DDCPoetry

Original poem reprinted online here:   "A Conceit" by Rae Armantrout Originally read: October 30, 2013 More information about the Poet: Rae Armantrout I looked up all the definitions of conceit before reading this poem.  I've read and analyzed quite a few Rae Armantrout poems over the past year, and I always noticed in her work the way she uses multiple definitions of the word, but in a simple backdrop situation so, theoretically, the scene  defines the word in an interesting way. Note that this poem is separated in three parts in which each section uses a different technique: narrative, lyric, definition. Narrative: This portion flows between a conversation between two anchors about how "viewers might enjoy tomorrow."  This is the conceit, fanciful notion device that opens up the idea for the anchor, but . "One says, 'Get some great....', but / that seems a stretch."  Who is judging this aspect? It seems to be the other who "snickers, mea...

Original poem reprinted online here:  " Djinn" by Rae Armantrout Originally read: October 28, 2013 More information about the Poet: Rae Armantrout I'm still not sure what Djinn means to this poem except being ethereal.  And a poem starting with the word "ethereal" or anything that has to do with transparency does show it's hand towards an unveiling.  Here, Djinn is so rooted as a character that I didn't think about the make-up of the character until the end...just how the character relates.       Haunted,  they say, believing      the soft, shifty      dunes are made up      of false promises. The set up is not the false promises -- but who "they" are.  From this point on there is something missing, but states a heavy impact. In this case the idea of 'Haunted" is tied with the descriptors of "soft, shifty dunes" and all together this is more or less a symbol of false promises, but from what perspective?...

Original poem reprinted online here:    "Double" by Rae Armantrout Originally read: October 9, 2013 More information about the Poet: Rae Armantrout From the outset the form is duplicated.  Superficial, yes.  But when a poem starts out with "Double" there is an expectation of something either is added or is duplicated.      So these are the hills of home.  Hazy tiers      nearly subliminal.  To see them is to see      double, hear bad puns delivered with a wink.      And untoward familiarity Past me noted things like "duplicitous housing?  Multiples of the same thing?" And after reading this stanza, not so much this.  This stanza is focusing on the interpretation of the "hills" which are of home and so the see the signifier is a match to the idea of bad puns -- as though we are forced to understand the same meaning. The untoward familiarity line plays with the idea of motion.  This li...

Original poem reprinted online here:   "The Way" by Rae Armantrout Originally read: September 4, 2013 More information about the Poet:   Rae Armantrout Past me wrote, "connected" a lot on the page and pointed in various stanzas to show which sentiment connects to another.  How about this.  Each sentence plays with memory and how the speaker remembers things; furthermore, the line breaks creates a fracture of what is remembered and what is expected. "Card in pew pocket / announces, / "I am here." I feel this sentence plays with the idea of existence.  And in a funny way, the card itself announces it's existence, rather than what the card represents (religion, god, projected self -- take your pick) "I made only one statement / because of a bad winter."  Past me did a diagram focused on the phrase "one statement" does that mean there are more than one for different seasons.  The sentence is constructed in this way where the reason...

Original poem reprinted online here: "My Apocalypse" by Rae Armantrout Originally read: February 28, 2013 More information about the Poet: Rae Armantrout  "My" such a personal word, next to "Apocalypse" which is a bit epic.  However, look at the weight of the words.  "Apocalypse," at least to me, is interesting as a concept, but that's just it -- a concept; meanwhile, the "my" brings in a personal interpretation of the term "Apocalypse."  So there's an expectation set -- well a weird one actually.  Satire, "My Apocalypse is my ipod doesn't work," deeply personal and sincere, "My Apocalypse is <insert excruciatingly painful childhood/teenage/adult/old person experience here (yes, an apocalypse over a lifetime)>"; however, this poem explores the idea of apocalypse on a personal level. Starting off with the first stanza where a woman from the outside asks about the speaker's own Apocalyps...

Original poem reprinted online here:  Advent by Rae Armantrout Originally read: December 1, 2012 More information about the Poet:  Rae Armantrout So the last comment I wrote cut off at the end, "This poem packs a lot of 'choose your own' dichotomey [sic] choice meanings in such a short poem and yet is really clever."  I don't know what this sentence means either. Anyway, the usage of sequence is interesting in this poem -- most of my notes try to figure out how sequence works effectively in the poem.  First, the idea of Advent, being a religious season of waiting for Jesus to arrive, starts off the poem.  Then the continuous images of threes (which is parallel to the holy trinity [or that's where my mind goes because of religious reasons]). Stanza One: mother, baby, sheep Stanza Two: sky, god, girl Stanza Three: thing (close to nothing), fatherless (not really a noun, but stands alone for attention), everything So this poem hinges on the direct statement in st...