DDCPoetry

Original poem reprinted online here: "The Bear" by Jim Harrison Originally read: October 18, 2013 More information about the Poet: Jim Harrison This poem is a narrative that starts at the speaker then expands outward.  A bear is a bear until it can dream. The poem starts out with the repetition of the "when" phrase, "When my propane ran out / when I was gone and the food / thawed in the freezer I grieved."  Here seems to be the start of an adventure narrative.  The speaker ran out of utilities to survive "propane" "food" and how something thawed.  The tone seems serious enough. "over the five pounds of melted squid, / but then a great gaunt bear arrived / and feasted on the garbage."  Now here's the thing.  The poem turns a bit because of the adjectives used to describe the bear seem a little too overboard, couple this with alliteration and the tone of the poem changes to something a bit more humorous -- especially with th...