The Road Not Taken

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The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth ;

Then took the other, as just as fair ,

And perhaps having the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as far that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And that both morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I ---

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Category: English Poetry 0 comments

A Red, Red Rose

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A Red, Red Rose

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Oh my luve is like a red, red rose,

That's newly sprung in June:

Oh my luve is like the melodie,

That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel a while!

And I will come again, my luve,

Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

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Because I could not stop for Death

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Because I could not stop for Death

Emily Dickinson

Because I could not stop for Death—

He kindly stopped for me –

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

And Immortality.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste

And I had put away

My labour and my leisure too,

For His Civility—

We passed the School, where Children strove

At Recess – in the Ring –

We passed the Field of Gazing Grain –

We passed the Setting Sun –

Or rather – He passed us –

The Dews drew quivering and chill –

For only Gossamer, my Gown –

My Tippet – only Tulle –

We paused before a House that seemed

A Swelling of the Ground –

The Roof was scarcely visible –

The Cornice – in the Ground –

Since then – ‘tis Centuries – and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses’ Heads

Were toward Eternity –

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Leda and the Swan

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Leda and the Swan

William Butler Yeats

A sudden blow: the great wing beating still

Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed

By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,

He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.

How can those terrified vague fingers push

The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?

And how can body, laid in that white rush,

But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?

A shudder in the loins engenders there

The broken wall, the burning roof and tower

And Agamemnon dead.

Being so caught up,

So mastered by the brute blood of the air,

Dis she put on his knowledge with his power

Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?

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Talking to Grief

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Talking to Grief

Denis Levertof

Ah, grief, I should not treat you

Like a homeless dog

Who comes to the back door

For a crust, for a meatless bone,

I should trust you.

I should coax you

Into the house and give you

your own corner,

a worn mat to lie on,

your own water dish.

You think I don’t know you’ve been living

Under my porch

You long for your real place to be readied

Before winter comes. You need

your name,

your collar and tag. You need

the right to warn off intruders,

to consider

my house your own

and me your person

and yourself

my own dog.

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Crossing the Bar

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Crossing the Bar

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For through from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crossed the bar.

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The Snow Man

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The Snow Man

Wallace Steven

One must have a mind of winter

To regard frost and the boughs

Of the pine trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time

To behold the junipers shagged with ice,

The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think

Of any misery in the sound of the wind,

In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land

Full of the same wind

That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listen to the snow,

And, nothing himself beholds

Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

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Robert Browning

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Meeting at Night

Robert Browning

The gray sea and the long black land;

And the yellow half-moon large and low;

And the startled little waves that leap

In fiery ringlets from their sleep,

As I gain the cove with pushing prow,

And quench its speed i’ the slushy sand.

Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;

Three field to cross till a farm appears;

A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch

And blue spurt of lighted match,

And a voice less loud, through its joy and fears,

Then the two hearts beating each to each!

Parting at Morning

Robert Browning

Round the cape of a sudden came the sea,

And the sun looked over the mountain’s rim;

And straight was a path of gold for him,

And the need of a world of men for me.

Let evening come

Jane Kenyon

Let the light of late afternoon

shine through chinck in the barn , moving

up the bales as the sun moves down

Let the cricket take up chafing

as a woman takes up her needles

and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let the dew collect on the hoe abandoned

in the long grass. Let the stars appear

and the moon disclose her silver horn.

Let the fox go back to its sandy den .

Let the wind die down . Let the shed

Go black inside . Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop

in the oats, to the air in the lung

Let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don’t

be afraid. God does not leave us

Comfortless, so let evening come.

Category: English Poetry 0 comments

Richard Cory

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Richard Cory

Edwin Arlington Robinson

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,

We people on the pavement looked at him:

He was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,

And he was always human when he talked;

But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—

And admirably schooled in every grace:

In fine, we thought that he was everything

To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;

And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

Category: English Poetry 0 comments

To a poor old woman

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To a poor old woman

munching a plum on

the street a paper bag

of them in her hand

They taste good to her

They taste good

To her. They taste

good to her.

