Drew Borton
Fame is not confined to the boundaries of the human world, nor does it require a large audience or a truly impressive act. In the eyes of poet Naomi Shihab Nye, fame can even extend to the interactions of ordinary objects. “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.”
Patricia Broe
Oh my, have I stepped on your feelings?
Oh well, I have no intention of treading carefully.
For fame is freeing and all forgiving.
Those who are at the top made the same choice.
If I bite my tongue, no one will hear my voice.
I chomped down hard because I was told to do so, but I only hurt myself.
I would like to be famous for being funny and blunt, my irreverence immortalized on a shelf.
Thomas Buckingham
Realizing that fame is subjective and that things that deserve the greatest credit for what they do, often do not receive it, is an important concept. This short poem packs a powerful message that causes the reader to reevaluate what he thinks about fame, and its real importance in society.
Marisa Campanella
I want to be famous
Famous to someone else
Who is missing a friend
Famous as a giver
Who succeeds in the end
I want to be famous
For abundant patience
For those who speak out
I want to be the difference
Alexandria Cavallaro
Even if they don’t remember my name, or forget what I’ve done
I’ll know I’ve become a minute part of someone
That I’ve helped him to flourish, to grow
And I’ll know
With each small seed I’ve planted, in time a meadow of colors will grow
In my own way
In that small way
I’ll be famous
Victoria Cheff
…I don’t want a postage stamp or a worthless golden coin,
Just a smile and a humble thank you.
That’s all I’ll ever need
For teaching someone how to speak or how to tie a shoe.
I want to be famous only in the simplest, smallest way,
Not to be known around the world,
But only by those that have my handprint with them always.
Erika Citrin
Nye truly defines fame in this poem – not as the objects or people who are constantly discussed, but rather as those that serve their purpose every day without recognition and without expecting any.
Ryan Darrell
Through this poem we learn that we don’t have to do anything spectacular to be famous; we don’t have to become a movie star or save lives. Sometimes it is enough to just be ourselves and achieve our own potential. In that way we can have a positive impact on the lives of others.
Brielle Denardo
“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.” Unfortunately, when most people hear the word “famous” they think of Hollywood celebrities who they watch on stage or on TV. “Famous” means much more than that. It means having someone look up to you and remember your name and what you have done in this crazy world that we live in. “Famous” means making a difference in this world.
Alex Dominici
Joseph Nicephore Niepce gained fame for producing the first photograph in 1826. His groundbreaking invention changed people’s lives forever. It became possible to freeze time or capture a moment. It became possible to preserve history with one click. Yet the invention is not what matters most; what does matter are the stories behind each of the images portrayed on the paper.
Richard Egan
…And from this mighty force springs
A peace movement to be shared
And all the world as witnesses
Every race and air
I hope they’ll call me “Old Peace,”
A humble man from Jersey…
Genevieve Finn
…I want to be the icebreaker
Between the wounded
And their new normal life
I want to be famous in the lives of veterans
Even more so, famous to their recovery
Brian Foley
Many people desire glory, wealth, or fame, but some people such as Naomi Shihab Nye and I do not desire those things. What interests me is to be able to give a hand and in doing so to have a positive impact on the lives of those I touch and the people who surround them. I hope to make people’s lives a little better for having known me.
Lauren Friedman
Fame is generally thought to be flashing lights, paparazzi, stars and their love lives. However, it is much more sincere and uncomplicated. For example, a mother carrying a picture of her child in her wallet or photographs of family hung around a home illustrate fame as well. This kind of fame is an essential part of our lives.
Daniel Goodstein
The rock star is the one on stage,
The athlete takes the field,
The speaker approaches the podium.
A student drops his books,
A person trips and falls.
It is the latter
Whose respect I would rather attain,
By a simple, “hello”
Or just helping them to their feet.
Megan Goss
Even though I do not literally carry around an old photograph, I hold a similar memory. My great grandmother was a resilient woman who lived to be ninety-nine. Although she passed away when I was only eight years old, I still carry her memory with me every day. I remember her crooked smile and pearl white hair, but most of all I remember her perseverance. Only two weeks shy of living through a century, her age was only a number. She did not let it get in the way of living life to the fullest. The memory of her spirit has helped me to overcome obstacles that I have faced. Her memory reminds me not to dwell on things that I cannot control. Essentially, I hold the memory of my great grandmother similarly to someone who holds on to an old photograph; she is famous to me.
Megan Hultberg
…He took it out of the worn leather wallet and laid it on the pillow next to his father, and then left the room. His mother never liked photos, but the way she was captured in that one was everything. No one would ever know the significance of the photo, not even his mother. In this home it was part of everyday life, and as famous as the Mona Lisa.
Samantha Hynes
Every tiny, unimportant object in the world is famous for something. Whether it is a buttonhole, or a tear streaming down a cheek, everything has a place in the world. Maybe that candid picture that you took one day will become the inspiration – famous – to someone who needs it most.
