Park Bench

“I beg a dime for dinner –
You got a butler and maid.
But I’m walkin’ up!
Say, ain’t you afraid”
--Langston Hughes

“Park Bench’s” narrator is a homeless man talking to a wealthy audience. He talks of how he “lives on a park bench” but can see Park Avenue in the distance. He then compares himself to the wealthy, how he has to “beg a dime for dinner” while they have a “butler and maid.” While the poem is relatively short, only three stanza, it has great composition. It’s meaning and depth or endless making it beautifully written.


Hughes creates a story, character, and plot in a relatively poem. His ability to create a in-depth character in a short time is remarkable. From this poem the reader can easily see that the narrator is homeless, needs dinner, and want to eventually live on Park Avenue. But it is not just the hard facts that makes the narrator, it is also the ability see his mood, tone, and dreams. This poem shows how a narrator who is reader friendly is beneficial. Hughes is a great poet to apprentice.

Why I Went to College

“If you don’t,
My father said,
You better learn
To eat soup
Through a straw,
‘cause I’m gonna
Break your jaw”
-Martin Espada

“Why I Went to College,” is a Haiku that at this time of my life I can relate to. From this poem you can infer that the father is strict and pushing for an educational route for his son. Also this poem gives a humors out look of Espada’s future and a funny reason why he decide to go to college. Without the title this poem would be lacking a lot of sense and could be seen in a more serious, abusive way.


This is a good poem to apprentice myself to because it says so much in only a few words. The length of each line only consist of three words making them relatively short, however his ability to express a though through each line is brilliant. Also Espada doesn’t use punctuation at the end of each line allowing for a more fluent reading and also allowing for the lines which do have punctuation to more dominant. The poem is relatable, humors, and witty all wrapped up in one.