You can see it by the way she gives herself

to the one half sucked out in her hand

Comforted

a solace of ripe plums

seeming to fill the air

They taste good to her

William Carlos William

Category: English Poetry 0 comments

I, too sing America

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I, too sing America

Langston Hughes

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I’ll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody’ll dare

Say to me,

“ Eat in the kitchen,”

Then.

Besides,

They’ll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed –

I , too, am America

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maggie and milly and molly and may

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maggie and milly and molly and may

went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang

so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing

which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone

as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)

it's always ourselves we find in the sea

E. E. Cummings

Category: English Poetry 0 comments

We Real Cool

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The Pool Players.

Seven at the Golden Shovel

We real cool. We

Left school.We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin.We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon.

Gwendolyn Brooks

Category: English Poetry 0 comments

She Walks in Beauty

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She walks in beauty like the night

of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

meets in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellow'd to that tender light

which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

had half impair'd the nameless grace

which waves in every raven tress,

or softly lightens o'er her face -

where thoughts serenely sweet express

how pure, how dear their dwelling - place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

so soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

the smiles that win, the tints that glow,

but tells in days of goodness spent,

a mind at peace with all below,

a heart whose love is innocent.

George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)

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Simple Ways to Squash Stress

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Our capacity for pleasure sometimes gets buried under a mountain of stress, and the easiest way to dig ourselves out is to do something just for fun. Here are 5 tried-and-true ideas for squashing stress and finding joy.

Enjoy a Cup of Tea

Drinking tea has always been a traditional remedy for relaxation and stress relief, and now, researchers in England have found that tea drinkers tend to have lower levels of cortisol, which is commonly known as the 'stress hormone.' Cortisol is secreted by our adrenal glands, especially in response to fear and anxiety, and it can lead to health problems ranging all the way from weakened immunity to excess belly fat.

Get a Breath of Fresh Air

Stop fighting the wars against whatever stressors you’re facing and connect with nature. Try going for a hike or visiting a park or garden.

Read a Good Book

Enjoy yourself -- and then you'll find that your seemingly impossible problems might just have some solutions you never imagined.

Sign-On to Laughter

With today's amazing technology, laughter is just a few clicks away. Go to YouTube.com, punch in the name of your favorite comedian, and enjoy the physiological and psychological benefits of a good belly laugh or two

Watch a Funny Movie

When you're feeling good about yourself, it's important to do things that make you happy. When you're feeling down, it's essential!

Category: Articles 0 comments

Moving Home Inside

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Moving Home Inside

By Martin Norberg

Born 1986, M, from Sollentuna/Stockholm, Sweden

My name is Stephanie and I am the daughter of a celebrity couple in Hollywood. We live in a mansion overlooking Los Angeles. My parents, who are active in the film industry, often entertain through parties at home. My older sister, Felicity, who is twenty-five, has always been a movie star. I’m thirteen and go to junior high school. When I had just started junior high school Felicity thought that I should get a girlfriend. I was apparently still too short for a boy, she said. The point was that the family was, according to her, overly normal and it was getting embarrassing. I had nothing better to do and it is best to do as she says. Then she gets pleased. On the Internet I found out when I was about to go out with a lesbian girl who was my age and in the neighborhood. She even went to my school. We didn’t say who we were, but arranged a blind date right away. Felicity drove me there, but she seemed to be more skeptical than satisfied, despite the fact that it was her idea.

Outside she put her hands in front of my eyes from behind, as one does when the other one shall guess who it is. She had small hands so I thought maybe it was one of the Asians, that would have been fun. But it wasn’t. It was one of my classmates, Sidney. One of those who definitely is not a lesbian. What was she doing here? Why had she been looking for a lesbian girl online? But what do I know, so I presumed that we were on a serious date. We ate at a restaurant with white tablecloths. Felicity wasn’t going to drive me if we would cheat by going to the movies.

"We will have a great relationship," Said Sidney suddenly during the dinner, although I didn’t have any special features then, as I do now, asymmetric bangs and highlights in the hair.

Since then I have been an outsider at school and the lesbian girl. Sidney had told everyone, and showed pictures from our date. I’m not even lesbian or whatever that is. Some in the class are mean every week. The one I dated is the worst, Sidney. Not a day goes by without her saying or doing something. Nothing that serious, it’s more that I somehow, over time, become depressed. Only in school though, and it is very much a role that I get to play. If I appear more and more broken then they are keeping it quite civil.

