Analysis Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis Paper 1 - Essay Example THESIS STATEMENT The lines of the poem, ‘Eating Poetry’ by Mark Strand, do not fall into conventional schemes of logical thought process; it is bizarre, yet there are layers of interpretations and intercepts that can be formed from striking metaphors, paradoxical lines and conflicting concepts inherent within the poem. With this concern, this essay intends to analyze the poem, ‘Eating Poetry’ at length and confront the idea of the poet, operating behind the poem at a comprehensive level. EATING POETRY: ANALYSIS The poem, ‘Eating Poetry’ indicates immense love of the poet, for poetry. It is expressed in a bizarre way, but there is a strong sense of desperation inherent within the tone of the poet. Poet wants to express that poetry is not always about the ability to express the meaning inherent within it; far beyond the expression and understanding of meaning of a poem, lays its real essence, the language, choice of words, its symphony and its met er. All these elements get lost and subverted in understanding the real meaning of poetry at times. A poet is able to find extraordinary ideas through looking or gazing at ordinary things. A dog or a piece of log, a bizarre and not so attractive librarian who is very much confused, can also become the subject of his poetry, being the pivot or the central thought of the poem like one in ‘Eating Poetry’ (Slaughter, â€Å"Eating Poetry†). At the outset, the poetry begins with a stark indication that it is consuming the poet entirely or it can indicate that the poet is gobbling poetry like a hungry man and ‘Ink runs from the corners of my mouth’. Next in the poem, comes the bizarre and clumsy portrait of the librarian who has nothing logical to follow through the first paragraph of the poem. It is evident that the librarian is sad and under the hue of dim light with all the oddities around the queue for poetry gets lost and cannot, anymore find a concret e expression (Slaughter, â€Å"Eating Poetry†). The presence of dogs and their coming up from the basement might irritate or make the librarian feel awkward, but then the dogs are also viewed to be the integral part of the poem. Very few poets, like the poet of ‘Eating Poetry’, would be able to include even a dog into the scheme of thought process inherent in the poetry. The description of the dogs and the metaphors used to express them are also remarkable. The blond feet of the dogs seem burning that makes the librarian feel more distressed, stamping her feet and sobbing in depression (Slaughter, â€Å"Eating Poetry†). Next, the poem reaches the height of awkwardness, when the poet starts behaving like a dog, gets down on his knees and starts licking the hands of the librarian who scream in awe and fear. And the poem ends with self evaluation of the poet as a new man who engages himself behind the librarian snarling and licking her hands, which gives him an inner joy and makes him lost himself in the darkness of the books. The transition of the poet into a dog seems quite symbolic. The loyalty and faithfulness, which can be expected from a dog often misses in a man. Therefore, there might be a clear indication from the poet’