Poetry Analysis
Introduction:
I chose three inspirational poems. The first one is called Things Work Out by Edgar A.
Guest. The theme of this poem is that no matter what happens in life, things do work out.
The second poem is called Believing In You by Catherine Pulsifer. The theme of this
poem is to believe in yourself, dare to be whatever you want to be. And the third poem is
called Start Where You Stand by Berton Braley. The theme of this poem is not to live in
the past but look to the future and build your dreams starting today.
Dramatistic Questions:
1. Who is speaking?
a. Things Work Out: A person who has overcome things in life. A person who
had a lot of hard times and thought life sucked and wouldn’t ever get better and in the
end, he learned that things did work out. This poem is speaking in first person.
b. Believing In You: A person who is encouraging people to go after what they
want. Maybe she or he has been held back from their dreams once before and didn’t
follow their heart and go after what they wanted. This is in first person point of view.
c. Start Where You Stand: A person who has overcome the past to get to the
future. Someone who has had a long journey to get where they are today. This is in first
person point of view.
2. To whom is the persona speaking?
a. Things Work Out: The persona is speaking to whoever feels like nothing will
ever work out or be okay. They are trying to let the audience know that it will eventually
turn out all right. The audience is anyone going through tough times or whoever will go
through tough times. Which in life, is everyone, eventually.
b. Believing In You: The persona is speaking to a friend maybe or whoever is
holding back on their dreams and goals in life. They are trying to tell the audience to
reach for the stars and never give up, go after what you want in life, don’t hold back.
c. Start Where You Stand: The persona is speaking to anyone who is stuck
dwelling in yesterday’s news. It’s all about moving forward and the persona is telling the
audience to start today, don’t worry about yesterday.
3. What is the persona speaking about?
a. Things Work Out: The persona is speaking about never giving up and never
letting down. You may not think it at the time, but everything happens for a reason and
all things eventually work itself out.
b. Believing In You: The persona is speaking about believing in yourself, never
giving up on your hopes and dreams. Follow your heart and don’t let anyone stand in
your way. There will be roadblocks along the way but you will get over them and in the
end, following your dream could be the best thing you ever did. So try.
c. Start Where You Stand: The persona is speaking about not dwelling in the past.
Look towards the future and worry about the present. Getting stuck in the past isn’t going
to get you anywhere in life. You have to overcome your past and move forward.
4. Where is the moment taking place?
a. Things Work Out: The setting is not clear in this piece. It may be taking place
during a hard time in someone’s life. Maybe it’s storming outside and they are saying
sunshine will come again.
b. Believing In You: The setting is not clear in this piece. It may be taking place
during a hard time in one’s life, whether it be the personas or another person’s.
c. Start Where You Stand: The setting is not clear in this piece. It may be taking
place at race. Not looking at other losses or failures, not concentrating on yesterday’s
race. It’s all about right now and what’s to come.
5. When does the persona tell the story?
a. Things Work Out: The moment is taking place in the present. It talks about
things happening in the past and the present and realizing things work out eventually. It
also talks about how the future will still turn out okay and things turn out all right in the
future.
b. Believing In You: The moment is taking place in the present. The persona is
telling you to believe in yourself and follow your dreams sometime, whether its now or a
little down the line.
c. Start Where You Stand: The moment is taking place in the present. It says not
to dwell in the past and not to dwell on the future. Be in the moment of today.
6. How is the persona telling the story?
a. Things Work Out: The persona is telling the story using imagery and actual
events in life. Use of figurative speech is apparent throughout. There is lots of use of
punctuation also.
b. Believing In You: The persona is telling the story by inspiring and persuading
you to go after your dreams.
c. Start Where You Stand: The persona is telling the story using imagery and
metaphors.
7. Why is the persona speaking?
a. Things Work Out: The persona is speaking to inspire and persuade people that
things will get better and they do turn out all right. Not to give up and to keep working
hard and believing.
b. Believing In You: The persona is speaking to inspire and persuade people to
follow their dreams and don’t let anyone stand in their way.
c. Start Where You Stand: The persona is speaking to inspire and persuade people
to not look back on the past, to move forward in life.
Modal Analysis:
External Mode- Lyric; The author seems to be speaking directly, using I and we
and such. All the poems are lyric.