A Poem about Intelligence for my Brothers and Sisters - Essay Example

June Jordan herself a civil rights activist who fervently fight for the rights of African-Americans. Her radical beliefs and principles are vividly echoed in her poem. On the other hand, Ted Kooser’s poem sounds simple on the surface due to its terse and straightforward style. My initial interpretation of the poem is that the author is unhappily celebrating his birthday, celebrating an important day of his life alone. But when I read Kooser’s biography, my interpretation of the poem changed.

When I learned that he is recognized as a poet with a remarkable grasp of metaphors I thought that perhaps the poem is not even talking about him or, specifically, his own gloomy disposition, but about the simple things that are usually taken for granted, like a book, darkness, a window. What the author, I think, is trying to convey is that these simple things can bring happiness, like the happiness that a birthday celebration can give.