Song of the Storm Trooper
From hunger I grew drowsy
Dulled by my belly’s ache.
Then someone shouted in my ear:
Germany awake!
Then I saw many marching
Toward the Third Reich, they said.
Since I had naught to lose
I followed where they led.
And as I marched, there marched
Big Belly at my side.
When I shouted “Bread and jobs,”
“Bread and jobs,” he cried.
The leaders wore high boots,
I stumbled with wet feet.
Yet all of us were marching
To the selfsame beat.
I wanted to march leftward,
Squads right, the order was.
I blindly followed orders
For better or for worse.
And toward some new Third Reich,
But scarcely knowing whether,
Pale and hungry men
And well fed marched together.
They gave me a revolver
And said: now shoot our foe!
But as I fired on his ranks
I laid my brother low.
It was my brother, hunger
Made us one I know.
And I am marching, marching
With my own and my brothers foe.
Bertolt Brecht
Song of the Storm Trooper
From hunger I grew drowsy
Dulled by my belly’s ache.
Then someone shouted in my ear:
Germany awake!
Then I saw many marching
Toward the Third Reich, they said.
Since I had naught to lose
I followed where they led.
And as I marched, there marched
Big Belly at my side.
When I shouted “Bread and jobs,”
“Bread and jobs,” he cried.
The leaders wore high boots,
I stumbled with wet feet.
Yet all of us were marching
To the selfsame beat.
I wanted to march leftward,
Squads right, the order was.
I blindly followed orders
For better or for worse.
And toward some new Third Reich,
But scarcely knowing wither,
Pale and hungry men
And well fed marched together.
They gave me a revolver
And said: now shoot our foe!
But as I fired on his ranks
I laid my brother low.
It was my brother, hunger
Made us one I know.
And I am marching, marching
With my own and my brothers foe.
End Rhyme-red,
Imagery-purple
Repetition- Yellow
These elements of poetry help me understand and analyze the poem by letting me know what the poet thinks is important and what I should pay attention to. For example, repetition lets me know that them marching is an important aspect to the poem. Also imagery gives me a better picture of what the poet is trying to depict and tell me through the poem.
The elements help enhance the poem by making the poem flow by the end rhymes. Also the repetition enhances the poem by letting me know about important phrases and words.
I think that the poem is about the life of a Nazi soldier during World War II. The poem tells about how the soldier had to march even though he was hungry and didn’t have shoes but some soldiers do have boots and are well fed. The poem also talks about how the Nazi soldier and his enemies both have one think in common and that thing was hunger.
There is a flower that bees prefer,
And butterflies desire;
To gain the purple democrat
The humming-birds aspire.
And whatsoever insect pass,
A honey bears away
Proportioned to his several dearth
And her capacity.
Her face is rounder than the moon,
And ruddier than the gown
Of orchis in the pasture,
Or rhododendron worn.
She doth not wait for June;
Before the world is green
Her sturdy little countenance
Against the wind is seen,
Contending with the grass,
Near kinsman to herself,
For privilege of sod and sun,
Sweet litigants for life.
And when the hills are full,
And newer fashions blow,
Doth not retract a single spice
For pang of jealousy.
Her public is the moon,
Her providence the sun,
Her progress by the bee proclaimed
In sovereign, swerveless tune.
The bravest of the host,
Surrendering the last,
Nor even of defeat aware
When cancelled by the frost.
There is a flower that bees prefer, rhyme
And butterflies desire; alliteration
To gain the purple democrat new stanza
The humming-birds aspire. extended metaphor
repetition
And whatsoever insect pass,
A honey bears away
Proportioned to his several dearth
And her capacity.
Her face is rounder than the moon,
And ruddier than the gown
Of orchis in the pasture,
Or rhododendron worn.
She doth not wait for June;
Before the world is green
Her sturdy little countenance
Against the wind is seen,
Contending with the grass,
Near kinsman to herself,
For privilege of sod and sun,
Sweet litigants for life.
And when the hills are full,
And newer fashions blow,
Doth not retract a single spice
For pang of jealousy.
Her public is the moon,
Her providence the sun,
Her progress by the bee proclaimed
In sovereign, swerveless tune.
The bravest of the host,
Surrendering the last,
Nor even of defeat aware
When cancelled by the frost.
These elements help me understand poetry and help me find the true meaning of poetry. Repetition helps emphasize what the speaker is trying to imply; similes and metaphors help create an image so it’s easier to understand. When a poet creates a new stanza, it is to move on to another idea. All these elements put together makes a poem worthwhile.
This poem is describing a flower. It talks about all the beautiful feature this flower posses and how tough it is through many encounters. The poet describes this flower in a very different but pretty way.