directions.
●​ The "yellow wood" suggests an autumn setting, symbolizing maturity or a time of
change.

2. "And sorry I could not travel both"

●​ The speaker regrets that they cannot take both paths at once.
●​ This represents how in life, we must make choices and cannot experience every
possibility.

3. "And be one traveler, long I stood"

●​ Since the speaker is just one person, they must choose only one path.
●​ They hesitate, contemplating the decision carefully, much like we do with important life
choices.

4. "And looked down one as far as I could"

●​ They try to see where one of the roads leads, symbolizing the attempt to predict the
consequences of a decision.

5. "To where it bent in the undergrowth;"

●​ The road disappears into the forest, meaning its end is uncertain, just as future outcomes
in life are unpredictable.

Stanza 2: Comparing the Two Roads

6. "Then took the other, as just as fair,"

●​ The speaker decides to take the second road, saying it is just as appealing as the first.
●​ This suggests that both options in life seem equally valid at the time of decision.

7. "And having perhaps the better claim,"

●​ The speaker initially believes this second road might be the better choice.
●​ This reflects how we sometimes justify our choices by convincing ourselves they are
superior.

8. "Because it was grassy and wanted wear;"

 ●​ This road appears less traveled, suggesting fewer people have taken it.
●​ Symbolically, this may represent an unconventional or unique life choice.

9. "Though as for that the passing there"

●​ The speaker starts to reconsider, realizing that both roads have been traveled about the
same amount.

10. "Had worn them really about the same,"

●​ Despite initial impressions, both paths are actually equally worn, meaning the difference
between them is minimal.

Stanza 3: The Reality of Choices

11. "And both that morning equally lay"

●​ On that particular morning, both roads looked similar, covered with fallen leaves.
●​ This shows that decisions often seem equally viable at the moment of choosing.

12. "In leaves no step had trodden black."

●​ The leaves are fresh, meaning no one has recently walked on either road.
●​ This suggests that every choice presents a new opportunity.

13. "Oh, I kept the first for another day!"

●​ The speaker tells themselves they might come back and take the first road later.
●​ This reflects the common hope that we can revisit past choices, though this is often not
the case.

14. "Yet knowing how way leads on to way,"

●​ The speaker realizes that one choice often leads to another, making it unlikely they will
ever return to this exact spot.

15. "I doubted if I should ever come back."

●​ The speaker acknowledges the reality that once a choice is made, it is difficult to go back
and make a different one.

Stanza 4: Reflecting on the Choice

16. "I shall be telling this with a sigh"

 ●​ In the future, the speaker anticipates looking back on this decision with deep reflection,
possibly regret or nostalgia.

17. "Somewhere ages and ages hence:"

●​ The speaker imagines recounting this moment years later, highlighting how certain
choices shape our lives permanently.

18. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—"

●​ The poem repeats its opening image, emphasizing the importance of this decision.

19. "I took the one less traveled by,"

●​ The speaker claims to have chosen the unconventional path, setting themselves apart
from others.
●​ However, earlier in the poem, both roads were equally traveled, suggesting that this
might just be how they choose to remember it.

20. "And that has made all the difference."

●​ The speaker believes this decision shaped their life significantly.

●​ The poem leaves it ambiguous whether this was a positive or negative outcome,
reinforcing the unpredictability of life.

Themes of the Poem

1.​ Choice and Consequence – Every decision we make in life has lasting effects.
2.​ Individuality vs. Fate – The speaker wants to believe they made a unique choice, but in
reality, both paths were similar.
3.​ Regret and Reflection – The speaker acknowledges that they may never return to the
other path and will always wonder about it.
4.​ The Illusion of Free Will – The speaker justifies their decision as "the road less
traveled," but the poem suggests that the difference was minimal.

"The Road Not Taken" is often misinterpreted as a celebration of individualism. In reality, it

highlights how we create narratives about our past decisions, sometimes seeing them as more
significant or unique than they actually were. The poem captures the universal human experience
of making choices, questioning them, and reflecting on their impact.

Poem 4: Snake by D.H.Lawrence

D.H. Lawrence’s Snake is a reflective and philosophical poem that explores themes of human
nature, fear, education, and regret. It presents a deep inner conflict between instinct and societal
conditioning. Below is a detailed line-by-line explanation:

Stanza 1-2: The Setting and Encounter

1. "A snake came to my water-trough"

●​ The poem begins with a straightforward observation: a snake approaches the speaker’s
water trough.

2. "On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat, To drink there."

●​ The repetition of “hot, hot” emphasizes the extreme temperature, setting an almost
lethargic, dream-like tone. The speaker, dressed in pyjamas, suggests an informal,
domestic setting.

3-6. "In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob tree​
I came down the steps with my pitcher​
And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough​
before me."

