A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example-
Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Narrative Poem: Joe DiMaggio: Clipper
At the age of sixteen, I dropped out of High School,
Trying many different jobs before I found baseball.
My brother Vince recommended me for the minor league,
To play on the San Francisco Seals baseball team.
In my first year, I averaged three forty at bat,
Cracking most balls accurate, like an eagle catching prey.
Before the year was done, I was traded to the Yankees,
They gave me twenty-five thousand dollars and a cool hat.
My first game, I batted six times, and of those, I hit three.
In my rookie year, I led the Yanks to the World Series,
I hit twenty-five homers, averaged three forty-six,
And further down the road, I hit for fifty-six straight games.
After those great years, I enlisted in the army,
And took some time off from baseball to treat my ulcer.
During that time, I am married and then divorced.
I quit the army, not a fight fought, like a lazy cat.
I retired from baseball young, but I’m in the Hall of Fame.
I have my own plaque in the stadium Babe Ruth made.
I’m an old man now, with gray hair and cracking skin,
I’ve had a good life as one of the Yankee Greats.
The poetic elements I used were two similes, onomatopoeia and an allusion.
I used the simile “cracking most balls accurate, like an eagle catching prey” to describe the accuracy of Joe DiMaggio’s hits and that he truly was a great player. In fact, he was ranked the number two yankee to ever play. The other simile of “I quit the army, not a fight fought, like a lazy cat” to describe how he was in the army, but didn’t fight. He sat around and played baseball, living an easy life.
I used the onomatopoeia “crack” to describe the sound that his powerful, unstoppable hits made. They were very loud.
Finally, I used an allusion to Babe Ruth, a great baseball player on the Yankees, too. Yankee Stadium was referred to as “the House that Ruth built.” By saying “the stadium Babe Ruth made,” it gives my poem flow and rhythm.
Paragraph of Explanation:
I decided to write about Joe DiMaggio in my narrative poem. He was mentioned in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire", and we were required to write about someone identified in that song. I decided to write about him because he is an athlete and I wanted to learn more about him, since I enjoy sports. Another reason why I decided to write about Joe DiMaggio is because he played baseball for the Yankees, and I am a Yankees fan. Joe DiMaggio was ranked the number two Yankee to ever play, second to Babe Ruth. I chose to write about a good portion of his life, since Joe DiMaggio lived a roller coaster of a life, with ups and downs, which are necessary to know about to better understand him. Writing about much of his life was more interesting and factual than writing about just one part of his life. I am glad that I researched Joe DiMaggio for my narrative poem because I learned a lot about one of the greatest American athletes of all time.
Trying many different jobs before I found baseball.
My brother Vince recommended me for the minor league,
To play on the San Francisco Seals baseball team.
In my first year, I averaged three forty at bat,
Cracking most balls accurate, like an eagle catching prey.
Before the year was done, I was traded to the Yankees,
They gave me twenty-five thousand dollars and a cool hat.
My first game, I batted six times, and of those, I hit three.
In my rookie year, I led the Yanks to the World Series,
I hit twenty-five homers, averaged three forty-six,
And further down the road, I hit for fifty-six straight games.
After those great years, I enlisted in the army,
And took some time off from baseball to treat my ulcer.
During that time, I am married and then divorced.
I quit the army, not a fight fought, like a lazy cat.
I retired from baseball young, but I’m in the Hall of Fame.
I have my own plaque in the stadium Babe Ruth made.
I’m an old man now, with gray hair and cracking skin,
I’ve had a good life as one of the Yankee Greats.
The poetic elements I used were two similes, onomatopoeia and an allusion.
I used the simile “cracking most balls accurate, like an eagle catching prey” to describe the accuracy of Joe DiMaggio’s hits and that he truly was a great player. In fact, he was ranked the number two yankee to ever play. The other simile of “I quit the army, not a fight fought, like a lazy cat” to describe how he was in the army, but didn’t fight. He sat around and played baseball, living an easy life.
I used the onomatopoeia “crack” to describe the sound that his powerful, unstoppable hits made. They were very loud.
Finally, I used an allusion to Babe Ruth, a great baseball player on the Yankees, too. Yankee Stadium was referred to as “the House that Ruth built.” By saying “the stadium Babe Ruth made,” it gives my poem flow and rhythm.
Paragraph of Explanation:
I decided to write about Joe DiMaggio in my narrative poem. He was mentioned in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire", and we were required to write about someone identified in that song. I decided to write about him because he is an athlete and I wanted to learn more about him, since I enjoy sports. Another reason why I decided to write about Joe DiMaggio is because he played baseball for the Yankees, and I am a Yankees fan. Joe DiMaggio was ranked the number two Yankee to ever play, second to Babe Ruth. I chose to write about a good portion of his life, since Joe DiMaggio lived a roller coaster of a life, with ups and downs, which are necessary to know about to better understand him. Writing about much of his life was more interesting and factual than writing about just one part of his life. I am glad that I researched Joe DiMaggio for my narrative poem because I learned a lot about one of the greatest American athletes of all time.