Poetry Assignment 1
For each of the following poems, put each stanza into your own words.
1. Butterfly by Chinua Achebe
Speed is violence
Power is violence
Weight is violence
The butterfly seeks safety in lightness
In weightless, undulating flight
But at a crossroads where mottled light
From trees falls on a brash new highway
Our convergent territories meet
I come power-packed enough for two
And the gentle butterfly offers
Itself in bright yellow sacrifice
Upon my hard silicon shield.
Power, speed and weight could be very
destructive in many ways that cause
violence.
The butterfly moves lightly around and finds
its way to find safety.