Felicity was feeling guilty because she thought it was her fault. She says that at my age it is probable the bullies are not evil, they just don’t know what they do. She has said that over and over. whatever, it never ends.

What I intended to write about wasn’t the bullying, but the turning point. I began dating a boy with golden curls, Jayden. He appeared for the first time outside my house. We are the same age. But once, he drove a sports car alone with me and we were out all night with it. He was nervous all the time. He says the most pretty things to me, and knows precisely what I need to hear after all the bullying. I thought that as soon as he would regard me as his girlfriend, I could bring him to school. Show them all.

I paste text from my sort of diary on my computer. Some of it takes place at and close by my parents lake house.

"We drank alcohol early this summer, initially while we were floating at a dock in a lake with secure life jackets. When the blood alcohol level gave a powerful effect we floated toward shallow water where we originated and continued then floating on our backs. The first thing that happened was that Jayden lost most of his sight temporarily. Only the most powerful lights appeared to him. Later that evening was his hearing and sight down at the same time but the sight didn’t go down as much the second time. We did so that day and the day after Jayden’s eyes, the white area, filled with thick blood.

In bad light it looked like his eyes were all black. Two of the law enforcement attended the last half hour while we walked the last fifty yards back to the house. Jayden tried to move his head sideways to read the labels on the police car without success, but he knew it was a familiar context. The forces left the site as soon as we had entered the house and locked the door. Actually, they streamed a searchlight into the house so they must have stayed there for that.

There was a connection between me and Jayden. When we drank alcohol Jayden had a white T-shirt over a long sleeved T-shirt with a red logo printed upon. When the white T-shirt was soaked the logo could be seen through and he opened up his life jacket to show me. One day at his school last fall semester, we both had only black garments, with the exception of that red logo on my sweater. I opened up my vest, which also is a jacket, to show Jayden. One afternoon last spring we walked together home from my school. And we had the same shorts with that red logo and stumbled into each other over a thick cord that lay across the street."

Once when we were outside of Jayden’s school, there were a few other students rushing down a hill beside the road where we stood. The dry sand rustled. Then Jayden pulled off a wig with all the curls on. Beneath, his hairstyle was reminiscent of Sidney’s. She had cut her hair short the same day Jayden showed up. Then he tore off pieces that he had attached to the sides of the nose, covered in make-up. The nose was actually thin but had appeared wider with the pieces in place.

-Hi sweetie! Said Sidney, as she talks in school, with her standard voice. I was a little traumatized so didn’t register a lot of visual input. So I don’t know if her sister, who is a Makeup Artist, had done more things to establish Jayden.

-Told you we would be a great couple. We may have a secret relationship and I’ll be nice when I bully you. But you must not tell the others that I am dating a dork or like girls. FYI, Jayden is one of my middle names,
she said and really sounded sympathetic.

-No. If you want to continue, then you have to tell everyone about us. That we have been together most of junior high. And you must go to prom with me. There is anyways two more girls than boys. And hold hands in school, I said, and knew that she wouldn’t agree but she did.

So we went to prom and everything. Everyone at school accepted us and we were the cool couple of our school. Seated in the back in the classroom. The rest of the bullies are now my friends. My family, even Felicity, was nice to Sidney. Even though they now knew who Jayden was and that Sidney was the worst bully.

Category: Short Story 0 comments

Short Story

Posted by Unknown

My Child

By Katrina Kyatt

Born 1996, F, from Tasmania, Australia

"I just don't understand it," Elenoar sighed. "How could anyone take someone else's child like that? Especially yours!"

"I know," Karen said, tightly hugging her son she'd finally got back after two long weeks of worry and tears. "She was only seventeen too! I wish I could just understand; but the girl killed herself right after she called the police and turned herself in. Jumped right off her sixth storey balcony. Serves her right for taking my boy though."

***

Six months. It seems like no time at all, yet at the same time way too much. I can still hear his laughter. I would get to hear it everyday without fail. Everytime I made a silly face, everytime I tickled him under his little arms, and everyitme he found something new and exciting. The sound that made it all worth it. The best sound in the world. The sound I'll never hear again.

