The strange thing about this collection of poetry is that it reads more like a novel. After each poem, the subsequent one would contain just a bit more clarity than the last, and force you to read on till the end; the reader slowly enters Nye’s world and comes to understand it. The introduction places this world into a perspective that is traceable and realistic. I think that students would get pulled in by the shock value of dating this introduction at September 11th, 2001.
Though the text is incredibly playful and saccharine, it is also incredibly heart wrenching and serious at times. The first line that staggered me was from a poem called “Biography of an Armenian Schoolgirl.” This line in particular speaks to injustice: “What is the history of Europe to us if we cannot choose our own husbands?” The merit of this collection, in my eyes, is that it would be an incredible jumping off point for some serious discussion. Since the media all too often portrays the Middle East as a place of constant despair, a war zone, or a wasteland, poetry about a family sitting down enjoying amazing food shines so much light on the way things could be there, the way families ought to live and prosper with freedom.
One possible objection I might pose to this book is merely a supposition that couldn’t be verified without a classroom, and it is this: the poems might offer little sense of “truth” or “meaning” to a young reader. I know that this is a constant battle with literature, and even more so with poetry – the need for finality or sense of accomplishment or acquisition. One solution to this (possible) problem is to have a short unit on Walt Whitman. Whitman’s poetry often relies on nouns or noun phrases, a series of pictures that the reader must soak up, internalize, and make sense of on their own with little guidance from the poet. I strongly believe that Nye’s poetry is very similar.
An example is taken from the poem “For the 500th Dead Palestinian, Ibtisam Bozieh.” It reads “Dead at 13, for staring through the window into a gun barrel which did not know you wanted to be a doctor.” A solemn and dreadful line that sits all by itself within a poem of death and despair. Is there actually a point to this poem? Is there one message that the author is trying to get across? I believe the answer is no, for there are as many interpretations and emotional responses as there are potential readers.
Ultimately what I take from this volume is a stifled cry for peace, a message that tugs on the heartstrings of readers. The most powerful poem is “Jerusalem Headlines 2000.” It talks about how a top Israeli official merely “hints” at peace while the poet writhes in anger, wishes the official would “sing it loudly” or “chant from the top of the wall.” Each individual character in the volume has enormous potential and lust for life, but there is always something holding them back. Nye is very good at eliciting that emotional response I talked about earlier through showing the reader, through their mind’s eye, that this turmoil and despair are very real and dauntingly present in the everyday lives of the people who must put up with it.
The single most appealing part of Nye’s poetry is the resonance, lasting calm, and pensiveness that occurs when I read the last word in a section. There are usually more questions than answers when finishing one of her poems, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think if a poet reveals too much, demands too much direction or attention from his or her readers, much opportunity for positive reflection is lost.
Jon, that's interesting that you described this collection of poems as reading like a novel. While I think that Nye's ordering of the poems was strategic and well done, I didn't feel like it was always moving in the same direction. At times, I felt like a poem problematized an earlier poem rather than moving forward in one direction throughout the whole collection.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that we both focused on the line about a girl not being able to choose her husband in "Biography of an Armenian Schoolgirl." I think that we, as readers, consider this as injustice but I think teachers need to be careful so that we don't offend students who might come from cultures where arranged marriages are common and accepted. I agree that this can be a great jumping-off point for a discussion, but we need to make sure that we're not projecting our views on our students.
I also disagree with you somewhat about the poem, "For the 500th Dead Palestinian Ibtisam Bozieh." I thought it did have a point, which was to memorialize a life lost--a life that could have become a doctor who saves the lives of others, Arabs and Jews alike. I also think that this poem speaks to the power of words because the last line of the poem is, "Some who never saw it will not forget your face." This poem ensures that Ibtisam will not be forgotten because the words will keep her alive as long as someone is reading this poem and remembering her.
I really liked the way you thought to connect Nye's poetry to Walt Whitman. I had not thought of the similarity before, but especially when you write about the "resonance, lasting calm, and pensiveness that occurs when I read the last word in a section," I could definitely see a connection with the (limited number of) poems I've read by Whitman. I think you're right that making a connection to another poet might help students understand and appreciate a writer like Nye.