On Grief and Reason - Rileigh Smirl
In this essay, Joseph Brodsky takes readers through his exploration of poet Robert Frost's life and two of his most famous poems. Brodsky believes there is darkness accompanied by lyrical language and creative narrative story-telling present in both of these poems that he demonstrates represent different ideas individually, but both contribute to his beliefs about Frost. He supports this argument by taking readers through "Come In" and "Home Burial" line by line, examining what each word means individually and then looking at how all of Frost's word choices and symbols come together to create meaning.
The most interesting part of the way Brodsky creates this essay is in how he equates "Home Burial" to a "Greek drama." He describes every facet of the poem in this manner, from the characters becoming "actors" to the "arena reduced to a staircase," which is the setting for "Home Burial." From this passage that serves as the beginning of Brodsky's analysis of the poem, the reader is intrigued as to how this poem fits that analogy and the meaning Brodsky will derive from it. Through his deep analysis of every single line of both poems, Brodsky allows readers to view Frost's works in a way they may never have before, which carries all the way to the end of the essay. Brodsky recognizes the dark undertones present in this poem, but parallels the poem with the darkness of the poet. Through giving Frost's "utterly American" autonomic way of writing an origin in an author being shunned and neglected by his own characters, Brodsky gives the poem life outside of what Frost gave it. Now, Frost's diction is not simply a rhetorical device, but a way of writing that is ingrained in Frost's dark personality and forced upon him by his own works. Even if one had read both of these poems and developed entirely different ideas for their meaning, Brodsky simply places his ideas in the minds of readers, never forcing them into believing what he has set forth, but making it so convincing and clear it is hard not to agree.
The most interesting part of the way Brodsky creates this essay is in how he equates "Home Burial" to a "Greek drama." He describes every facet of the poem in this manner, from the characters becoming "actors" to the "arena reduced to a staircase," which is the setting for "Home Burial." From this passage that serves as the beginning of Brodsky's analysis of the poem, the reader is intrigued as to how this poem fits that analogy and the meaning Brodsky will derive from it. Through his deep analysis of every single line of both poems, Brodsky allows readers to view Frost's works in a way they may never have before, which carries all the way to the end of the essay. Brodsky recognizes the dark undertones present in this poem, but parallels the poem with the darkness of the poet. Through giving Frost's "utterly American" autonomic way of writing an origin in an author being shunned and neglected by his own characters, Brodsky gives the poem life outside of what Frost gave it. Now, Frost's diction is not simply a rhetorical device, but a way of writing that is ingrained in Frost's dark personality and forced upon him by his own works. Even if one had read both of these poems and developed entirely different ideas for their meaning, Brodsky simply places his ideas in the minds of readers, never forcing them into believing what he has set forth, but making it so convincing and clear it is hard not to agree.
Brodsky doesn't seem to try to persuade the readers; he only states his ideas in a convincing way. He analyses it by focusing on the psychology behind the way Frost writes which is why he easily hits on the dark undertones.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about Brodsky's viewpoints. They are presented so sensibly that they made me read back over the two poems and, although his analysis wasn't far from mine, it was certainly interesting to tie together every line with its individual purpose.
ReplyDeleteI like how you picked up on the comparison that Brodsky draws between the poem and a dramatic scene. Viewing the poem in that manner makes it come alive; it gives the poem three dimensions to work in. I am not sure if it is more impressive for Frost to have created it, or for Brodsky to have picked up on it and explained it the way he did.
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