One way to understand something is to put it in your own words. Try expressing in your own words what Robert Frost is saying in this short peom. Its titile refers to the constellation of stars called Canis Major, or the Big Dog.

Question

CANIS MAJOR

The great Overdog,
That heavenly beast
With a star in one eye.
Gives a leap in the east.

He dances upright
All the way to the west
And never once drops
On his forefeet to rest.

I'm a poor underdog.
But townight I will bark
With the great Overdog
That romps through the dark.

1st Stanza's meaning:
The Great Dog, a sconstellation of stars, appears suddenly in the easter sky. The dog's eyey is one bright star.

2nd Stanza's meaning:
He stands on two hind-legs and never falls forward while moving from the east to the west.

3rd Stanza's meaning:
The Overdog shines all night. And a person plans to stay up all night with it.

Okay, is my analyzation of the poem correct? Thanks.

Answer 1

Your literal interpretation of the poem is correct as far as it goes. The poem has additional meaning that you have not mentioned, concerning the inspiration that the constellation provides to the narrator.

Answer 2

DrWLS is correct. You have summarized the literal meaning of the poem, but you have not analyzed it. Please don't call what you wrote analysis. (No such word as "analyzation"!)

Here are some sites to help you read, understand, and write about poetry correctly:

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/poetry-explication.html

http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/best/study/poetry.htm

Answer 3

Just to restate what DrWLS and Writeacher said, often poems are not to be intrepreted literally, but search for the meaning elsewhere.

Crossing the Bar (Tennyson) is an example. The poem is NOT about getting on a boat and crossing.

http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/Crossing_Bar.htm

Answer 4

Also, be sure to check your spelling:
a sconstellation of stars,
easter sky
The dog's eyey

Sra

Answer 5

Poetry is meant to be read with ones' inner self, not just ones' eyes and brain. Think what was the poet feeling. That will help you with what the poem really means.