5.02 Reading Poetry

In today's world, a lot of people take things for granted. The poem "On the Pulse of Morning" does an excellent job of further explaining how that is the case. Instead of taking things for granted, people need to show more respect to the natural things on this planet, that are a part of nature. They don't just exist, they are here to help us live on this planet. The statement "Come to me, here beside the River. Plant yourself beside the River" is calling out to people to show their respect towards nature, to start living your life with nature. The statement "Here, root yourselves beside me. I am that Tree planted by the River, Which will not be moved" also does a good job of explaining this narrative as well. Nature is here to help you live, you just have to accept it into your life.

The poem "One Today" conveys the spirit of the American Dream, and also gives the reader that spirit as well. He describes the "routine" of daily life for the average person. "My face, your face, millions of faces in morning’s mirrors, each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day" is describing everybody waking up in the morning. "All of us as vital as the one light we move through the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day" explains how we all go through the same thing everyday, from morning to night. Even though everybody lives their lives differently, and have different types of jobs, we all in the end contribute to the greater American Dream. There are some people out there who feel they don't make a positive impact in the world. That isn't true. Everybody makes an impact, whether they realize it or not, be it big or small.