Ghazal analysis

Serendipity
Susan Melot

Call it coincidence, fate, or mere chance.
A happy turn of the dice, mere chance.

The odds are low you'll win the lotto
But why not throw your lot in — dare chance?

The path of a fairy tale, lined with minute clues;
Uncovered by a clever prince, not pure chance.

To sit under the tree with Isaac Newton
When the apple fell, insight ensnared chance.

A mistake led to islands of fine mold,
Fleming seized the yellow fruit of sheer chance!

Bad luck, good luck, in the end we help fate.
Error led Columbus' boats to steer chance.

Of existence will we solve the puzzles?
From stars wrought. An alchemy of rare chance.

The explorer may find diamonds or deceit.
Some eaten by creek crocs, caught by drear chance.

Take the Frost foot-path, clear of all footprints.
You may find unknown treasures of dear chance.

Risk the soft sanctum of your inner soul.
Susan left home so she could bestir chance

Title: Serendity--sounds like it will be peaceful although I'm not sure if it is a real word or not.

Paraphrase:.....

Connotation: a lot of allusions such as : columbus, Issac Newton, and Fleming.

Attitude: Mysterious, playful,

Shift

Villanelle

Down in the Dark a paper heart I find
Its warm and soothing pink I wish to keep
Now in my empty soul it is confined

Amidst shadows of hatred I'm entwined
But when inside someone's glee soul I peep
Down in the Dark a paper heart I find

Its brilliant red flashes in my mind
And into me its fluids slowly seep
Now in my empty soul it is confined

Engulfed in sorrow and woefully bind
From someone's smile light radiates and leaps
Down in the Dark a paper heart I find

Its golden rays shine forth in grand divine
Illuminates into my spirit's deep
Now in my empty soul it is confined

It opened eyes that once by darkness blind
And passed it on for others safe to keep
Down in the dark a paper heart I find
Now in my empty soul it is confined

The Waking

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me, so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.





This poem is an imagery of a man slowly getting up and glimpsing out to see the nature awake with him, slowly, as the light shines slowly on the trees, the worm starts crawling up to eat the leaves, and Nature starts to move. And just like the nature that know what it should do and where it should go. The author is doing the same thing by waking up slowly and right away going to the place he has to go.
The structure of the poem helped me to understand the deep meaning of the poem more.
It gave me a sense in the shifts in the authors tone and connotation. And it also showed me when to pause and reflect on the things I just read.