Reading Responses 2/27/11

Chapter 11: Subject

Making the exceptional mundane is one of the techniques discussed in this chapter. Davidson and Fraser give an example in the poem “Bigfoot Stole My Wife”. In this way, the poet talks about how his wife left him, but in a creative and almost humorous way. I really think this is interesting and fun to read and write. The next technique was The Magical Realist approach. This is something that I would be more likely to try while I’m writing. One of my favorite poets, Emily Dickenson, has a poem featured in this chapter. In her poem, she compares death to someone picking her up in a carriage. Carriage rides are typically thought of as romantic; so this comparison is really unique, unexpected, and ingenious in my opinion. I would like to try this with a topic such as love—writing about it different way as to break away from the typical or expected. I think this is something that I really should focus on in the future because I tend to use language that is too flowery and definitely expected from the nature of the topic that I would happen to be writing on.

Evening

I like the line breaks in this poem. They are kind of sharp and unexpected but the way the lines are double layered is appealing. This poem is about a father and son sitting down for dinner after gardening. I have read it a couple of times now and really cannot find a deeper meaning in the poem. I think it is simply about a father and son who work together and the day is ending. I found it odd, though, that the salad that the pair eats is only made of green vegetables and the father uses ketchup as dressing, which is rather gross. Then the boy is writing a post card to his mother. From the tone of the poem, I first assumed that the mother had left the boy and his father. The second time I read it though, I realized that postcards are what people send when they themselves leave. It’s very possible that I’m reading into the language a little too much there, but still it’s an idea. In all honesty though, I have had a very hard time deciphering what this poem really all boils down to.