On Monday we read two poems, "We Are Seven" and "Ode to the Table" where I think the concept of magic was brought into poetry. "Ode to the table" reminded me of the Disney movie "Beauty and the Beast". There was a scene where Beauty was in the kitchen with normal, standard kitchen tools and supplies. Although the toaster, teapot, candle, etc, looked the same as what many others have in their kitchen, they were far from original. The magic gave them life, and more meaning which allowed them to be and do so much more. That same supernatural magic allowed the table to be much more as well. It became much more than just a piece of furniture, but "a trustworthy titanic quadrupeds, that sustain our hopes and daily life".
In the poem, "We Are Seven", magic overpowered science. Scientifically speaking, once you pass away, you aren't really counted anymore. Your physical presence is nonexistence to the world. The little girl though did not follow that "status quo" and kept her two siblings "here", despite them dying. She claimed that they were very well here just underground, ignoring the idea that that normally means they aren't here. By keeping their spirits alive she essentially kept them alive. The idea of a soul still living without the body is against the basic principles of science. In my opinion, that is where the magic happens which is very similar to what happens in Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Lamar, I have to agree with you about the Beauty and Beast analogy. I feel like each poem has inanimate objects that are personified and eventually become the main characters as well. What makes poetry so interesting is that even though we may believe certain objects, such as a candlestick are not animated the use of the context of the objects allows the reader to believe that they are truly animated.
ReplyDeleteHi Lamar,
ReplyDeleteYour pop culture references are humorous and helps me better understand your interpretations of the poems. I liked what you said about the poem "We Are Seven" -- "By keeping their spirits alive she essentially kept them alive." Although this is considered a supernatural element, I feel as though many people still do similar rituals today. They keep mementos of their loved ones and share stories of the deceased to keep their presence alive.
To reference Banksy, a unknown graffiti artist that is best known for his political satire activism through street art, "I mean, they say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time."