Critique 4: The Day Lady Died

The Day Lady Died by Frank O'Hara does not appear to be a typical elegy.  If you do not read into the poem, it basically describes the narrator's day.  At a closer look, you can tell that the poem is about something more important.  The last sentence of the second to last stanza, as well as the last stanza are filled with a sense of panic and drama.  Even so, I never would have guessed that the poem is an elegy about Billie Holiday.  Once you figure this out, the poem's meaning is elevated.  It is no longer simply a narrator recounting the events of his day.  Despite the elegy's famous and unattainable subject, the poet uses realistic language.  The lines, "and I am sweating a lot by now and thinking of / leaning on the john door in the 5 spot," reveal the physical and mental state of the narrator.  This realistic way of writing invites the reader to experience the narrator's feelings in the poem.

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critique 3: tattoo

"Tattoo" by Ted Kooser

On the surface, this poem describes a elderly man with a tattoo looking at tools at a yard sale.  However, there is more to the story.  Kooser uses language that is simple and clear, but also elegant, to describe the man.  The reader first sees the old man with a tattoo that has faded into a bruise.  The poem reveals a glimmer of his past life.  It is obvious that he was once a very tough man. So tough, in fact, that his tattoo depicts "a dripping dagger held in the fist of a shuddering heart."  The intensity of this image, along with the personification of vanity punching him in the spot of his tattoo, suggests that he may possibly regret the selfishness of his younger ways.  But he also misses it.  He wears a "tight black shirt/rolled up" because of his yearning for the return of his youth.  The last image of the poem is of the man's heart.  It has "gone soft and blue with stories." The poet cleverly brings together the imagery of the man's old and weak heart and his faded tattoo.  It tells that what was once strong and vibrant turns feeble and forlorn.

Exercise 2: Syllabic poetry

under the 

crippling bridge 

laughter lies

the heart broke

n’ shambles

of the night

before last

when broken

bottles tipped

resting in

rainbow shards

catch the light

glistening 

among the 

lifeless rocks

sinking slow

into the 

rusty river 

Critique 2: Metro Station

In the Station of the Metro

“The apparition of these faces in the crowd; petals on a wet, black bough.” 

Each time I read this poem, I enjoy it.  Though it gives off a sad feeling, it also creates an artistic image.  I picture an abstract painting, with petal-like faces and a blurry metro passing by.  The relation of the people in the metro to petals adds to the poetic feel.  By adding nature to a manmade place lacking in nature, Pound creates contrast. This poem is only one line, but it still draws the reader into one specific image.  I feel like I’m back in Paris, standing on the platform in the metro. The word “apparition” adds to the mystery of the poem.  It brings to mind ghost and holograms, things both blurry and fake. Standing on that platform, I feel alone though in a crowded metro station.  

Critique 1: Mallarme

"It is the job of poetry to clean up our word-clogged reality by creating silences around things." -Stephen Mallarme 

This quotation may only be one sentence but it is powerful. The adjective "word-clogged" is a clever combination that makes the reader think.  He could have written a whole sentence explaining that the world is full of an excessive amount of words, but instead he narrowed it down to one word.  The personification of poetry gives it a larger importance, highlighting its place in the sentence.  In this sentence, poetry has a job, it cleans, and it creates silences. This quotation could have more than one meaning.  The author is probably pointing out the peacefulness of poetry. Its simple language gives people a break from the "word-clogged reality." However, I think poetry should evoke an array of emotions such as excitement, fear, or sadness.  "Silences" contradict the loudness of emotions one often feels when reading something that a provokes strong feelings. 

a poem is a machine

“A poem is a small or large machine made out of words.” -William Carlos Williams

life is a mighty machine raging forward

the delays and pauses are unnumbered 

the rush, the hurried moments

the vacant smiles of passing strangers- 

man is a clever machine always moving

thoughts and emotions are prevalent 

the glee, the overwhelming joy

the sadness and anger of an average life

a poem is a small or large machine 

taking life’s words and repositioning 

the emotions, the troubling feelings

someone’s private thoughts and situations