Ships that Pass in the Night:

“Ships that Pass in the Night” By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Out in the sky the great dark clouds are massing;
I look far out into the pregnant night,
Where I can hear a solemn booming gun
And catch the gleaming of a random light,
That tells me that the ship I seek is passing, passing.

My tearful eyes my soul’s deep hurt are glassing;
For I would hail and check that ship of ships.
I stretch my hands imploring, cry aloud,
My voice falls dead a foot from mine own lips,
And but its ghost doth reach that vessel, passing, passing.

O Earth, O Sky, O Ocean, both surpassing,
O heart of mine, O soul that dreads the dark!
Is there no hope for me? Is there no way
That I may sight and check that speeding bark
Which out of sight and sound is passing, passing?

1). Discussion Approach:
Identify the poem and the poet
Who is speaking?
What is the setting?
What is the point of view?
What is the information?
Form: What is the poem’s shape?

2) Write your own poem utilizing the style of the above poem. Your poem should be original; you are allowed to utilize the pattern, rhyme scheme, and structure of the poem. At the end of your poem (at the bottom of the page) indicate what poem inspired yours.

The paper should be in MLA format.