I still see his face everytime I close my eyes. His fair blonde hair he was always pushing away from his eyes. His round, little cheeks I would softly pinch while we were playing. His bright blue eyes that would light up with every smile. His little mouth, where he'd grown perfect little white teeth he'd show off with every smile. I miss that smile so much. It warmed me inside every time I saw it, to know he was happy and loved and would always be alright. Now that it's gone, everything's cold.

It's hard to believe at one stage I'd never wanted him born. At fifteen years old I had fallen pregnant. I then regretted that stupid party I'd gone to. I regretted agreeing to go for a walk with one of the guys there, Matthew Ryan. At the time we were good friends, but Matthew decided we should be more than friends. We stopped at the park near the party and reluctantly I agreed to have sex. Needless to say, soon after I found out I was pregnant. When I told my parents, they'd screamed at me and told me they never wanted to see me again. I'd run to my room to hide, and by the next day my father told me he'd found me an apartment he'd rent out to me. He told me he'd pay for my rent and transfer a weekly allowance into my bank account until I was eighteen on the condition I didn't try to make contact again. I'd kept my promise and stayed pregnant and alone in my apartment with no one to turn to. Matthew had of course accepted no responsibility so it was just me and my unborn child. I'd wished with all my heart that I wasn't pregnant and could take it all back as I lay abandoned in my bed at night. That all changed of course when I had my beautiful son; and suddenly all the pain was worth it. Even getting kicked out of home was worth it. I'd made a promise to always protect and love my little boy with my whole heart. I never imagined that in the end I'd fail.

I open the scrapbook in my lap to a random page and see a photo of us in the grass at the Botanical Gardens on our picnic rug. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. It was Autumn and we were playing in the leaves under one of the largest trees there. So many leaves had fallen and he loved running through them. He suddenly stopped and picked up one leaf. I didn't know why he picked that leaf. They all looked the same to me, but he had found this one special and worth keeping. He saw this leaf as beautiful and unique among all the leaves on the ground, yet to everyone else it was just another leaf. He held it up to his face and his eyes widened in wonder. "Look Mumma, it's even bigger than my face!" he exclaimed. "It's perfect!" He ran over and placed it in my hand. I thanked him and kept it safe in my pocket.

I look back down at my scrapbook and stroke the leaf. It had stayed there for six months and one day now; since my last happy day. And then a more painful memory comes to mind. The same one I've thought of every day for six months. The same one I know I will think of every day until the day I die. I had just got my provisional license after long and hard driving classes with an instructor. I'd saved up enough money from my weekly allowance to buy a car and a carseat for my little man. We were driving along a quiet road towards the playground we'd decided to visit that day. I started singing along to a song on the radio, and he tried to join in on the parts he knew. I remember looking back at him through the rearview mirrow and seeing his smiling face look back at me, still singing and having a good time. And then, like that, he was gone. A driver in the other lane had swerved to avoid a stray cat and crashed right into my car. I sustained a concussion and a broken arm. My baby boy died instantly. He only got to live for two years, three months and sixteen days; whereas I have to live the rest of my life without him. Without my whole world. Without my whole life. There is quote from Wuthering Heights that goes "I cannot live without my life!" This now applies to me more than ever.

I look up around the playground I'm sitting at and realise I'm crying. And then out of the corner of my eye I see him. I turn quickly and see the fair blonde hair I've missed so much, running around the playground. It's not him, but the resemblance is startling. He sees me looking at him, and instead of running away walks over to me, just as my boy would've. His eyes are so blue as they look up at me and see my tears. "Did your mummy have to leave you for a bit too?" he asks. "Don't cry. She'll be back as soon as she gets some yummies from her car."
I look down at him shocked. "Did your mummy leave you here by yourself?"
He nods. "She's just getting yummies from her car. She'll be back soon."

I can't believe it. A mother just leaving her child unsupervised with strangers! I never let my son out of my sight, not for a second. I look down at this boy and wish he had a better home with better parents. And then I realise what I have to do.

"How about we go get your mummy then?" I say, and reach out my hand for him to take.

