May is here, spring is in the air, AP tests and finals are looming over us–take a break and read some poetry! We’ve got a classic poet and a fantastic poem to follow up our independent poet from last week. For all you new readers, here’s what to expect. Each edition will include two poems, the first being a featured piece written by a famous poet that will be analyzed and interpreted according to my point of view. Of course, everyone’s interpretation is different and valid, and the comment section will be open for any further discussion. The second piece is written by yours truly and will be open to complete interpretation and analysis. Go forth, enjoy, and as you read, remember: “It is not what you look at that matters, it is what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau

Poem One: April Rain Song by Langston Hughes

Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk.
The rain makes running pools in the gutter.
The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night—

And I love the rain.

Thoughts: Altough April has come and gone, this poem is a perfect read for any month of the year. Langston Hughes never fails to bring an elegance and beauty to his poetry that is unmatched, and this piece is a prime example. It may be one of the shortest poems we have analyzed here on The Uproar, but it is without a doubt one of the most profound and meaningful. The speaker is speaking to his love or maybe his young child, using the rain as a conduit for his affection. The brevity of the two stanzas deceives the reader because they are pumped full of meaning however so subtle. Pointing out that the rain “makes still pools on the sidewalk,” and “running pools in the gutter,” our speaker sets up a world of interpretation. Our minds can directly analyze the contrast of the phrases and compare it to the pace or certain events that define the relationship. Perhaps we can imagine the reader seeing himself and his loved ones in the reflection of the “still pool” or playing with the waterfall that flows from the gutter. I, personally, feel a sense of nostalgia throughout the poem that translates into the speaker’s affections. Perhaps his love of the rain goes back to early childhood and he can now share those fond memories with his lover or his kids? Maybe he remembers falling asleep alone to the pattering of the rain but now he enjoys it with the woman he loves? There are many ways to interpret exactly what Hughes expertly wrote, but there is no doubt it leaves you with a warm feeling and a smile on your face. A beautiful composition.

Poem Two: Return to Summer I by D.C.

Far green countrysides and Carolina blue skies are waiting.

The tut-tut-tut of an old steam engine rolls through town.

Billowy tufts of charcoal smoke puff from the pipe of the train.

Blue birds soar between tree branches and fields of tall grass.

Flowers as far as the eye can see are blooming in salutation.

One blue-eyed boy attempts to pick every last one of them.

His girl, swinging her legs in the sycamore tree, cheerfully gazes on.

The light buzz of honey bees caresses their ears.

A ripple within a once-tranquil cannot be contained any longer.

Sunshine blesses the earth with her bright and harmonious warmth.

The forests are once again filled with rustling leaves.

All that was still is now in full form, running and laughing with freedom.

The young boy exhausts himself with his impossible flower task.

The girl, laughing at his foolish ambition, graces him with a smile.

Summer has returned, and her kingdom is now content.

-D.C.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s installment of A Poem For Your Thoughts! Come back around next week for more poetry and prose right here on The Uproar!