'Things' by Lisel Mueller
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What happened is, we grew lonely
living among the things,
so we gave the clock a face,
the chair a back,
the table four stout legs
which will never suffer fatigue.
We fitted our shoes with tongues
as smooth as our own
and hung tongues inside bells
so we could listen
to their emotional language,
and because we loved graceful profiles
the pitcher received a lip,
the bottle a long, slender neck.
Even what was beyond us
was recast in our image;
we gave the country a heart,
the storm an eye,
the cave a mouth
so we could pass into safety.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Things by Lisel Mueller: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Wow, what a poem! Have you ever read something that just hits you right in the gut? That's how I felt when I read Lisel Mueller's "Things". It's a poem that seems so simple on the surface, but as you dig deeper, you start to see the layers and layers of meaning within it.
Background and Context
First, let's talk a bit about Lisel Mueller. She was a German-born American poet who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1997 for her collection "Alive Together: New and Selected Poems". "Things" is a poem from that collection, and it's one of her most famous works.
The poem itself is only 12 lines long, but each line is packed with meaning. Here's the full text of the poem:
What happened is, we grew lonely living among the things, so we gave the clock a face, the chair a back, the table four stout legs which will never suffer fatigue.
We fitted our shoes with tongues as smooth as our own and hung tongues inside belts so we could sit in comfort.
We lined our eyes with curtains and shut them when we slept. Finally, we wrote so many letters that they became a book.
We no longer wished to be seen and heard, our wants to be exposed, but it was not as easy as we had thought.
Literal Interpretation
So, let's start with a literal interpretation of the poem. At its most basic level, "Things" is a poem about how humans have given life to inanimate objects in order to stave off loneliness. The first two lines make it clear that the speaker and their companions feel lonely living among the things in their home. So, they start to anthropomorphize the objects around them. They give the clock a face, the chair a back, and the table four legs that will never tire.
They even make their own clothing more comfortable by adding tongues to their shoes and belts. They close their eyes at night with curtains, which is a lovely image, and they write so many letters that they become a book. All of these actions are attempts to make their surroundings more human and less lonely.
However, the final lines of the poem indicate that this attempt to give life to the things around them has not been as successful as they had hoped. They no longer wish to be seen or heard, but it's not as easy as they had thought. In other words, they are still lonely, despite their efforts to create a world that is more like them.
Deeper Interpretation
But of course, there's so much more going on beneath the surface of this poem. It's a commentary on the human condition, on our need for connection and companionship. It's about the ways we try to fill the void in our lives, and how those attempts are often ultimately futile.
The poem is also a commentary on our relationship with objects. We live in a world where we are surrounded by things, and we often give those things more importance than they deserve. We anthropomorphize them, we imbue them with meaning, and we use them to fill the gaps in our lives.
But in the end, those things are just things. They can never truly replace human connection, and they can never truly fill the void within us. We can give them faces and backs and legs and tongues, but they will never be human.
Perhaps the most poignant line in the poem is the final one: "it was not as easy as we had thought". It's a reminder that nothing in life is easy, especially when it comes to our relationships with others. We can try to create connections where there are none, but ultimately, those connections may not be enough.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Things" is a beautiful and powerful poem that explores the human need for connection and the ways we try to fill the void in our lives. It's a commentary on our relationship with objects and a reminder that nothing in life is easy.
Lisel Mueller has crafted a masterpiece here, and I hope that this literary criticism and interpretation has helped you appreciate the poem even more. It's a work of art that has the power to move us and make us think, and that's what great poetry is all about.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Beauty of Simplicity: An Analysis of Lisel Mueller's "Things"
Lisel Mueller's poem "Things" is a beautiful and thought-provoking piece that explores the significance of everyday objects and the memories they hold. Through her use of simple language and vivid imagery, Mueller invites readers to reflect on the importance of the seemingly mundane things that make up our lives.
The Power of Objects
The poem begins with the lines "What happened is, we grew lonely / living among the things". These lines immediately set the tone for the rest of the poem, as they suggest that the objects in our lives can have a profound impact on our emotional state. The idea that we can feel lonely even when surrounded by things is a powerful one, and it speaks to the way in which objects can become intertwined with our sense of self.
Mueller goes on to describe a variety of objects, from a teapot to a pair of shoes, and she imbues each one with a sense of significance. For example, she writes that the teapot "sings to us / every morning", suggesting that it has become a comforting presence in the speaker's life. Similarly, the pair of shoes is described as having "carried us / safely through the world", highlighting the role that objects can play in our physical well-being.
The Nostalgia of Memory
As the poem progresses, Mueller delves deeper into the idea of memory and the way in which objects can trigger feelings of nostalgia. She writes that "we miss them most when we leave", suggesting that the objects in our lives become even more important to us when we are separated from them. This idea is further reinforced in the lines "We forget that they are / just things. Underneath them / is a world of connections, / of memories and stories".
Here, Mueller is suggesting that objects are not just physical things, but rather they are imbued with the memories and stories that are associated with them. This is a powerful idea, as it suggests that even the most mundane objects can hold a wealth of meaning and significance.
The Beauty of Simplicity
One of the most striking things about Mueller's poem is the simplicity of her language. She uses short, straightforward sentences and avoids complex metaphors or imagery. This simplicity is part of what makes the poem so powerful, as it allows the objects she describes to speak for themselves.
For example, when she writes about a pair of scissors, she simply says "the scissors / and the old lard can / with its dent from our hammer". These lines are not particularly poetic or flowery, but they are evocative nonetheless. They suggest a sense of familiarity and comfort, as if the speaker is describing objects that are well-worn and well-loved.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Lisel Mueller's poem "Things" is a beautiful and poignant exploration of the significance of everyday objects. Through her use of simple language and vivid imagery, Mueller invites readers to reflect on the role that objects play in our emotional lives and the memories they hold. The poem is a reminder that even the most mundane things can hold a wealth of meaning and significance, and that it is important to cherish the objects that make up our lives.
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