Poetry Presentation

Caroline Williams, Jessica Gott

Burning a Book by William Stafford but just faking it. More disturbing
than book ashes are whole libraries that
Protecting each other, right in the center
no one got around to writing----desolate
a few pages glow a long time.
towns, miles of unthought in cities,
The cover goes first, then outer leaves
and the terrorized countryside where
curling away, then spine and a scattering.
wild dogs
Truth, brittle and faint, burns easily,
own anything that moves. If a book
its fire as hot as the fire lies make---
isn't written, no one needs to burn it----
flame doesn't care. You can usually find
ignorance can dance in the absence of fire.
a few charred words in the ashes.

So I've burned books. And there are many

And some books ought to burn, trying
I haven't even written, and nobody has.
for character
The Title
“Burning a Book”

Literally: Literally, the title means that the author is

writing about setting a book ablaze.

Figuratively: Figuratively, the title means that the

author is referring to the ignorance that comes with
burning books.
About the poem
How many lines does this poem have?

-The poem “Burning a Book” has 22 total

lines.

What is the rhyme scheme?

-This poem doesn’t actually have a

rhyme scheme.
Images and Figurative language
“...flame doesn’t care.” (line 7, stanza 1)
This Line from the poem shows personification.
Imagery: This quote shows that fire burns at such a rapid pace and destroys
so much to the point of seeming that it doesn’t care.

“...ignorance can dance in the absence of fire.” (line 20, stanza 2)

This line from the poem is personification.
Imagery: While reading this, you can start to understand how the author is
saying that as this book is being burned, ignorance is being created, and this
can create the image of almost a tornado of emotions in exchange.
Important Phrase
“And some books ought to burn, trying for character but just faking it.” (lines 9, 10, 11, stanza
2)
Meaning: This quote shows the author’s opinion on writing “just to write” whether it’s written
to convey lies or just ignorance on a topic. This is important because it is elaborated in the
author’s attempt at explaining why sometimes, books need to be burned when they are so full
of nothing.

“...ignorance can dance in the absence of fire…” (line 20, stanza 2)

Meaning: After all of the book have been burned (and the fire stomped out) ignorance thrives
without access to knowledge or a source of learning. This is important because it illustrates
the author’s opinion on burning books that is further expanded on throughout the rest of the
poem.

“And there are many I haven’t written, and nobody has.” (lines 21, 22, stanza 3)
Meaning: The author is describing the lack of truth and “realness” that many books use. This is
important because it’s something that the author is very passionate about.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the poem is emotional, as the author displays a very intense set of
emotions towards the idea of burning books. This can be seen in using the
imagery “Truth, brittle, and faint burns easily” (line 5, stanza 1) and “ignorance
can dance in the absence of fire” (line 20, stanza 2) displays a very
thought-provoking, opinionated message from the author.

On the other hand, the mood of the poem is disturbed. The reasoning for this
is the intensity of the use of fire and destruction of things that are so
important to our current society. Lines such as “And some books ought to
burn, trying | for character | but just faking it” (lines 9, 10, 11, stanza 2) display
this.
Symbolism
“So I've burned books. And there are many I haven't even written, and nobody
has.” (lines 21, 22, stanza 3)
“More disturbing than book ashes are whole libraries that no one got around
to writing…” (lines 11,12,13,14, stanza 2)

Both of these quotes from the poem, symbolize how people will continue to
think up ideas even after the destruction of books. It also shows how
destroying these books is just for the protection of the future because you can
use censorship as a way to figuratively burn these books/ideas.
Theme
The main message of “ Burning a Book” is that there isn’t enough truth
expressed in writing and instead this fake character that is developed. An
example of the evidence of this theme is the line “And some books ought to
burn, trying for character but just faking it” (lines 9, 10, 11, stanza 2). The
poem goes on to talk about the horrors of burning books, but leaves the
exception for fake content. Another example of this is in the lines “there are many
I haven't even written, and nobody has” (lines 21, 22, stanza 3) again displaying
the false truths in books.
Connections
The connections between this poem and Fahrenheit 451 is very obvious
with the similarity being that the entire book and poem are centered around the
burning of books for the sake of preserving ignorance. There can also be a
connection made between the main character, Montag and the author of the
poem because they have very similar internal debate between the idea of
burning the book (conformity) and the saving of knowledge.

Song: “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel

This song, and especially the lines, “People talking without speaking |
People hearing without listening | People writing songs that voices never share
| And no one dared | Disturb the sound of silence”, compares to the poem
because the lines state that conformity ruled society (a similar theme in the
poem). The song also shares the belief that people can write something that is
never shared with the world like in the poem.
Connections contin.
The song can also be connected to the book
because the song also expresses multiple times the
importance and the idolization of technology that
society makes of it. This is displayed in the lines,
“And the people bowed and prayed | To the neon
god they made | And the sign flashed out its
warning | In the words that it was forming | And the
sign said: | ‘The words of the prophets are | Written
on the subway walls | And tenement halls | And
whispered in the sound of silence.’”.
Opinion
The main opinion that our group has on the
poem is that it is really well written. The
piece reads very fluidly and is written out of
a truly passionate state of mind. The poem
also speaks on a topic that is controversial
without stepping over a line undefended.