Answer either or both:
1. Compare the poem "The Genetics of Leaving" and its treatment of the matters of language and memory with any other text read in this class.
2. Choose a favorite poem and try to pinpoint what interests you in it and how does the work on language contribute to enhance your attention.
3. Listen here to Etheridge Knight, research, and speculate on the operation of imitation or parody that Barbosa is doing in her "Welcome Back": https://soundcloud.com/robert-elijah-nesbitt/welcome-back-mr-knight-love-of
Here is the link to the author's page: https://www.shaunabarbosa.com/
Etheridge Knight’s poem “Welcome Back, Mr K. / Love of My Life” displays a rare earnestness and blunt vulnerability, the kind of attitude that allows other people to feel comfortable, in turn, to pour their hearts out as well without fear of being judged. At least, this is how Shauna Barbosa’s poem could be interpreted: she references Knight’s poem in order to ponder on her own vices, passions and general inner turmoil, in a way that feels as if she were responding to him directly.
ReplyDeleteThe poetical form chosen by Knight, quite rhythmical and reminiscent of oral tradition, is perfect in evoking the frantic pace of an inner monologue, as there are many pauses, created through the constant graphical elements of hyphens and slashes, and many repetitions, notably, the interrogative word ‘how’, and the syntagm ‘welcome back Mr K.’. Because of these characteristics, the poem could be easily customisable by everyone, by means of inserting, so to say, their own grievances. By operating precisely in this way, Barbosa manages to write a poem that is as deeply personal and vulnerable as Knight’s own was, all the while using a borrowed structure from him. She changes some elements, for example, the recurring phrase “ Gotta / watch / out for the Ol’ Liver” is made into “Gotta / watch / out for the Ol’ Lesson”, with some deriving parodic effects as in the verse “you / are / pickling / your lesson”, which is derived from Knight’s “you / are / pickling / your liver”.
In stating what weighs on her mind, Barbosa chooses blunt words and images that can be at times ironic and light-hearted “How’s your small breast problem? – you might buy some titties problem?”, and at times very dark “How’s your used to / write / that boy in jail / until he got shot & killed problem?”. The author is drastically honest with herself and the reader about all of what she is going through, examining every part of herself, but in doing so she does not seem to ever display self-pity or resignment - on the contrary, it is a wry and courageous poem, therefore referencing Knight not only by imitating the form of his poem, but also by capturing his unapologetic attitude.
One of my favorite poems is “Let.” What first caught my attention was the poem’s use of ellipsis and repetition. The first “let” is elided. This allows the poem to pull you right in from the start because it opens abruptly with the lowercase phrase “my father be a pregnant palm,” which is then followed by “Or Cesária Évora’s voice.” Beginning with “or” creates the impression that we are entering an ongoing thought process. The speaker appears to be searching for the right image, considering different possibilities. This creates a sense of flow and makes the poem feel more spontaneous. What I find to be interesting is that the fifth line starts with “and” which comes off as a nice contrast to the “or” of the second line.
ReplyDeleteAs the poem progresses, the repeated phrase “let him be” acquires an almost chant-like quality. The poem also gains more traction and certainty. The second stanza opens with the following lines: “Let him be an instrument / in a jazz song: trombone, bass, and snare.” I find that these lines help the poem accelerate through the enjambment and punctuation. Then these flowing lines are followed by a line in which “let” is elided again. This creates a very strong impact.
The third stanza is probably my favorite one because with the omission of “let” one can interpret the lines “Be a dancer, be a volcano with good intentions. / Be thousands of drums shipped to Cape Verde” as imperatives as well. They could be directly addressing the father, but they could also be addressing the reader.
I also found the gradual transition throughout the poem to be quite interesting: the first two stanzas concern the father, then the third one is somewhat depersonalized, and in the last one, there is an inversion of sorts – “Let the sky be my father on his knees / Let the sun be my father” – before the closing lines which come to concern the lyrical subject: “let me be the words he holds tight.”