He nods his head and takes my hand. We then walk away out of the park and for the first time in six months I feel there's still some hope out there.

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How to learn English???

Posted by Unknown

Ways to improve your English:

Read a lot
It really, really helps. We need lots and lots of input (that's when we listen to or read English) to learn a new language. When you read, you learn new words without thinking about it. You also learn grammar: if you see ‘I ate’ 100 times while you are reading, you probably won’t say ‘I eated’. And, you learn how English speakers usually build sentences and the kinds of things that are normal for them to say.
There are some very good books you can buy for students who are learning English. If you go to an English language school, they probably have some you can borrow. These books are specially for students and have been written in easy English. They come in different levels so you can choose the right one for you. Don’t pick something too difficult – you should be able to read it without a dictionary. Try to read at least one per week, and you will learn English much more quickly and easily.
Listen as much as you can
The same thing as reading – if you hear lots of English words, they get into your brain. Listening is more difficult because if you try to watch TV or a film it might be too fast for you (and it’s not useful if you don’t understand anything). The easy books I already talked about often have CDs, which is a brilliant way to practise, and you can check in the book if you don’t catch a word. You can even listen on the bus.

Listening to English music is also really good (though songs can be difficult). However, you can usually find the lyrics (the words of the song) on the Internet so you can check what you hear.
Study new vocabulary
When I ask students how they learn vocabulary, they often say ‘by reading’ or ‘by watching TV’. It’s not what I mean. It’s true you can learn new words when you read or listen, but you should also study new words seriously.

If you try something like learning 10 new words per day (it is possible!) and review often, you will improve a lot. I’m learning Japanese, and I have problems remembering new words. Here are a few things I do (some work better than others!):

Make flashcards: I find this is really the best way to learn new words, but you have to be organised! Make some small cards (or you can buy them) and write the new English word on one side and either the word in your language or in easy English on the other side. Then test yourself. You can write down the words or just say them to yourself. To really make this work, you have to review often (you need a system!). I think this is the best method for learning English vocabulary.

Record the words onto a tape or CD or MP3: if you learn well by listening, this might work for you. To record, say the word in your language, then wait a few seconds, then say the English word. When you play the CD you should try to say the English word in the space. Then listen to check. (This does have a few problems – it’s best if you can ask someone to check your pronunciation for example, also usually you get to know the words at the beginning better).

Make sentences with the new words: this is great if you can ask someone to check them. It’s also great to make up really crazy sentences – that way you won’t forget them! I also collect example sentences of the words I’m trying to learn – if I see the word in a book I write down the sentence.

Make up a mnemonic: a mnemonic is a way to remember something, like a little story. For example, if I want to remember the Japanese word ‘yukkuri’ (which means ‘slowly’) I could think about the English words ‘you’ and ‘curry’, and maybe imagine someone eating a plate of curry very, very slowly! This works for learning English, make up the story in your language.

Put labels with English words on things in your house: I tried this one too, I put Japanese words all over my house. For example I put the word ‘daidokoro’ (which means ‘kitchen’) on the kitchen door. The problem with this is that it works for a while but then you get used to the words and forget to read them!

Use a flashcard computer program: there are lots you can buy.

Do a language exchange
I’ve done this several times. It’s a really good way to meet people, though it depends on where you are. I live in London so it’s easy for me to find a partner. You arrange to meet an English speaker in a café, and then you speak half in English and half in your language. It’s nice because you can help each other. In many countries there are English speakers trying to learn your language: try the university.

Don’t panic if you can’t speak or write well yet
It takes a long time to learn a language, and learning English might be particularly difficult (it depends on your first language). If you relax and don’t force yourself, speaking and writing well will come.

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"WE LOVE ENGLISH"

Pages

The Road Not Taken

A Red, Red Rose

Because I could not stop for Death

Leda and the Swan

Talking to Grief

Crossing the Bar

The Snow Man

Robert Browning

Richard Cory

To a poor old woman

I, too sing America

maggie and milly and molly and may

We Real Cool

She Walks in Beauty

Simple Ways to Squash Stress

Moving Home Inside

Short Story

How to learn English???

Ways to improve your English:

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