TENSE
Storm Fear – Robert Frost
“The wind works against us in the dark,
And pelts with snow the lowest chamber window…”
The harsh imagery of wind and darkness creates a sense of danger
Stopping by Woods – Robert Frost
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep…”
The imagery emphasizes quiet and stillness in nature
The Raven – Poe
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…”
The dark setting and uncertain tone create anticipation
Invictus – Henley
“I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.”
The figurative language emphasizes control and resilience
The Listeners – Walter de la Mare
“But no one descended to the Traveller;
No head from the leaf-fringed sill…”
The silence and lack of response build uncertainty and unease
The Lake Isle of Innisfree – Yeats
“And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow…”
The repetition and imagery emphasize calm and gradual tranquility
The Highwayman – Alfred Noyes
“The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees…”
The figurative language suggests danger and unpredictability
A Psalm of Life – Longfellow
“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime…”
The language encourages growth and meaningful action
The Raven – Edgar Allan Poe
“And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before…”
The sensory details and uncertain language emphasize fear and unease
Leisure – W.H. Davies
“No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows…”
The imagery of quiet observation encourages reflection and calm
The Listeners – de la Mare
“Is there anybody there?” said the Traveller,
Knocking on the moonlit door…
The unanswered question creates anticipation and uncertainty
If— – Kipling
“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same…”
The figurative language emphasizes resilience and balance
he Haunted Palace – Poe
“Evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch’s high estate…”
The figurative language suggests threat and instability
Afternoon on a Hill – Millay
“I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!”
The language expresses contentment and harmony with nature
Christabel – Coleridge (excerpt)
“The night is chill, the forest bare…”
The setting suggests isolation and uncertainty
Still I Rise – Angelou
“You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.”
The simile emphasizes resilience and overcoming adversity