Poem Reflection: “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie

This piece of work is not only considered a poem, it is also a song.  Oddly enough, I learned this song many years ago as a young child.  I did not, however, know that there were as many verses to it as there are published in our version.  Needless to say, I was very surprised when I saw that.

There are several elements of poetic form that apply to this song/poem.  The simple fact that it rhymes is important because that rhyming is what helps the song flow the way it does.  Not only does the fact that it rhymes help it flow, the element of rhythm, meter, and cadence significantly adds to the flow of the song/poem.  That flow is important in the song because if it were not there, the song would seem very choppy and unpleasant to listen to.  It also possesses the element of stanza breaks or line breaks.  The fact that it possesses this poetic form element, the stanza breaks, goes without saying since it is, in fact, a song after all.  Without all of these elements present in the song, I do not think that it would be nearly as effective.  I also do not think that it would be as easy to understand if it did not have all of these elements.