Wednesday, October 14, 2009

My A to Your Q: On Being Obsessive and Stubborn

Q: What poem, if you lost a copy of, would you spend years looking for? ~Intense Guy

A: He asked this question because of a chat we'd had a couple days before. I mentioned that once I had something stuck in my head, it took a lot for me to get it out.

The back story starts in seventh grade English class where we read a certain poem. For some reason, that poem popped into my head a couple years later and I wanted to find it. Problem was I didn't recall the title, the poet or the poem's exact words. The only thing I did remember was the shape of it.

And so I spent the next five or so years with that poem in the back of my mind. Trips to the library usually included a flip through as many poetry books as I had time for, hoping that the poem would jump out at me.

One day in college, it did.



  1. I would look for "The Truth the Dead Know" by Anne Sexton, aka MY FAVO POEMA OF ALL TIME. Though I more or less have it memorized, I alwayz need to have a copy on hand in case I forget and feel the sudden urge to make mah peeperz cry!

  2. Mine will be the first poem my boys give me. Because I know no others. Well, I read them....but I don't know them. I can see why this one stuck with you though.

  3. I can see why you were fascinated by this particular poem. Seeing the outline of the swan and its reflection in black and white - one notices the parallels with the "Delicate Illustrated Table Signs"... something in that "art form" must catch your eye, and understandably so.

    John Hollander is one of the most prestigious critics of poetry alive. He has edited numerous books, among them "Committed to Memory: 100 Best Poems to Memorize", so when I feel cocky about having memorized two or three poems (not in his list!), I can ponder on trying to memorize a 100 more... :)

    Thank you for answering my question. If looking for this poem *was* a form of OCD - its a classy one.

  4. very nice... no wonder you wanted to find it again...

  5. intense guy, oh I didn't know all that about the poet! Thanks for sharing!

  6. aw i still have this!!! =)

    i remember having to "analyze" it in class


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