Sarybel+Melendez

**Poetry Portfolio **
1. Poetry is the doorway to the soul. - Floria

2. Ode: Who/What I admire… I admire a little bit of everything I admire people People who fight for what they want Who think for themselves Who have their own ideas and they follow them to death, and people who are not afraid of thinking and standing outside the box <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">People who think twice when making decisions <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">And people who don’t when taking risks <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">I have a passion for nature and art <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Nature it’s perfect <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">It’s beautiful, simple, and yet complicated <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">It’s amazing <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Art is imperfect <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">And that’s what makes it perfect <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">It’s colorful, interesting, and unique <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Nothing can mean tons of things <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">And tons of things can mean nothing <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">It’s wonderful <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">‘’Imperfection makes things perfect’’ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">I admire every imperfect thing we have in this extremely complicated planet we live in. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> My poems can be romantic, sarcastic, funny, and sad. Whatever crosses my mind in that moment, becomes my poem.
 * My Poetry Statement:**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">3. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">a) Sonnet:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">You are the cover of my one iPod <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The loud music I like to play on my radio <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">When I see you it's like I see a god <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">And then my heart beats like a big stereo

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">You are the lyrics of my favorite song <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The ones I try but can't get out my head <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The ones I like to keep singing all day long <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Without you I would honestly feel like dead

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">You make me want to sing extremely loud <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">So loud I would break all the glasses <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">And feel like I am in front of a crowd <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">You make my heart beat like big basses

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">I compare you to the music of my life <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">So nice one day I wanna make you my wife

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">b) Raised in Puerto Rico poem <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">by Sarybel Meléndez

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">I was raised by <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">extremely happy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">extremely loud <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">extremely active <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Come on and move <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Type of family

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Rice, beans and meat eating <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Criolla cooking <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Te vas a chupa'l los deo's (You'll lick your fingers) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Type of family

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Wavy, thick <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">long, black, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">sexy hair <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Kind of women.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Bing hips <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">big butt <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">big chest <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">skinny waist <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Kind of women.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Tall, strong <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">smart, loud, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">never miss a party <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Kind of men.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Really hot <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">really happy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">really gorgeous <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">really tropical <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Kind of island.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">I was raised <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">in one of the <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">most beautiful <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">islands ever.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">and I miss it <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">a lot.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">And I don't care <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">where I'm at <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">with who, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">or when. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">I <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">WAS <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">RAISED <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">IN <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">PUERTO <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">RICO!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">c) I.love.you.

By Sarybel Meléndez

You are the icing on my cake, You are the smile I can't replace.

You are You know you are.

The way you smile. The way you laugh. You know you are My other half.

You are the minutes of my time. You’re inspiration to this rhyme.

You are You know you are.

The one I love With all my might. The one I'm thinking of tonight.

You are You know you are.

I still remember all the situations You helped me get through.

That’s why metaphorically, this Poem is saying one thing:

I.love.you.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">4. Poems by Kay Ryan

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">a) Nothing Ventured <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">by Kay Ryan <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: helvetica,arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">

code Nothing exists as a block and cannot be parceled up. So if nothing's ventured it's not just talk; it's the big wager. Don't you wonder how people think the banks of space and time don't matter? How they'll drain the big tanks down to slime and salamanders and want thanks?

Analysis: code <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> In the poem Nothing Ventured, the author asks questions and uses irony to do a social criticism. This poem is criticizing the higher authorities and how they act. The author, as in the majority of her poems, asks redundant questions. This makes the reader get more interested in the poem and try to answer them. The poem is a really short one and it consists of only one stanza, and no rhymes or repetition. The language is very casual, but with a tone of angriness at the same time. I think this poem criticizes the higher authorities and that it talks about the ‘’banks’’ and government and how they ‘’drain the big tanks down to slime and salamanders and want thanks’’. When the author writes: ‘’ So if nothing's ventured it's not just talk…’’ it’s referring to the speeches and promises the government people make, and how the majority of them don’t keep up their promises. In this poem, I imagine protests and people being tired of the government and realizing what the government is doing. I can relate this poem to my life because we are citizens and we often get tired of the iniquity and how the government doesn’t keep up their promises.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: helvetica,arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">b) Patience <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: helvetica,arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">by Kay Ryan  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: helvetica,arial; font-size: medium;"> code Patience is wider than one once envisioned, with ribbons of rivers and distant ranges and tasks undertaken and finished with modest relish by natives in their native dress. Who would have guessed it possible that waiting is sustainable— a place with its own harvests. Or that in time's fullness the diamonds of patience couldn't be distinguished from the genuine in brilliance or hardness.

Analysis: code <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;"> In the poem Patience, the poet uses imagery, questions, and irony to reflect what the humans have done to each other. This poem talks about how materialistic people are now a days. The way the author writes has a big impact on the reader. She asks questions in the poem. This causes the reader to ask and then try to answer those questions his/herself. The poem has only one stanza, no rhymes, and a formal language. Also, the tone of this poem is pretty soft, but with a little bit of sarcasm. I think the best part of this poem is the ability it has to make people wonder and reflect about the whole situation. For example, when the author writes: ‘’ Who wouldhave guessedit possiblethat waitingis sustainable- a place withits own harvests.Or that intime’s fullnessthe diamonds of patiencecouldn’t bedistinguishedfrom the genuinein brilliance or hardness’’, I see how people care more about materialistic things, than real feelings and good manners. In that line, the author compared patience with a real ‘’genuine’’, ’’brilliant’’, and ‘’hard’’ diamond. A diamond is really important, it’s worth a lot of money, and almost everyone would like to have one, but patience is not expensive and it’s as beautiful as a diamond, and no one looks forward to have it. I think this poem is so great because it gives a really deep lesson. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;">c) Sharks' Teeth <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> by Kay Ryan  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: helvetica,arial; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> code Everything contains some silence. Noise gets its zest from the small shark's-tooth- shaped fragments of rest angled in it. An hour of city holds maybe a minute of these remnants of a time when silence reigned, compact and dangerous as a shark. Sometimes a bit of a tail or fin can still be sensed in parks.

Analysis: code <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> This poem is pretty different from the rest of the author’s poems. This poem talks about silence and how it can be as dangerous as a shark’s teeth. The poem has two stanzas, no rhymes, and a serious, mysterious tone that sets the whole message. The author starts the poem with the preposition: ‘’Everything contains some silence’’. This challenges and makes the reader wonder because not everything contains silence. Then, the author compares the noise with a shark’s tooth. ‘’ Noise gets its zest from the small shark's-tooth- shaped fragments of rest angled in it‘’. This means that the ‘’rest’’ in noise is what gives it its ‘’zest’’. She describes the noise’s ‘’zest’’ as a shark-tooth shaped little fragments. She also mentions that it ‘’can still be sensed in parks’’. Silence can be as dangerous as a shark’s teeth even in public places, like ‘’parks’’. I can imagine a silent and dangerous park. The best part of this poem is how she compared many things to silence. This poem was by far my favorite.