kim woods

Having a Mind to Change the World

By Howard Nemerov

Twice a year and during Sunday sleep
The Republic finds itself unanimously
Agreed except for Indianapolis
To shift the sun through fifteen degrees of arc
In a trice or two by twiddling some knobs
Whereon the sun obedient moves back and forth
At the mere commandment of Democracy.
Not Joshua in the Vale of Ajalon
Did more than stay the sun a space, while we
By will alone twitch him about the sky,
Taking a daylight hour from the dawn
And giving it to evening, even if
We Indian-givers later take it back.
What shall be denied unto this people
That with a thought thus moves both heaven and earth?

Nemerov, Howard. "Having a Mind to Change the World." Inside the Onion. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1984. Print.

In your analysis, think of the questions you answered about a poem in your worksheet. Look at the speaker, the tone, the subject, the meaning of the words, the process of the poem and any other things that you can think of to make your analysis creative, original, and reflective of your individualized perspective.

If you haven’t figured it out, the subject is daylight savings time. The reference to Joshua in the Vale of Ajalon is from the Bible when Joshua prayed that God would give him another hour of daylight so he could defeat his enemies. The light lasted until the enemies were defeated. This should be all the background you need to analyze the poem.

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