I am so happy with the poems we have been reading so far this semester. Just had to say it.
In the poems having to do with nightmare magic, I found that my favorites were those that had one magical element that was kept throughout the story. Having only one mystical element left no space for confusion, but most importantly it allowed me to grow close to the element; I felt empathetic towards many of the creatures.
Rachel McKibben's section of Three Wishes-- A Blue Dog-- filled me with emotions. Mainly bad ones. Part of why this worked so well was because of the way the reader began to empathize with the dog as bits of it were ripped away. One can know that the poet has done a good job when the mystical being seems rather normal, when the humans seem animals for licking its fur and dismantling the poor animal's body.
Selachimorpha also was haunting. More so. There are so many horrid events, but at the same time I found myself in awe of the way light images were used throughout. For example: the salt, with sea shells, spilling teams of hermit crabs that scuttle across the floor, and more. Loving those images amongst the tragedy makes me hate myself a little. Maybe that is the point, maybe the little shark-boy hates himself too.
In both of these examples, it is the singularity and the story-telling that allows the mystical to become normal. I seem to find that the more powerful of the two, at least, it is those poems that tug at me a bit more than the others. A single story allows for an intimacy with the character that might be lost if a poem becomes too busy.
I also love the poems this semester so far.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to these two poems, I think they're going to stay with me for a long time, partly because they're so strange but mostly for the messages they convey.
I don't think they would be able to convey their messages so hauntingly if it weren't for the supernatural imagery and metaphors. They wouldn't feel as chilling. Maybe that's the magic in the poems.
Hi Payton,
ReplyDeleteI believe is an ingrained mentality of the human psyche to anthropomorphize animals and objects. I feel like is the only way to emphasize with our creatures of the earth. Because it is impossible to understand how other animals feel, we want to relate them to ourselves in order to make sense of the mysteries. I did not particularly like "Blue Dog" by Rachel McKibbens, mainly because it makes me feel uncomfortable. The only supernatural element seemed to be that there was a blue dog. I found it morbid that people would send back the "two soft blue ears in the mailbox." I don't really understand what it is about, maybe a symbolism for racism.
I believe that the poems we have read thus far are very interesting as well. Part of the reason I say that is mainly because I really like the way the class explores different genres of poetry. Oddly, I find some of the quite disturbing poems with the most imagery to be some of the best poems I have ever read. I would like to read a little bit of Seamus Heaney since he is considered one of the greatest poets to have ever lived.
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