Original poem reprinted online here: "Advice from the Experts" by Bill Knott Originally read: April 25, 2013 More information about the Poet: Bill Knott Perspective and expectation. Already from the title, the focus is on the "experts," but the perspective and expectation change with each line. "I lay down in the empty street and parked" here the perspective is from the speaker but note how simple the line is. If it wasn't for the verb "lay" the sentence is as innocuous as an everyday conversation. But since the speaker is laying down in (not "on") the street, the verb already sets up a difference in levels. "My feet against the gutter's curb while from" This is more of a direct visual cue. Duh, right? The set up though doesn't create a sense of symbolic urgency for me though. Yes, a person laying down in the street with a feet against the gutter isn't normal, but it isn't the focus. My focus is ...
Formerly the RetailMFA, This is the Poetry Blog of Darrell Dela Cruz