post seven

This week for outside reading I read a poem called "The Man in the Glass" by an unknown author. My mom hung this on our refrigerator a while ago, probably about a year ago, and I never really took the time to read it. Today I decided I would. It’s about how it’s not important what other people think about you, it’s just important how you see yourself. “For isn’t your father or mother or wife whose judgment upon you must pass, The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life is the one staring back from the glass.” (5-8). If you cheat yourself to make others see you as a better person it only ends up hurting you in the end. “You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years and get pats on the back as you pass but your final reward will be heartache and tears if you've cheated the man in the glass.” (17-20). A person who cheats through their life won’t think of them self in a positive way and that’s what matters the most. People come and go throughout life and the only one who’s always with you is yourself: “(…) the man in the glass says you're only a bum if you can't look him straight in the eye. He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest for he's with you clear to the end” (11-14). This poem uses simple language to convey a complex meaning. The words and phrases are simple and easy to understand, but the whole poem together has deep meaning. Another important aspect I think made the poem better was the rhyme scheme. I like when poems rhyme because I think it makes them more interesting to read. “The Man in the Glass” followed the rhyme scheme: a b a b c d c d e f e f g h g h i d i d. This made the poem comfortable to read because it wasn’t so random.