Today’s seminar marked the end of our poetry journey. Swathi was first up to finish off the poetry recitations. After reading her poem, Union Square, Professor Kahan asked the class if the reader truly needed to present the poem in a “sing-song” way. After thinking it over, I see that the answer to that question, is no. However, if I was given Swathi’s poem I would have probably read the poem the same way. I imagine that this is due to the many nursery rhymes I have heard since infancy. This is why I think that Swathi read it in a “sing-songy” way. It seems to become natural for our generation to turn things we read into a song. With that said, I have come to the conclusion that a poem’s message, or meaning, is easier to comprehend (at least when listening to it) when there is not a song involved. In the presence of a rhyme scheme, I seem to be taken away by the rhythm of the poem. I become captivated by the author’s word choice and their challenge to make the poem rhyme, rather than focusing on the idea he/she is trying to portray.
Corinna also went today; her poem White Egrets, really appealed to me. Besides the relatable meaning, I loved the analogies the poet used. The first was comparing his typewriter being misplaced as a musician missing his piano. The comparison was so perfect for the way a poet feels about his artistic instrument. The line that states the poet is waiting for the sound of a bird to “unhinge” the beginning of spring also stood out to me. Using something like a bird rather then a clock or a calendar to signal spring is similar to what I feel about the movie “Home Alone” and the holiday season. As soon as I see a commercial for this movie, I feel the traditions of the holidays come to life. However, if that movie (for some odd reason) is being played during the month of May my internal clock seems to be caught off guard. My assumption though, is that the poet was using this bird to represent how much time had passed since his loss.
Looking back on the poems that my fellow classmates and I have presented I see how they personify what New York City represents. In my opinion, it shows that New Yorkers have an open mind about so many aspects of life. This is evident in the multitude of topics that made up our presentations, one day consisted of discussions of Marilyn Monroe and homosexuality while the next was “people watching” on a bus and learning the “Engrish” language. With so many cultures and personalities that make up this city, I should have realized how different these poems would be at the start of our recitations. It is not until now, however, I see that despite these poets inhabiting one region of the world when writing their poems, their topic choices seemed to have no bound.
