Eating Poetry
Published on Nov 30, 2015
Poetry Assignment
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Born April 11, 1934 in Canada
• Published first book in 1964
• Professor and speaker at many universities
• Died November 29, 2014
Moved to America in early childhood
Formerly a painter at Yale, but later decided to be a poet
Published dozens of poetry collections and novels throughout lifetime
Universities include Yale, Princeton, Harvard
Died at 80 from a cancerous tumor
Formerly a painter at Yale, but later decided to be a poet
Published dozens of poetry collections and novels throughout lifetime
Universities include Yale, Princeton, Harvard
Died at 80 from a cancerous tumor
Stanza 1
- Ink comes from the papers he had been eating
- Elated by this action
- Declares what is going on
1. Shows it is really happening due to visual imagery
They actually love poetry and how it fills them up so much that they revel in the consumption of it
2. Subject: Love and happiness for poetry. Happiness makes people do unpredictable things, and he is really enjoying himself
3. Physically or figuratively eating poetry? Very surreal, leaving it to us to understand if this is real or not
They actually love poetry and how it fills them up so much that they revel in the consumption of it
2. Subject: Love and happiness for poetry. Happiness makes people do unpredictable things, and he is really enjoying himself
3. Physically or figuratively eating poetry? Very surreal, leaving it to us to understand if this is real or not
Stanza 2
- Librarian sees what he is doing
- Looks down upon him or probably herself
- Sulks with hands in pockets
4. Librarian expresses reality of situation, acts as an imposter, because she owns the books, but can't appreciate them like the speaker
5. Finds sadness in realizing how unhappy she is with her life after seeing the happiness of the narrator
6. She walks to provide motion in poem, and move to the next stanza
5. Finds sadness in realizing how unhappy she is with her life after seeing the happiness of the narrator
6. She walks to provide motion in poem, and move to the next stanza
Stanza 3
- There are no more poems for him
- Scene becomes dark
- Dogs come up from basement
7. The poems are gone due to the consumption of them, leading the mood to turn around
8. His prime of happiness is starting to fade away, eating poetry becoming a norm for him
9. The dogs come up from what seems to be an underworld. Dogs might represent author's deep thoughts and feelings coming out from darkness
8. His prime of happiness is starting to fade away, eating poetry becoming a norm for him
9. The dogs come up from what seems to be an underworld. Dogs might represent author's deep thoughts and feelings coming out from darkness
Stanza 4
- Demonic features of dogs
- Librarian frustrated
10. Introduced to the hounds
11. These dogs don't appear to be very friendly, so probably dark thoughts of the speaker
12. Librarian doesn't understand how someone can be so happy, and she is frustrated even more about her feelings
Demonic features of dogs
Librarian frustrated
11. These dogs don't appear to be very friendly, so probably dark thoughts of the speaker
12. Librarian doesn't understand how someone can be so happy, and she is frustrated even more about her feelings
Demonic features of dogs
Librarian frustrated
stanza 5
- Librarian's sadness at its peak
- Speaker seems to become a dog
- Afraid of what is happening
13. Librarian isn't experiencing happiness like the speaker, so she doesn't understand what he is doing
14. Speaker shows how reality is affecting him from the reaction of the librarian
15. She is afraid of things other than reality, because she doesn't understand anything other than it
14. Speaker shows how reality is affecting him from the reaction of the librarian
15. She is afraid of things other than reality, because she doesn't understand anything other than it
Stanza 6
- Poetry transformed him
- United with dogs
- True happiness
16. His happiness transforms his character into something more pleasurable for him
17. Nobody else but him understands this transformation - he becomes united with his thoughts
18. Happiness is mysterious, and author shows how it doesn't have to be in an enlightened speech. He doesn't care what anybody else thinks of him, because he has found true happiness
Bookish dark - still present in library and hasn't left his state of mind
17. Nobody else but him understands this transformation - he becomes united with his thoughts
18. Happiness is mysterious, and author shows how it doesn't have to be in an enlightened speech. He doesn't care what anybody else thinks of him, because he has found true happiness
Bookish dark - still present in library and hasn't left his state of mind
