Download File

Emily Delgado
4B
Think Outside the Box
No one can teach you how to love, or who to love, because in the end you make that
decision for yourself. “Power in Silence” by Michael Field and “You, Therefore” by Reginald
Shepherd, both talk about relationships and romance. Although in both poems there is a
relationship being explained, there are several differences that make each poem one of kind. In
these two poems the authors, content, and hidden messages make each poem unique.
Poetry is passion, but we all have different passions. That’s why the authors play a big
role in making each poem distinctive. The author who wrote “Power in Silence” was Michael
Field. What many people don’t know is that the name Michael Field is a pseudonym. A
pseudonym is a name that a person or a group labels themselves instead of their real name. In
this case the authors of “Power in Silence” are actually two women, Katherine Harris Bradley
and her niece Edith Emma Cooper. The author of “You, Therefore” is a man by the name of
Reginald Shepherd. Already there is a big difference between the two poems. One poem is
written using the ideas of one person, while the other has a collaboration of two writer’s ideas.
The fact that one poem is written by women and another poem is written by a man makes a big
difference as well. Why, because women don’t always agree with what men think and vice
versa.
Emily Delgado
4B
The content in each poem is similar but unique in its own ways. In both poems there are
references to things in nature which are literal. A synonym for literal is concrete. For example in
the poem “Power in Silence” there are mentions of a bird, forest, sky, and other things that
paint a picture in your mind. It’s almost as if you can picture yourself in that setting because of
these mentions of nature. These concrete objects build the poem up and add to the theme of
love because you’re able to put yourself in the story. In the poem “You, Therefore” there are
also concrete objects that add to the poem and allow you to understand how the author is
feeling. Both poems are descriptive enough with tangible things that it allows your mind to
place yourself in that situation. These concrete lines really allow the reader to make a
connection with the poem, and therefore add to the poem.
Poetry isn’t always straight forward; there are often poems that are written and meant
to be broken down, or analyzed further. Authors like to be deep about their similes or
metaphors. That’s why readers have to think outside of the box to understand certain poetry.
The poem “Power in Silence” by Michael Field is often interpreted as a love poem about a
straight couple. Although this is not the case, the poem “Power in Silence” is actually about a
lesbian couple. The poem uses concrete objects to represent abstract feelings. This is why most
readers are confused when they first read the poem and interpret it to be something that it’s
not. On the other hand the poem “You, Therefore” is about a straight couple, but it also has
some intangible ideas. Both poems are beautifully written with intangible objects and make you
think twice about what something actually means.
Emily Delgado
4B
Writers wouldn’t be able to express their feelings without abstract ideas, and readers
wouldn’t be able to understand poetry without some kind of concrete objects. This is why poets
use concrete objects and intangible ideas to write their poems. Why, because without them
Shakespeare’s poetry would mean nothing to us because we wouldn’t be able to understand it.
Without concrete objects we wouldn’t be able to picture the feelings that the author is feeling,
and a potential great poet would go unnoticed. This is why it is important to think outside the
box when reading poems, because if you don’t, you’ll miss the bigger picture.
Emily Delgado
4B
WORK CITED
“Power in Silence” by Michael Field
“You, Therefore” by Reginald Shepherd