Poetry Response 16

The Cuban Doctor

By Wallace Stevens

Poem

The Cuban Doctor is a very good example of a visual poem. As I was reading it, the images it described painted some very clear and imaginative scenes in my head. I always felt Wallace Stevens poems were great when it came to creating visuals so I’m not surprised that this one, although short, created such a stunning image. After I read it a couple times I had come to the assumption that the poem dealt with a man who was experiencing some form of a dream. I also assumed that the Cuban Doctor is the one who’s doing the dreaming in this poem and he’s trying to get away from the Indian for some reason or another. As for the meaning of the poem, if there is any, I haven’t really a clue. I feel like this is just a really nice visual poem dealing with dreams.

Poetry Response 15

The Bronze David of Donatello

By Randall Jarrell

Poem

Jarrell’s poem about Donatello’s David statue was delightful to read if anything. At first I thought it was just going to be another poem that describes a work of art but instead it gives a complete backstory to the meaning and figures depicted in the sculptural work which make it even more mystifying. The description of David Jarrell  has crafted into his poem gives the David a sense of character and strength. The same could also be said for Goliath, who’s just a head and barely dominates the image of the famous sculpture, but Jarrell’s poem gives the once mighty giant the sense that he is still strong even in death. From beginning to end the poem creates such a lively description of the two subjects in Donatello’s sculpture and I feel that with that in mind it is a very good poem.

Poetry Response 14

Musee de Beaux Arts
By W.H.Auden
Poem

The first half of the poem is, to me, a little hard to understand at first. I thought it must be dealing with the subject of ignorance when it comes to suffering but again I’m still a little confused on interpreting it. The second half, however, I found easier to understand. I would assume that it’s easier since it describes what is going on in Brueghel’s painting, The Fall of Icarus. It’s interesting how this portion of the poem seems to capture the attitude of the ploughman depicted in the painting. As Icarus is seen falling into the sea in the background the ploughman is described, in the poem, as being ignorant of the disaster which has taken place behind him as he has more important things to attend to.

Original Poem 11

Oculus

She tore out those useless orbs,
As easy one pulls out a hair,

Wrapped them in cheap satin bows,

Placed them gently into your open hands,

And asked

If you could help her see.

Original Poem 10

Theseus Ship

Stock still

Stood in an empty grocery aisle

Hands clenched tight around a jar of unknown substances

Knuckles flamed red.

What a strange wonder it was

Suddenly, to think at that moment

After I go home and seek slumber
Was I going to wake up

And put on the same face tomorrow?

Original Poem 9

Soul Tango

Connected by a force unseen

Souls twined

Dance in tandem,

A two-manned heart

 Drumming together

Poetry Response 13

Edward Hopper and the House by the Railroad

By Edward Hirsch

Poem

What caught me the most about this poem was not only was it visually stimulating with the large amount of images it brought to mind, but the way in which the poem had managed to give an inanimate object a distinct character and feeling. The poem is really quite successful in creating such an anxious and dark mood. The house, which is the main subject of this poem, is described in such a visually descriptive way which gives it a distinct personality. It is lonely, desolate, and it tries in vain to rid the stare of the man who’s looking at it and trying to paint it. The lines which discuss the man painting the house are also really catching because he is described as relentless as he tries to paint the house and capture its image for what it really is. The emotion and images in this poem are incredibly strong thanks to the clear imagery and imagination  brought forth by Hirsch and I enjoyed reading it.

Poetry Response 12

Ghost in the Land of Skeletons

By Christopher Kennedy

Poem

As a lover of the supernatural I found this poem to be quite a fun read. The subject matter is really interesting because it brings up some cool questions about the body and soul, and the idea of ghosts after life. It’s obvious that the subject in the poem seeks to be free of being stuck in a flesh and bone body. They also think of themself as a ghost and I found it sort of sad but fascinating how it’s almost as if they’re forgetting they’re alive and in a body. They wish to be like the other ghosts who lack a body and bones, free of their fleshy prisons. The structure of the poem makes it feel like a little story and I feel like it adds to the overall idea of the poem in that way. The visual images brought up in the poem are also well done. Bones, flesh, smiles and teeth, it gives a sort of creepy vibe to the poem.

Poetry Response 11

The Parable of the Blind

By William Carlos Williams

Poem

The poem is a really interesting balance between being a literal description of the painting it’s about and also an interpretation of the painting. Williams creates a lyrical sounding poem which adds to the description of the painting its lines entail. Reading the poem out loud, I feel, brings the paintings descriptions to life in a way. The way his stanzas are of an equal amount of lines gives the poem a very orderly and structured look as well. I would love to see what the poem would be like if he changed the amount of lines in each stanza, and maybe even go into further detail about what he sees in the painting. What I find amusing though is how the poem is basically a visual form of how a poet would describe a work of art. Of course a poet wouldn’t give a simple description.