Brittany Johnston
…I may not be able to cure cancer or save the rain forests,
But I can offer a smile, advice, or be a source of relief.
When those in need reach out, I’d like to be the first call,
I’d like to be the strong shoulder or the source of laughter that is healing.
Danielle Klehr
To be famous is to be recognized and renowned to many people. However, on a personal level, particular entities may only be famous in the lives of certain individuals. Nye supports this claim in each stanza. For example, she describes how “the bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.” The image depicted in the photograph must be close to the carrier’s heart as it accompanies him everywhere he ventures.
Jay Kloskowski
A legend passed down, generation to generation,
From father to child, the story is told
Of a first kiss
Or a movement that changed a nation.
I want to be remembered
Remembered across generations
And through the trials of time.
Annalee Lane
Fame is not measured in inches. Not in feet, yards, or pints. It is measured differently: by something intangible, something flexible, something open to interpretation. This makes it, of course, entirely more complicated. Fame is measured by emotion. It is measured in the amount and degree of thought and love that one gives to something. This is what Shihab Nye explains in this poem.
Kirsten Littlefield
But most of all, I want to be famous for being me.
I want to be known for my actions
Not my blunders or misconceptions.
I want to be known for making an impact,
For my willingness to act.
Joshua Masci
I want to be famous for harmonies and melodies
For what makes your foot infinitely tap
For what makes you want to keep singing along
I want to be famous for a song
Cameron Mory
The pitch will remember my name.
Ninety minutes of sweat and effort.
That’s all I have to make my impression.
To the onlookers, the ball is king,
But to the field, my feet are alive.
I exist,
Blood, sweat, and tears,
From hours of hard work.
The fans may cheer me while I play,
But the field will remember me after everyone has gone home.
Heather Murphy
My friend’s effortless smile is famous to my own. This poem asserts these same feelings. It sheds light on the little moments that make life so precious– little moments that define my life.
Samantha Otten
…Push for greatness
Push for success
Accomplish the goal
No matter the stress
My advice to you?
Follow your heart
And you’ll pull through
Sarah Pullara
I would like to be remembered as a generous and caring person. I would like to be that person who “has your back.” To the chef, the oven mitt that protects from scorching heat – to the cyclist, the helmet that protects in the event something goes wrong. In general, I would like to be someone who is there for my friends, and I hope to be remembered as that.
Roshi Roy
To be famous, as Nye describes it, is not about glitz and notoriety. Even though the dictionary lists the literal meaning of famous as “notable to many,” a small picture in a wallet may have great meaning to the owner of the wallet and to few others. The poet exemplifies that a typical, average person may mean the whole world to someone else.
Alyssa Sargent
One team, one meet
One race, one lap
The four by four hundred:
A race of hope, struggle, effort
I want to be famous
To my team
Julie Scesney
Everything in life is famous to something, if only for a moment. The penny is famous to the boy who turns it over so that it is facing up. The “heads up” penny is famous to the girl who remarks about her luck in finding such a treasure.
Hannah Shaffer
Though the river may be viewed by spectators as merely running water, the fish knows the river as opportunity. The average person may not view a dress shoe as illustrious, but the floor cherishes the unique sound of each heel. Just as “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” fame is characterized by the perceiver.
Stephanie Sjaastad
I want to be famous
For making a difference
Planting a footprint
So the world knows
That I was here
Amanda Soliman
Fame is a gift.
And, like all gifts, it comes at a price.
To be famous is to open up the doors of my life to the world.
But in my life there is only so much room to spare.
Alexandra Tendler
People become famous by influencing their surroundings, peers, and families. The line from the poem discussing photographs describes the importance a small portrait can have to the ones we love. A person may never recognize his own fame, but through this poem, the reader becomes alert to the fact that everyone can be famous for something sincere and remarkable that he provides to others.
Anna Travers
I want to be the doorframe,
A strong, stable hickory
That will withstand all disasters
And attacks,
That will still remain after the storm has passed
I want to be the doorframe
Airy and inviting on a hot summer’s day
A familiarity, a constant
A safe haven from whatever troubles
You most.
Carlie Trentacosti
I want to be the one who is remembered
Not for singing or dancing
But because I never forgot that I could make a difference.
Jessica Troy
In this poem the poet remarks that everyday items, animals, or places can be famous, such as a river to a fish or a tear to a cheek. She recognizes that no matter how insignificant the person, place, or thing may seem, it can be prominent in its own environment. Everything is famous to something.
Patricia Wilcox
The pulley and the buttonhole work in small ways to make significant improvements in everyday life. We only become conscious of these improvements when they are acknowledged. To become famous is not to become wildly popular; rather it is to develop a self-confidence that emanates from within. This is where potential dwells and motivates an individual to flourish.
Corinne Winters
…I want to be famous like a rainbow
Radiating promise after an implacable storm.
I want to famous as a single voice is to the vast mountain valley,
Not because it resonates as the only sound present,
But because it echoes.