●​ The snake drinks in the shade of the carob tree, creating an atmosphere of mystery. The
speaker is forced to stop and wait, positioning him as secondary to the snake, an unusual
shift in power dynamics.

Stanza 3-5: Description of the Snake

7-10. "He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom​
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over​
the edge of the stone trough​
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,"

●​ The snake is described as emerging from a “fissure in the earth,” which makes it seem as
though it comes from an ancient, primal place. The phrase “yellow-brown slackness
soft-bellied” highlights its natural, fluid movement.

11-14. "And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,​
He sipped with his straight mouth,​
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body,​
Silently."
 ●​ The snake drinks in a delicate and quiet manner, reinforcing an air of peacefulness rather
than danger. Its “straight mouth” and “straight gums” contrast with the stereotypical
image of a threatening, fanged snake.

Stanza 6-7: The Speaker’s Inner Conflict Begins

15-16. "Someone was before me at my water-trough,​

And I, like a second-comer, waiting."

●​ The speaker feels displaced, as though the snake is the true owner of the water-trough.
This reversal of roles suggests a theme of humility in the face of nature.

17-21. "He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do,​
And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do,​
And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment,​
And stooped and drank a little more,​
Being earth-brown, earth-golden from the burning bowels of the earth"

●​ The snake is compared to cattle, a domesticated and familiar animal, reinforcing its
non-threatening nature. Its golden-brown color associates it with the deep, primal forces
of the earth.

22. "On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking."

●​ The reference to Mount Etna, an active volcano in Sicily, adds an underlying tension. The
snake, like the volcano, is a powerful natural force, unpredictable yet majestic.

Stanza 8-10: The Influence of Education

23-24. "The voice of my education said to me​

He must be killed,"

●​ The phrase "voice of my education" suggests societal conditioning. The speaker’s instinct
to admire the snake is countered by the learned belief that it is dangerous.

25-27. "For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold​
are venomous."

●​ Sicilian folk wisdom dictates that golden snakes are poisonous. This knowledge
introduces fear, even though the snake itself has not acted aggressively.

28-30. "And voices in me said, If you were a man​

You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off."
 ●​ The idea of masculinity is linked to violence. The speaker is pressured by an internalized
expectation that killing the snake is the "manly" thing to do.

Stanza 11-12: Admiration and Hesitation

31-34. "But must I confess how I liked him,​

How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink​
at my water-trough​
And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless,"

●​ The speaker contradicts his learned beliefs—he does not want to kill the snake but instead
appreciates its quiet dignity. He sees the snake as a guest rather than an intruder.

35. "Into the burning bowels of this earth?"

●​ The snake is again associated with deep, primal forces, as if it belongs to a different
realm.

36-40. "Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him?​

Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him?​
Was it humility, to feel so honoured?​
I felt so honoured."

●​ The speaker questions his emotions. His admiration for the snake feels unnatural to him,
yet he acknowledges that he feels honored by its presence.

Stanza 13-14: Fear and Reverence

41-42. "And yet those voices:​

If you were not afraid, you would kill him!"

●​ The internal conflict continues. He is aware of societal pressure, but he does not act on it.

43-47. "And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid,​

But even so, honoured still more​
That he should seek my hospitality​
From out the dark door of the secret earth."

●​ His fear is mixed with reverence. The snake seems otherworldly, and the speaker views
its visit as a significant event.

Stanza 15-18: The Snake’s Departure and Regret

48-56. "He drank enough​
And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,​
And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,​
Seeming to lick his lips,​
And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,​
And slowly turned his head,​
And slowly, very slowly, as if thrice adream,​
Proceeded to draw his slow length curving round​
And climb again the broken bank of my wall-face."

●​ The snake is majestic, likened to a god. It leaves with slow, deliberate movements,
reinforcing its dignified presence.

57-64. "And as he put his head into that dreadful hole,​

A sort of horror, a sort of protest against his withdrawing into​
that horrid black hole,​
Deliberately going into the blackness, and slowly drawing​
himself after,​
Overcame me now his back was turned.​
I looked round, I put down my pitcher,​
I picked up a clumsy log​
And threw it at the water-trough with a clatter."

●​ The speaker impulsively throws a log, regretting the snake’s departure. His action is
driven by fear and social conditioning, not by necessity.

Stanza 19-20: Self-Realization and Regret

65-69. "And immediately I regretted it.​

I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!​
I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.​
And I thought of the albatross,​
And I wished he would come back, my snake."

●​ He immediately regrets his act, likening it to the killing of the albatross in The Rime of
the Ancient Mariner.

70-74. "For he seemed to me again like a king,​

Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld,​
Now due to be crowned again.​
And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords​
Of life."
 ●​ The snake is exalted as a kingly figure, symbolizing wisdom and natural power.

75. "And I have something to expiate: A pettiness."

●​ The poem ends with remorse. The speaker recognizes that his action was small-minded
and unworthy, a product of fear and ignorance rather than reason.