PARAPHRASE POETRY – COLLEGE FINAL

paraphrase the following 3 poems, with upper class high-education English style.

Poem #1
Swinging Cool

The bassist hugs
the bass, plunks it.
Ting, boom, ting boom
the drummer beats
and booms. Saxophonist
weaves notes, oscillates, blows
and the pianist finger-dances
on the keys: Swinging
at the Haven. Musicians spark
the sheet music stands
and angled microphones.
Blue backdrop.
Modulating that tempo,
they work the tune.
Drumsticks knocking time,
piano plucking our ears.
Bassman still hugging
the bass, straight sets
walls thrumming
steady as the spring moon
inciting the indigo sky.

by Lenard D. Moore
Paraphrase the poem

Poem #2

Be Here When I Can See You, When I Cant

Stars, you are the heavens flock,
tangling your pale wool across
the night sky, bits of oily fleece
catching on barbs of darkness to swirl
in black wind. You appear, disappear
by thousands, scattered wide to graze
but never straying. While I a mere
shepherd of these words am lost.

What can I do but build a small blaze,
feed it with branches the trees let fall
that twiggy clatter strewn along the ground.
Lichen crusting such dead limbs
glows silver, white. Earth-food for a fire
so unlike and like your own.

by Paulann Petersen
Paraphrase the poem

– Poem #3

Trickster

                        Crow, in the new snow.
                        You caw, caw
                                                like crazy.
                        Laugh.
                        Because you know Im a fool,
                        too, like you
                        skimming over the thin ice
                        to the war going on
                        all over the world.

by Joy Harjo

Note: In some Native American mythologies, the crow is conflated with the raven, a benevolent figure who helps people but can also be a trickster.

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