More Poems

Grey as a mouse,
Big as a house,
Nose like a snake,
I make the earth shake,
As I tramp through the grass;
Trees crack as I pass.
With horns in my mouth
I walk in the South,
Flapping big ears.
Beyond count of years
I stump round and round,
Never lie on the ground,
Not even to die.
Oliphaunt am I,
Biggest of all,
Huge, old, and tall.
If ever you'd met me
You wouldn't forget me.
If you never do,
You won't think I'm true;
But old Oliphaunt am I,
And I never lie.


I wrote a poem in inspiration of J. R. Tolkien's, taking his meter and idea of describing an animal.

Like a wild horse,
On a new course,
Guided by sense,
Unguarded by fence,
She leaps over lines,
Disregarding signs
That say to turn back --
Rushing into black,
Hurdling o'er doubt.
An obscure route
That is left to rot,
For others seem caught
In an easy life,
Almost free from strife.
She knows what's true
And sticks like glue
To the One who saved,
Died, and was raised.
She never will stop
'Til she reaches the top.
But not alone does she ride,
For I too am by her side.

Poems

The Destruction of Sennacherib
by Lord Byron

The Assyrians came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

I really really like this poem (and this is not even all of it). First of all, it just sounds cool. Secondly, the story is incredible. I mean, a whole army is supernaturally crushed in one night. Also, the techniques and comparisons Byron uses are fascinating. In the first line, Assyrian horde is compared to a pack of savage wolves coming to attack the Israeli people, who we assume are like sheep. That would be an insult to them, except that the Bible consistently matches God to a shepherd -- the protector of the sheep. So, it makes perfect sense when the wolves - even though they number the stars -- are defeated. It continues, saying the "host" numbers the green leaves in a forest; in other words, countless. This massive army suddenly disappears, like leaves in the wind. Just gone. Whoosh! It's like God sneezed or something. Nothing is too big for God. I love it.

Inheritance

"Arya, what about you? We've only sparred together that one time in Farthen Dur." His grin widened, and he flourished Brisingr. "I've gotten a bit better since then."
"So you have."
"What say you, then?"
She cast a critical glance toward the Varden, then shrugged. "Why not?"
As they walked to the level patch of grass, he said, "You won't be able to best me quite so easily as before."
"I am sure you are right."
...Arya held her ground and made no attempt to evade him. When he was less than four yards away, she smiled at him, a warm, brilliant smile that so enhanced her beauty, Eragon faltered, his thoughts dissolving into a muddle...
Before he could do much more than slow his forward momentum, another impact dashed his sword arm to the side; then a knot of pain formed in his midsection as Arya stabbed him, knocking him to the ground. (from chapter 12, pages 93-94)

This is such a great passage from Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance", the final book in the Eragon series. I love these books, and was super excited when I got the chance to read the final volume. Paolini's writing style, though it is definitely superior, seems similar to mine, and I simply enjoy it. This specific passage made me laugh, as I often do when I read literature like his and Rick Riordan's. As he consistently does, Eragon makes a fool of himself. Although told never to underestimate an elf, regardless of their gender, he makes the fatal mistake time and time again. I laugh at his ignorance, arrogance, and humiliation, though I reckon I do the same thing. Maybe that's why I laugh, because I see myself in him... I think that is the point of most writers though: to develop characters that readers can understand and relate with.

PS: the green highlighted clauses are adverbial.