FIFTEEN
By William Stafford
South of the bridge on Seventeenth
I found back of the willows one summer
day a motorcycle with engine running
as it lay on its side, ticking over
slowly in the high grass. I was fifteen. REPETITION
I admired all that pulsing gleam, the
shiny flanks, the demure headlights Tempted to ride it away.
fringed where it lay; I led it gently
to the road, and stood with that
companion, ready and friendly. I was fifteen. REPETITION
We could find the end of a road, meet
the sky on out Seventeenth. I thought about
hills, and patting the handle got back a
confident opinion. On the bridge we indulged
a forward feeling, a tremble. I was fifteen. REPETITION
Thinking, back farther in the grass I found
the owner, just coming to, where he had flipped
over the rail. He had blood on his hand, was pale-
I helped him walk to his machine. He ran his hand
over it, called me good man, roared away. Defining moment!
I stood there, fifteen.
--William Stafford
South of the bridge on Seventeenth
I found back of the willows one summer
day a motorcycle with engine running
as it lay on its side, ticking over
slowly in the high grass. I was fifteen. REPETITION
I admired all that pulsing gleam, the
shiny flanks, the demure headlights Tempted to ride it away.
fringed where it lay; I led it gently
to the road, and stood with that
companion, ready and friendly. I was fifteen. REPETITION
We could find the end of a road, meet
the sky on out Seventeenth. I thought about
hills, and patting the handle got back a
confident opinion. On the bridge we indulged
a forward feeling, a tremble. I was fifteen. REPETITION
Thinking, back farther in the grass I found
the owner, just coming to, where he had flipped
over the rail. He had blood on his hand, was pale-
I helped him walk to his machine. He ran his hand
over it, called me good man, roared away. Defining moment!
I stood there, fifteen.
--William Stafford
An analysis
To paraphrase, a fifteen year old finds an motorcycle still running, looks like it was crashed. He had a very burning temptation to just get on it and ride a way. He could have just got on, but he was scared. He later finds the man, he had fallen off. So the character helped him to his motorcycle. The man called him a "good man" and rode away.
The defining moment, or shift in the poem, is when he was called “good man”
Attitude- He was tempted by motorcycles (individualism)
Shift (Another) – Finds the man, can no longer ride it.
Theme: It is more important to help other people than to help oneself
The defining moment, or shift in the poem, is when he was called “good man”
Attitude- He was tempted by motorcycles (individualism)
Shift (Another) – Finds the man, can no longer ride it.
Theme: It is more important to help other people than to help oneself