Summer Memories Poem Interpretation

Study Notes

The poem "How do I Hold Summer" is about the speaker's longing to hold onto summer and the memories associated with it as winter approaches.
The speaker describes the signs of summer's end, such as the sun setting sooner, the lake being cold and empty, and the leaves turning gold and falling.
The speaker mentions they cannot hold onto light and green grass, implying that these aspects of summer are fleeting.
The poem also explores the idea of storing memories of summer in a poem to read when snow begins to fall.
The speaker mentions specific sounds of summer, such as the cricket's chirp and the bird's sweet call, which they will store in their poem.

The sounds heard at the end of the poem are the cricket's chirp and the bird's sweet call.
The speaker mentions these sounds to hold onto the memories of summer and to cherish them during the winter.

The poem "Catching a Fly" explores the idea of observing a fly on a China plate.
The poet's message is that even the smallest creatures, like a fly, can be invaders and have a sense of greed.
The poem is an example of free verse poetry, as it lacks a consistent rhyme and meter.
The poem uses imagery and metaphor to describe the fly and its actions.

The poem "When I Dance" is about using dance as a way to express emotions and break free from negativity.
The poet uses short lines to describe the action in the poem, creating a sense of energy and movement.
The short lines may also represent the quick and energetic movements of dance.

Barren refers to something that is empty or lacking in vegetation.
Lyric poetry is a type of poetry that describes the poet's feelings and emotions.
Alliteration is a literary device in which words that start with the same sound are repeated in close proximity.
Meter is a repeating pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.
A stanza is a group of lines in a poem, usually separated by a blank line.
A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as."