AVagabondSong

ByBlissCarman
There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood -Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.
The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.
There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Analysing A Poem
Part One of Two:
Determining What the Poem Means

1. Read the poem once silently to yourself slowly. The first time you read
through a poem, record any gut reactions you have to the poem: any emotional
connections you have with what the author is saying, reminders of personal
detailed experiences, things you like or dislike, etc. Think in terms of, How do I
feel about this? Why? Why not? These reactions can help you focus on the type
of response the poet is looking for in a reader.[1]
For example, read Bliss Carmens The Vagabond Song. Your first
impressions may be ones of brightly colored leaves, edged in frost. Or
summer turning to fall. It may call up memories of time spent in the
woods when the leaves are all changing.[2]
2. Read the poem again and find the literal meaning of the poem. The literal
meaning is the most straightforward version of the poem and does not refer to
any poetic devices. Translate the poem into conversational English. How would
you tell the poems story to a friend? Think in terms of, Whats the most common
dictionary definition of this word or phrase? This can be a difficult step, but
remember that all good poetry, even when it seems incredibly inaccessible, is
still based on words that carry literal meaning.[3]
For The Vagabond Song, the story is of the poet witnessing the
change from summer to fall. He feels like fall is the most captivating
season, and it sets his blood going to think of the leaves changing.
3. Read the poem again to find the connotative meaning of the poem. Take
several keywords or phrases from the poem and consider the kinds of
connotations they carry. Think in terms of, Why this word and not another?

Refer to your first reactions: often connotative meanings, rather than denotative,
are what engage our emotions.
Take the word mother, for example. The dictionary would define
mother as a female parent. OK, but the word mother probably
creates emotions and feelings in you: it paints a picture in your mind.
You may think of love and security or you may think of your own
mother. The emotions and feelings that a word creates are called its
connotative meaning.
For The Vagabond Song, take the phrase gypsy blood. Technically
gypsy blood means the blood of someone who is of Romani descent.
Yet in the poem, the connotation of gypsy blood is that of a
wandering spirit. The poet may have home or permanent place to live,
but when the fall season comes, he suddenly feels restless.
4. Find the symbolic meaning of the poem. Record any allusions you recognize,
references to symbols, etc. Think in terms of, What could this stand for? Why?
In The Vagabond Song, consider the word native. The line reads,
There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood. Native
in this case, does not mean that the speaker was born with autumn in
his blood. Instead it is a symbolic representation of the concept that
the speaker feels like he was born to be a part of the autumn, that he
feels most alive in the autumn, and that autumn is an inherent part of
himself. Native means intrinsic, siren-like, and joy-inspiring.
For another example, consider the word "light." This may not refer to
the literal condition that means the opposite of darkness; often "light"
is used to symbolize knowledge, truth, peace, joy, or spirituality.
5. Stop and ask yourself, What is the author trying to say? What is his goal
for this poem? What kind of a reaction is he trying to get out of readers? Why?
Try to identify the authors purpose for writing.
For The Vagabond Song, Carmens purpose for writing is to celebrate
the transition from summer to fall. He wants to express the feelings he
gets when the leaves begin to change and a sudden restlessness grips
him.
Part Two of Two:
Figuring Out What Poetic Tools are Present
1. Identify the speaker and audience. Is there a specific person talking? Is the
speaker the poet? Even if the speaker is the poet, you should always refer to the

speaker as the speaker in your analysis. In regards to the audience, who is the
speaker addressing? Is there a specific group? Does the audience help to define
who the speaker is?
The speaker of The Vagabond Song is the poet. He addresses all of
the other vagabonds, those people called to movement by the
changing of the leaves. However, to him, the vagabonds are everyone
who delights in the changes the fall brings--not necessarily actual
vagabonds.
2. Determine the poems structure and organization. Does the poem follow a
narrative? Are there ideas grouped together in different sections? Does each
stanza cover a separate topic, or is there a continued theme throughout the
poem? How is the poem physically organized--it is one long poem, or does it
have stanzas or separate lines?
The Vagabond Song has three stanzas composed of four lines each.
The whole poem discusses the theme of being inspired by nature (the
fall.)
3. Determine the rhyme scheme of the poem. There are many different kinds of
rhyme schemes. Rhymes are used to give the poem a musical, pleasing sound.
They can also be used to deepen meaning, and strengthen the form of the
poem. Is there any meaning behind the placement of the rhymes? Does it put
emphasis on a specific idea within the poem?[4]
End rhymes are one of the most common forms of rhymes. When the
last word of a line rhymes with another last word of a rhyme, this is
considered an end rhyme. In The Vagabond Song, the lines And my
lonely spirit thrills/To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills
are an example of lines that have end rhymes.
Internal rhymes are when words in the middle of line rhyme with other
words in the middle of a different line. In a poem by Samuel Taylor
Coleridge, he writes The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew blew
and flew are examples of internal rhymes.
True rhymes are words that rhyme exactly. For example, the words
cat and rat are perfect rhymes.
Off-rhymes are words that almost rhyme, but do not rhyme exactly.
These are also called slant rhymes. For example, the words fate and
saint are off rhymes--they sound very similar, but very subtly end in
a different way. Off rhymes use assonance and consonance. Assonance
is when the vowels of two words rhyme, while consonance is when the
constants of two words are the same.

4. Analyze the poem in terms of poetic devices. Look for tools of sound
(alliteration, assonance, etc.), imagery (sensory detail, word pictures, etc.) and
so forth. Think in terms of, "What kind of language tools is this author using?
How do those tools help him accomplish his goal?"[5]

What imagery does the author use? Does he use metaphor, simile,
or personification? In The Vagabond Song, Carmen personifies fall,
saying that she is a woman and that she calls and calls each
vagabond by name. By making the fall into a woman, Carmen draws
parallels between the idea of a seductive woman tempting him with
the fall calling him to the wilderness to revel in its beauty.

Does the poet use alliteration? Alliteration is when words in a line

begin with the same letter. An example would be, the terrifying tiger
tackled the traumatized toad.

How would you define the poems language (or diction?) Did the
author choose to put specific words in the poem for a reason? Is the
language flowery? Stark? Sad? In The Vagabond Song, the diction is
whimsical but filled with passion. The color red, which is the color of
passion, is referred to throughout the poem. Blood, crimson leaves,
scarlet maples, and hills of flame all make an appearance in the poem
lending the poem a sense of vitality and passion.