Famous
by Naomi Shihab Nye
Write a title here
I will use precise language to describe the poem's theme, tone, and literary devices
Students will explore the poem "Famous" by Naomi Shihab Nye, focusing on its message and how the poet conveys it through language and structure.
Identify and explain key themes in the poem.
Analyze literary devices used by the author.
Do Now
- Reflect on the quote and share your thoughts in the chat!
Introduction
The word “famous” is used a dozen times over in Naomi Shihab Nye’s relatively short poem of the same title. Yet the words “star,” “celebrity,” or even “fans” are not found anywhere in Nye’s nine stanzas. Instead, Nye (b. 1952) creates a new definition of her titular word based on relationships that exist in nature and everyday life. Nye is an American poet and the daughter of a Palestinian refugee, born in St. Louis and raised in San Antonio and Jerusalem. She is known for exploring the mundane and overlooked elements around us, both on full display in “Famous,” perhaps her best-known work.*Watch StudySync Video
Vocabulary
inherit
briefly
bosom
spectacular
dramatically beautiful or awe-inspiring
for a short period of time
chest
to receive or be left with (something) from a former owner
More information
- Connection of Ideas
- The poem defines being famous through a series of analogies.
- analogy: a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
- the speaker has an alternative definition of being famous: being important.
- Genre
- The poem is written in free verse.
Summary
Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Famous” celebrates fame in an unexpected way. The speaker describes the river as being famous for the fish and a cat is considered famous by the birds. The boot can be viewed as famous by the earth, while the dress shoe can be thought of as famous by the floor. These simple images are then contrasted with more surprising ones. For example, “the loud voice is famous to silence” and “the tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.” This kind of contrast not only redefines the meaning of the word “fame” but also asks the reader to look at the world differently. In the poem, fame represents important things in the everyday world, which might even be things that the reader takes for granted while idolizing what is typically famous. Nye concludes by saying that she wants to be famous not for doing something spectacular, but instead, for not forgetting what she can do.
The river is famous to the fish. The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.
The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.
The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.
The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors. The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.
I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.
I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.
Famous PRESENTATION
Ashley Campion
Created on April 26, 2024
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Transcript
Famous
by Naomi Shihab Nye
Write a title here
I will use precise language to describe the poem's theme, tone, and literary devices
Students will explore the poem "Famous" by Naomi Shihab Nye, focusing on its message and how the poet conveys it through language and structure.
Identify and explain key themes in the poem. Analyze literary devices used by the author.
Do Now
Introduction
The word “famous” is used a dozen times over in Naomi Shihab Nye’s relatively short poem of the same title. Yet the words “star,” “celebrity,” or even “fans” are not found anywhere in Nye’s nine stanzas. Instead, Nye (b. 1952) creates a new definition of her titular word based on relationships that exist in nature and everyday life. Nye is an American poet and the daughter of a Palestinian refugee, born in St. Louis and raised in San Antonio and Jerusalem. She is known for exploring the mundane and overlooked elements around us, both on full display in “Famous,” perhaps her best-known work.*Watch StudySync Video
Vocabulary
inherit
briefly
bosom
spectacular
dramatically beautiful or awe-inspiring
for a short period of time
chest
to receive or be left with (something) from a former owner
More information
Summary
Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Famous” celebrates fame in an unexpected way. The speaker describes the river as being famous for the fish and a cat is considered famous by the birds. The boot can be viewed as famous by the earth, while the dress shoe can be thought of as famous by the floor. These simple images are then contrasted with more surprising ones. For example, “the loud voice is famous to silence” and “the tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.” This kind of contrast not only redefines the meaning of the word “fame” but also asks the reader to look at the world differently. In the poem, fame represents important things in the everyday world, which might even be things that the reader takes for granted while idolizing what is typically famous. Nye concludes by saying that she wants to be famous not for doing something spectacular, but instead, for not forgetting what she can do.
The river is famous to the fish. The loud voice is famous to silence, which knew it would inherit the earth before anybody said so. The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds watching him from the birdhouse. The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek. The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom. The boot is famous to the earth, more famous than the dress shoe, which is famous only to floors. The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.
I want to be famous to shuffling men who smile while crossing streets, sticky children in grocery lines, famous as the one who smiled back. I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do.