Brian Berg's Essay 'The Poetry Does Not Matter'
Rodrigo Ramos
August 2nd, 2013
Megan Haugh
The Voice is What Matters
Poetry is unique compared to other literary works in that in order to close the gap of emotional distance within the individual reader, the voice needs to be sincere. When a character is not relatable to the reader, it destroys the art of poetry. Berg explains in his essay “The Poetry Does Not Matter”, “I detest that man, who hides one thing in the depths of his heart, and speaks forth another” (Berg, x). Readers want to be able to relate to the work and not simply hear stories and morals.
One manner in which poetry is able to connect to the readers is through the voice of the poem. When it is sincere, voice is incredibly powerful and persuasive because it holds great sway …show more content…
This apology for one’s own slights and imperfections is something to anyone can relate. The metaphor created is between the boat and the body. Likewise, the sea represents life. The harbormaster is an entity which is present and oversees everything, but which has no direct impact on what happens. This could be a god, a goddess, a loved one, one’s intended or anything abstract like that. The reader can decide how to best relate to the poem on their own. The harbormaster is important, but undefined by O’Hara, which allows it to become relevant in the mind of the individual …show more content…
There is no clear explanation for any of these three poems. There is no real start or finish. They exist in the moment in which they are written and the beauty of the work is that these things can be enjoyed without any explanation. “Moods ultimate result is to allow the reader to trust the speaker, to listen, to participate and be moved” (Berg,
August 2nd, 2013
Megan Haugh
The Voice is What Matters
Poetry is unique compared to other literary works in that in order to close the gap of emotional distance within the individual reader, the voice needs to be sincere. When a character is not relatable to the reader, it destroys the art of poetry. Berg explains in his essay “The Poetry Does Not Matter”, “I detest that man, who hides one thing in the depths of his heart, and speaks forth another” (Berg, x). Readers want to be able to relate to the work and not simply hear stories and morals.
One manner in which poetry is able to connect to the readers is through the voice of the poem. When it is sincere, voice is incredibly powerful and persuasive because it holds great sway …show more content…
This apology for one’s own slights and imperfections is something to anyone can relate. The metaphor created is between the boat and the body. Likewise, the sea represents life. The harbormaster is an entity which is present and oversees everything, but which has no direct impact on what happens. This could be a god, a goddess, a loved one, one’s intended or anything abstract like that. The reader can decide how to best relate to the poem on their own. The harbormaster is important, but undefined by O’Hara, which allows it to become relevant in the mind of the individual …show more content…
There is no clear explanation for any of these three poems. There is no real start or finish. They exist in the moment in which they are written and the beauty of the work is that these things can be enjoyed without any explanation. “Moods ultimate result is to allow the reader to trust the speaker, to listen, to participate and be moved” (Berg,