"Miracles"

Question

Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
5 Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love …
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
10 Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
15 These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
20 Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?

in Just–
E.E. Cummings

in Just—
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

5 whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

10 when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

15 from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and
the

20 goat-footed

balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

In both "Miracles" and "in Just—," the poets use images that appeal to the senses. In a paragraph, compare the use of imagery in the two poems. First, present images in each poem that appeal to the senses of sight, sound, and touch. Then, state at least one way in which the imagery in the two poems is different and one way that it is the same. Include details from the poems in your paragraph.

This is what I have so far: The image in "Miracles" that appeals to the senses of sight, sound, and touch is exquisite. The image in "in Just—," that appeals to the senses of sight, sound, and touch is ____________________. One way the imagery in the two poem is different is ______________. One way the imagery in the two poem is the same is ______________.

Please help me understand how to do this or help.

Answer 1

1. Make three lists for each poem:
~ one list of the lines/words that include sight
~ one list of the lines/words that include sound
~ one list of the lines/words that include touch
Make sure you include quoted words and line numbers.

2. You should end up with six lists (perhaps 2 pages with 3 lists on each page).

3. THEN you'll be ready to start writing your paper.

Answer 2

Miracles
lines that include sight:
• dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky
• the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
• watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,

words that include sight:
• Sight
• Look
• Watch

lines that include sound:
• talk by day with any one I love …
• the motion of the waves

words that include sound:
• Talk

lines that include touch:
• wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
• sit at table at dinner with the rest,

words that include touch:
•

in Just–
lines that include sight:
• when the world is puddle-wonderful
• and bettyandisbel come dancing

words that include sight:
• far

lines that include sound:
• whistles far and wee

words that include sound:
• whistles
• wee

lines that include touch:
• from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

words that include touch:
•