Poetry Explication, Help!!!!!!!!!!

[Hillie Hills]

HI everyone I am new to this, so I hope this works. I just ran across this site while browsing. I though this would be a good place to ask for some help.


For my English class I have to wright a 1,000 word essay on an explication of a poem, but first I have to come up with a thesis. But I am having trouble coming up with one. Below is the poem I was choosen to use. Please help me if you can, I would really appreciate it.

Magic of Love
by- Helen Farrias

There's a wondeful gift that can give you a lift.
It's a blessing from heaven above!
It can comfort and bless, it can bring happiness--
It's the wonderful MAGIC OF LOVE!

Like a star in the night, it can keep your faith bright,
Like the sun, it can warm your hearts, too--
It's a gift you can give every day that you live,
And when given, it comes back to you!

When love lights the way, there is joy in the sky
And all trouble are lighter to bear.
Love is gentle and kind, and through love you will find
There's an answer to your every prayer!

May it never depart from your two loving hearts,
May you treasure this gift from above--
You will find if you do, all your dreams will come true,
In the wonderful MAGIC OF LOVE!

Thanks.
Hillie Hills

[moon]

G'day, Hillie.

Your best route with a thesis is your own personality, your understanding of the nature of poetry and your own contribution to the layman's understanding of the art. A good thesis will be personal yet add to the store of knowledge on the subject.
If I may be a sounding-board, for you to agree with or react against, the poem you have illustrated , whilst containing very pleasant sentiments, is a bad poem as poems go. The worst thing about it is its juvenile rhyming pattern, contrived and blatant. Poetry passed that point at some stage in the eighteenth century. It's more a 'folk message' than a poem and, as such, its message has been absorbed already, rendering it redundant . It would still function as a childrens rhyme though.

That would be the route I'd take for a thesis if I knew anything about poetry, which I don't. Good luck.

[TheBurningCat]

I felt that the poem placed a lot of focus on religion...

Lines like :

May you treasure this gift from above--

It's a blessing from heaven above!

Well i personally have problems with the poem so it wouldn't be my choice. I'm a strong athiest.....

can you chose a differant poem?

I always liked robert browning's pippa's song.


THE year 's at the spring,
And day 's at the morn;
Morning 's at seven;
The hill-side 's dew-pearl'd;
The lark 's on the wing;
The snail 's on the thorn;
God 's in His heaven--
All 's right with the world!

[osprey4]

I've never heard the word explication before. That's a cool word.

Main Entry: ex.pli.cate
Pronunciation: 'ek-spl&-"kAt
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Latin explicatus, past participle of explicare, literally, to unfold, from ex- + plicare to fold -- more at PLY
Date: 1531
Inflected Form(s): -cat.ed; -cat.ing
1 : to give a detailed explanation of
2 : to develop the implications of : analyze logically
synonym see EXPLAIN
- ex.pli.ca.tion /"ek-spl&-'kA-sh&n/ noun
- ex.pli.ca.tor /'ek-spl&-"kA-t&r/ noun

All those years in college and grad school and no one told me!!!

[Theophylact]

Explication de texte is a standard French school technique: a close analysis of the meaning of a poem, line by line. It doesn't work if the poem is fully straightforward, without metaphor, allusion or other possible obscurities. The explication for "Mary had a little lamb" would read the same as the poem itself. (Unless, of course, the poem is really an allegory of the Nativity, in which case it could get interesting.)