Poems to use TPCASTT Method
Oranges
Oranges
BY: GARY SOTO
BY: GARY SOTO
The first time I walked
The first time I walked
With a girl, I was twelve,
With a girl, I was twelve,
Cold, and weighted down
Cold, and weighted down
With two oranges in my jacket.
With two oranges in my jacket.
December. Frost cracking
December. Frost cracking
Beneath my steps, my breath
Beneath my steps, my breath
Before me, then gone,
Before me, then gone,
As I walked toward
As I walked toward
Her house, the one whose
Her house, the one whose
Porch light burned yellow
Porch light burned yellow
Night and day, in any weather.
Night and day, in any weather.
A dog barked at me, until
A dog barked at me, until
She came out pulling
She came out pulling
At her gloves, face bright
At her gloves, face bright
With rouge. I smiled,
With rouge. I smiled,
Touched her shoulder, and led
Touched her shoulder, and led
Her down the street, across
Her down the street, across
A used car lot and a line
A used car lot and a line
Of newly planted trees,
Of newly planted trees,
Until we were breathing
Until we were breathing
Before a drugstore. We
Before a drugstore. We
Entered, the tiny bell
Entered, the tiny bell
Bringing a saleslady
Bringing a saleslady
Down a narrow aisle of goods.
Down a narrow aisle of goods.
I turned to the candies
I turned to the candies
Tiered like bleachers,
Tiered like bleachers,
And asked what she wanted -
And asked what she wanted -
Light in her eyes, a smile
Light in her eyes, a smile
Starting at the corners
Starting at the corners
Of her mouth. I fingered
Of her mouth. I fingered
A nickel in my pocket,
A nickel in my pocket,
And when she lifted a chocolate
And when she lifted a chocolate
That cost a dime,
That cost a dime,
I didn’t say anything.
I didn’t say anything.
I took the nickel from
I took the nickel from
My pocket, then an orange,
My pocket, then an orange,
And set them quietly on
And set them quietly on
The counter. When I looked up,
The counter. When I looked up,
The lady’s eyes met mine,
The lady’s eyes met mine,
And held them, knowing
And held them, knowing
Very well what it was all
Very well what it was all
About.
About.
Outside,
Outside,
A few cars hissing past,
A few cars hissing past,
Fog hanging like old
Fog hanging like old
Coats between the trees.
Coats between the trees.
I took my girl’s hand
I took my girl’s hand
In mine for two blocks,
In mine for two blocks,
Then released it to let
Then released it to let
Her unwrap the chocolate.
Her unwrap the chocolate.
I peeled my orange
I peeled my orange
That was so bright against
That was so bright against
The gray of December
The gray of December
That, from some distance,
That, from some distance,
Someone might have thought
Someone might have thought
I was making a fire in my hands.
I was making a fire in my hands.
Mother to Son
Mother to Son
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
Bare.
But all the time
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken
BY: ROBERT FROST
BY: ROBERT FROST
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
And that has made all the difference.
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
BY: TUPAC SHAKUR
BY: TUPAC SHAKUR
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack
in the concrete?
in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk
Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk
without having feet.
without having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams,
Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared!
when no one else ever cared!
SONG OF MYSELF (II) BY: WALT WHITMAN
SONG OF MYSELF (II) BY: WALT WHITMAN
Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with perfumes,
Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with perfumes,
I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it,
I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it,
The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.
The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.
The atmosphere is not a perfume, it has no taste of the distillation, it is odorless,
The atmosphere is not a perfume, it has no taste of the distillation, it is odorless,
It is for my mouth forever, I am in love with it,
It is for my mouth forever, I am in love with it,
I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,
I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,
I am mad for it to be in contact with me.
I am mad for it to be in contact with me.
The smoke of my own breath,
The smoke of my own breath,
Echoes, ripples, buzz’d whispers, love-root, silk-thread, crotch and vine,
Echoes, ripples, buzz’d whispers, love-root, silk-thread, crotch and vine,
My respiration and inspiration, the beating of my heart, the passing of blood and air through my
My respiration and inspiration, the beating of my heart, the passing of blood and air through my
lungs,
lungs,
The sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and of the shore and dark-color’d sea-rocks, and of hay in
The sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and of the shore and dark-color’d sea-rocks, and of hay in
the barn,
the barn,
The sound of the belch’d words of my voice loos’d to the eddies of the wind,
The sound of the belch’d words of my voice loos’d to the eddies of the wind,
A few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms,
A few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms,
The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag,
The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag,
The delight alone or in the rush of the streets, or along the fields and hill-sides,
The delight alone or in the rush of the streets, or along the fields and hill-sides,
The feeling of health, the full-noon trill, the song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun.
The feeling of health, the full-noon trill, the song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun.
Have you reckon’d a thousand acres much? have you reckon’d the earth much?
Have you reckon’d a thousand acres much? have you reckon’d the earth much?
Have you practis’d so long to learn to read?
Have you practis’d so long to learn to read?
Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?
Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?
Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,
Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,
You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions of suns left,)
You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions of suns left,)
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books,
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books,
You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.
STILL I RISE BY: MAYA ANGELOU
STILL I RISE BY: MAYA ANGELOU
You may write me down in history
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise
I rise
I rise.
I rise.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST
BY ROBERT FROST
Whose woods these are I think I know.
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep.