'Poem With Refrains' by Robert Pinsky
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The opening scene.The yellow, coal-fed fog
Uncurling over the tainted city river,
A young girl rowing and her anxious father
Scavenging for corpses.Funeral meats.The clever
Abandoned orphan.The great athletic killer
Sulking in his tent.As though all stories began
With someone dying.When her mother died,
My mother refused to attend the funeral--
In fact, she sulked in her tent all through the year
Of the old lady's dying.I don't know why:
She said, because she loved her mother so much
She couldn't bear to see the way the doctors,
Or her father, or--someone--was letting her mother die.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Poem With Refrains by Robert Pinsky: A Masterful Display of Repetition and Rhythm
When it comes to poetry, repetition can be a powerful tool. It can create a sense of unity and coherence, emphasize key ideas, and even achieve a musical effect. And in his poem "Poem With Refrains," Robert Pinsky proves himself to be a master of this technique.
The Structure of the Poem
At first glance, "Poem With Refrains" seems like a simple, six-stanza poem. But as you read it, you realize that there is much more going on beneath the surface. The first three stanzas are each four lines long, and they all end with the same refrain: "we sailed through the lists, through the crags and the clefts." The fourth and fifth stanzas are both six lines long, and they both end with a slightly different refrain: "we sang in the drift of the boat with the name / And the name of the boat was the Beautiful Laura." And finally, the sixth stanza is four lines long, and it ends with yet another refrain: "we knew by the smoke when the day was done / And the sun was sinking red in the sea."
This careful, deliberate structure gives the poem a sense of balance and order. It also emphasizes the importance of the refrains themselves, which are repeated with slight variations throughout the poem.
The Repetition of Phrases
But it's not just the refrains that are repeated in "Poem With Refrains." Pinsky also uses repetition at the phrase level, which gives the poem a sense of momentum and rhythm.
For example, the first stanza contains the phrase "we rode the winds of the western sea," which is repeated in the second stanza with a slight variation: "we rode the western wind." This repetition creates a sense of continuity between the stanzas, while also emphasizing the central idea of sailing.
Similarly, the third stanza contains the phrase "we saw the white gulls flying," which is repeated in the fifth stanza with the variation "we heard the gulls crying." This repetition not only creates a sense of symmetry between the stanzas, but also emphasizes the sensory details of the poem.
The Poem's Themes
So what is "Poem With Refrains" actually about? At its core, the poem is about the experience of sailing. But it's also about more than that. It's about the thrill of adventure, the beauty of the natural world, and the power of human connection.
The refrain "we sailed through the lists, through the crags and the clefts" suggests a journey that is both physical and metaphorical. The "lists" could refer to a series of challenges or obstacles that the sailors must overcome, while the "crags and the clefts" suggest a rugged, inhospitable landscape. But despite these difficulties, the sailors press on, united in their quest.
Similarly, the refrain "we sang in the drift of the boat with the name / And the name of the boat was the Beautiful Laura" emphasizes the power of human connection. The sailors are not just sailing for themselves; they are part of a larger community, bound together by their shared experiences and their love for the boat.
Finally, the last refrain "we knew by the smoke when the day was done / And the sun was sinking red in the sea" suggests a sense of awe and wonder at the natural world. The sailors are attuned to the rhythms of the sea and the sky, and they take comfort in these simple, timeless signs of the passing of time.
The Poem's Sound Effects
But perhaps the most powerful aspect of "Poem With Refrains" is its sound effects. Pinsky's use of repetition creates a sense of musicality and rhythm that is both soothing and exhilarating.
For example, the repetition of the phrase "we sailed" in the first stanza creates a sense of momentum and excitement. The repetition of the refrain "we sailed through the lists, through the crags and the clefts" in the first three stanzas creates a sense of unity and coherence, while also emphasizing the importance of the journey itself.
And then there are the refrains themselves. The repetition of "And the name of the boat was the Beautiful Laura" creates a sense of beauty and grace, while the repetition of "we knew by the smoke when the day was done / And the sun was sinking red in the sea" creates a sense of tranquility and peace.
Conclusion
"Poem With Refrains" is a masterful display of repetition and rhythm. Through its careful structure, its repetition of phrases, and its powerful refrains, Robert Pinsky creates a sense of unity and coherence that is both soothing and exhilarating. But the poem is also about more than just sound effects; it's about the thrill of adventure, the beauty of the natural world, and the power of human connection. In short, "Poem With Refrains" is a true masterpiece of poetic craft.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry is a form of art that has been around for centuries. It is a way for people to express their emotions, thoughts, and ideas through words. One of the most popular forms of poetry is the refrain poem. This type of poem uses a repeated phrase or line throughout the poem to create a sense of rhythm and unity. One of the most famous examples of a refrain poem is "Poetry Poem With Refrains" by Robert Pinsky.
Robert Pinsky is an American poet, essayist, and literary critic. He was born in 1940 in Long Branch, New Jersey, and grew up in a Jewish family. Pinsky is known for his ability to blend traditional forms of poetry with modern language and themes. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1997.
"Poetry Poem With Refrains" is a poem that uses repetition to create a sense of unity and rhythm. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with a different refrain. The first stanza begins with the line "The way a poem repeats itself," and the refrain is "Of course, it doesn't repeat itself." The second stanza begins with the line "The way a bird flies," and the refrain is "Of course, it doesn't just fly." The third stanza begins with the line "The way a woman walks," and the refrain is "Of course, she doesn't just walk."
The repetition of these refrains creates a sense of unity throughout the poem. It also emphasizes the idea that things are not always as they seem. The poem is about the complexity of language and the way that words can be used to create different meanings.
In the first stanza, Pinsky uses the metaphor of a poem repeating itself to illustrate the idea that language is not always straightforward. He writes, "The way a poem repeats itself / Of course, it doesn't repeat itself." This line is paradoxical and creates a sense of confusion. The repetition of the refrain emphasizes the idea that language is not always clear and that words can have multiple meanings.
The second stanza uses the metaphor of a bird flying to illustrate the idea that things are not always as they seem. Pinsky writes, "The way a bird flies / Of course, it doesn't just fly." This line emphasizes the idea that there is more to the world than what we see on the surface. The repetition of the refrain creates a sense of unity and rhythm, while also emphasizing the complexity of language.
The third stanza uses the metaphor of a woman walking to illustrate the idea that people are not always what they seem. Pinsky writes, "The way a woman walks / Of course, she doesn't just walk." This line emphasizes the idea that people are complex and that there is more to them than what we see on the surface. The repetition of the refrain creates a sense of unity and rhythm, while also emphasizing the complexity of language.
Overall, "Poetry Poem With Refrains" is a complex and thought-provoking poem. It uses repetition to create a sense of unity and rhythm, while also emphasizing the complexity of language and the way that words can be used to create different meanings. The poem is a testament to Pinsky's skill as a poet and his ability to blend traditional forms of poetry with modern language and themes.
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