On Grief and Reason
In his essay “On Grief and Reason,” Joseph Brodsky illustrates how Robert Frost’s poem “Home Burial” is Frost’s best narrative poem, to do this Brodsky illustrates the drama in the poem that is exhibited through the language. Brodsky cites a pas de deux that takes place in the movement of the characters. He references the alliteration of the d’s and t’s that create “the spring in the step.” He goes on to reference the movements of the characters and how the man and the woman travel up and down the stairs. He speaks on how the tension rises and falls between the two as he moves towards her and she moves away. Brodsky’s argument is valid and one can see the truth in it. Reading the poem, it seems more like a story than a poem. As someone who rarely enjoys reading poetry, I enjoyed this one because it was a great tale not just senses of imagery. I was intrigued, but also confused by his claim of Frost being an American poet. I did not understand what Brodsky was defined as American, nor did I understand how Frost completed this definition. This poem led me me to appreciate and begin to understand how meaning is pulled out of the text. I do not quite understand it fully but I am getting there.
This interpretation of the poem is very interesting. Aside from what Brodsky implied, I did not think to connect the feelings and emotions of the characters with their physical movements. I agree that, while intriguing, some of Brodsky's claims are confusing. I also enjoy this poem because of its narrative structure.
ReplyDeleteAddison I love your honesty! I thought I was the only one who had trouble understanding the poem. I also do not like poetry and I would rather someone just come flat out and say what they mean rather than use flowery language and metaphors. I thought you stance on how the poem is more like a story rather than a poem was unique. That thought did not come to me, but as I am looking back I can see it! I like how you took a different route that all the other blog post so far. You really analyzed the work and what the author was trying to illustrate in his essay!
ReplyDeleteI also agree that I found the narrative structure of the poem very interesting and engaging, especially considering Robert Frost's subject matter of the poem and after reading "On Grief and Reason" and beginning to understand Joseph Brodsky's viewpoints on Frost's works. While I do agree that there were points of confusion and a very visible point of bias within Brodsky's text (as was made even more evident to me through reading the blogs of others on this site), there were also points of interest in Brodsky's text that I could find reasonable and well-supported. Furthermore, I also agree that the specific narrative patterns a well-blended efforts of prose and poetry in this works by Frost makes this poem different and even easier to understand, especially with the clear rise-and-fall/climax found in this poem, something that is certainly not common.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of these statements and how everyone realizes how the diction in "Home Burial" is very dark and depressing even for Frost and it makes him seem very similar to Poe and authors with that type of diction. His somber tones and metaphors combined make them similar authors with a strong background and allowed them to having perfected writing styles that make them stand out amongst other authors. Their voice and narration allowed for them to be personal and it allowed for Brodsky to have intertextual connections to all of Frost’s writings and similarities between most of his poems.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting interpretation. Like Gina said I never thought about the character's emotions connecting to their movements. I also agree with you when you said "his poem led me me to appreciate and begin to understand how meaning is pulled out of the text," because at first I did not understand how really pull the meaning out of the text but now it is starting to make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way reading poetry. I would prefer if all poems were more narrative than imagery. It's like appreciating fine art right next door to a Broadway performance or a Hollywood premier. It takes more discipline and requires more refined tastes, but for the most part, I think it is worth it. But the important part of Brodsky's essays were, at least in my opinion, his analysis of line by line. That is what draws us closer to Robert Frost, rather than a new opinion on the art form as a whole.
ReplyDelete