DDCPoetry

Original poem reprinted online here: "On. On. Stop. Stop" by Saskia Hamilton Originally read: March 1, 2013 More information about the Poet: Saskia Hamilton The punctuation in the title foreshadows something in the poem, but taken by itself, the title seems too post modern.  A period after each word -- why should I pause after each word, and why is does the title have repetition of "on" and "stop"?  I think, at first, the title didn't make me hopeful.  The contents and technique in the poem though brought me in. The first sentence plays with the idea of the present and the past: "In the old recording of the birthday party, the voices of the living and the dead instruct twelve absent friends on the reliable luxury of gratitude" Past me wrote in the box to remind myself that "this poem is viewed in the now."  And at first, I wondered who are these dead people?  Why are some guests absent?  I think this is important to note about this ...

Original poem reprinted online here: "Westman Island" by Rebecca Farivar Originally read: February 22, 2013 More information about the Poet: Rebecca Farivar The poem works through breaks in the scene.  I wrote on my labels "fourth wall."  I think most poems (and fiction) have to play with the idea of the suspension of disbelief -- that the reader will follow along with the conceit of the poem (or story) until the end and gain something from the reading experience. So the lines that does creates this break, "Let me be clear / this is not a dream" initiates a sort of dilemma. 1) Should I take what the speaker says as the "truth" -- or the set up of a the unreliable narrator.  2) Why break the forth wall to confirm the poem is not a dream? I guess the answer to number 2 is that there should be a visceral sense about killing puffins or to let the reader know that the technique to killing puffins is real. Or maybe, rather than being emotionally vested...