On Grief and Reason- Sophia Haddox
When articles and essays advance it can be assumed that the thesis is implied or simply laced throughout the body implying some prophetic meaning. However, in Joseph Brodsky's, "On Grief and Reason", it is obvious that the author has one goal he will work to achieve, "I am about to put forth my views and opinions about the lines without any concern for academic objectivity, and some of these views will be pretty dark... I am going to to try to sell him to you as he is...". There are blatant persuasive intentions listed immediately as the audience embarks on Brodsky's work- these intentions quickly transition into action as Brodsky explains and deconstructs the meaning behind Frost's famous poem "Come In". He starts by explaining the difference between American and English authors and how concise yet impactful American poets and literature can be. This persuades any American reader to appreciate Frost because they enjoy his "apple pie" persona. Once Brodsky starts to unpack the meaning behind each word, meter, and punctuation mark it demonstrates the complexity and darkness Frost so effortlessly wrote with. Brodsky then guides the reader to another complex and layered poem, "Home Burial" breaking down its Greek allusions and how Frost spun these ancient stories into modern and realistic situations. Another remarkable and notable persuasive tactic used by Brodsky is the way in which he breaks down rhythm, monosyllables, iambic meter, and other non verbal methods of conveying a message. Brodsky only further develops Frost as a genius for his incredible use of carefully selected ingredients used in the poem and mixing them into the perfect balance of creative language and meaning while staying structurally technical. This balance is something Brodsky continues to elaborate on for the remainder of the essay and he explains Frost's balance between character and narrator only furthering the audience's love and appreciation for the intricate and technical work used by Frost in his writing.
I like the way he is direct with what he means in his interpretations and uses tons of textual evidence, obviously, to hold up those interpretations. It amazes me how deep one can go with interpreting and making sense out of something. I like how you added in the "apple pie" and mixing of ingredients from the article to your response. I love the way that it is used.
ReplyDeleteI like this idea about balance between the "technical" and the "creative." I think that's what defines effective writing of all kinds. I also think good poetry achieves this. There is always some amount of "artifice" as well as inspiration. I am always amazed by how Brodsky can see both elements so clearly and how they converge.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to read poetry as emotional, yet so planned. The best aspect of Brodsky's article was how he was able to demonstrates Frost's ability to make technical decisions in order to provoke an emotional response. I love the way you break down Brodsky's perspective because it also illustrates his calculated choices when writing his essay. After all, Frost is writing to provoke emotion by using certain elements of literature, but so is Brodsky as he attempts to persuade the reader of the correct understanding.
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ReplyDeleteWith the background of Latin, understanding and finding the Greek allusions came easier for me--I assume it did the same for you. Brodsky's ability to unpack Frost's work and sort it is amazing; that's something I hope I can learn to do soon! I agree with B's statement that Frost is an "apple pie" poet, but in the essay there was no true definition of what an American poet is, which frustrated me.
I like the idea of Frost having to balance the roles of "character and narrator," especially if you believe that a poet's characters are an embodiment of themselves in thought and action, because then Frost must think about how he is presenting a representation of himself to a wider audience. How does he prefer to present a curt, "so it goes" version of himself compared to a frantic, "in the past" one in a poem like "Home Burial"? How important is the narration in our view of these characters, and is there a purpose in the differing presentations?
ReplyDeleteYou captured the darkest element of the two Frost poems which Brodsky analyzes, and that is how effortlessly Frost constructs these poems. The majority opinion among these blogs is that the events of the poems do reflect Frost's life, and for him to be able to tinker with such horrible events is what makes Brodsky consider him to be "terrifying."
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