Beginning Again
“If I could stop talking, completely
cease talking for a year, I might begin
to get well,” he muttered.
Off alone again performing
brain surgery on himself
in a small badly lit
room with no mirror. A room
whose floor ceiling and walls
are all mirrors, what a mess
oh my God—
And still
it stands,
the question
not how begin
again, but rather
Why?
So we sit there
together
the mountain
and me, Li Po
said, until only the mountain
remains.
—Franz Wright
What
the
hell?
I have no idea what this poem is trying to tell me. He says ceasing to speak for a year will help him get well. But what is wrong with him? Is he sick? Mentally? Or does he actually have an illness? Then he starts talking about performing brain surgery on himself. Why? Because he feels like he has to do everything himself with no help? That he is on his own for everything? Or is it because he has to reinvent himself? A room with no mirror, so that he cannot do the surgery well, but the room is made of mirrors so that he has to look at himself. It makes me think that he doesn’t like himself and doesn’t want to look at himself, so the mirrors are a bad thing. He asks why he should begin again. Why should he reinvent himself? I don’t think he comes to a conclusion. The last part is what throws me. I have no idea who Li Po is, or what mountain he is talking about. I just don’t get it. This poem just makes me ask questions. I can decide what I want it to mean, but the last part I don’t even know what to decide it means. Therefore after the question why, I give up trying to figure out what it means to me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Has it occurred to you that perhaps there is nothing wrong with the poem, and that the problem is simply: you are, sadly, a little too stupid to comprehend it? That you simply have not read enough to recognize the (to a well read person) very obvious literary echoes and references; and that, generally, your mind is too crude to comprehend the mood of the poem? I think this is conceivable, I wouldn't know--that is my opinion, though.
... Who is this commenting?? who is F.W.???
F.W., this is an AP english blog, not just a blog for fun? She has all the right to criticize the poem, and all the right to voice what part of it she understands and what she doesn't.
so sneck up and get your Troilus away from our Cressida.
(I bet you couldn't tell me what piece of literature that is from or who wrote it or even quite probably what it means)
also
maybe
it would have occured to you
that i am extremely sarcastic
and that this is a school ap english blog.
and the assignment was to analyze and respond to a piece of poetry.
and this is my response
thank you.
ps. this basically made my night
i commend you.
also
who knew Li Po and Li Bai were the same person?
f.w = freaking weirdo
stay off ap english blogs.
stay off THIS AP english blog *.
Post a Comment