For Friday, we read “Nexus” by Rita Dove, which Olivia did a great job of reading. At first glance, I had no clue what this poem was about, but found it vaguely sinister with the “giant praying mantis” that was “begging vacantly” with “his ragged jaws opening onto formlessness.” As someone who is not a huge fan of bugs, this seemed very nightmarish. But in class we discussed the title and how it fit into the poem and for me, that made the poem lose its ominous feeling.
According to the OED, one definition is “A central point or point of convergence; a focus; a meeting-place.” We discussed how in the poem the window mentioned in the second line could be a nexus for the speaker, who is a poet or a writer of some sort. Itcan be seen as a point of convergence between the real world and the world that is being written about. From the second line on in the poem, the things being described are surreal and fantastical. To me, it seems like in the first and second stanzas, the speaker is separated from the world she is writing about; she is inside writing “stubbornly” while the world of writing is trying to draw her in. Unfortunately, she is separated by the glass, but in the third stanza, she is fully drawn into the work and is immersed when she finally walks outside into the “lapping darkness,” where she is met with an “absurdly green brontosaurus.”
I wish writing was like this for me, where I can be drawn in and lose track of all time and reality, but unfortunately I still see it as something I am forced to do. Luckily, reading is not the same, and that is when I can experience what the speaker is describing and be immersed into this incredible world.
Cool post! I agree that this poem is about the creative process, but it is definitely something I'm not sure I recognize either. Like even when I'm writing for my own joy, there isn't a really any kind of epiphany or big realization or inspiration, it's more methodical. But I guess this just shows that everyone writes and goes through the process differently.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is definitely about the imagination and thought put into writing. The poem to me made me think the narrator is trying too hard to write and doesn't experience the world, but eventually crosses the threshold into the world created in her poetry. I will say that nothing is more satisfying to have an idea for a poem or story and actually get into it. Its almost as fun as reading a good story.
ReplyDeleteNice post! The idea of the writing process being like being absorbed into a surreal world is really cool but it's also not how the writing process is for me. I related more to the lines "and the commas leapt at me like worms/or miniature scythes blackened with age" because I often feel like I'm battling with the words I've written to make them say what I want them to say.
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