Margaret Are You Drug
Margaret Are You Drug
George Starbuck’s, “Margaret Are You Drug”, is an excellent example of a colloquial poem. The term “colloquial” simply is a poem that has a style so informal, it gives the readers a feeling the speaker is having a casual talk with his subject, in this case Margaret. The speaker, in this case, comes across as one apathetic drug user who talks to another (Margaret or “Mag”) about his attitude towards premature drug-induced death. By incorporating the colloquial characteristics of slang, free verse, and rhyme, poet Starbuck effectively humiliates the drug culture.
The first most prominent colloquial quality of the poem is the use of slang. Slang as stated in the Merriam Webster Dictionary is ‘an informal nonstandard vocabulary...’ George Starbuck’s use of slang makes this poem stand out as being colloquial. The reader predicts that the speaker and the subject the speaker is talking to are both high due to the use of slang. Some of the slang statements said were, ’sure it’s a drag’, ‘all the green flaked out’, ‘and they’ll be changing the color of bread ’, ‘sevennyeighty years’, and ‘shmeaves’. These phrases used are informal when talking to one another and are considered slang and colloquial. His use of slang also contributes towards the quality of free verse.
Another prominent colloquial quality of this poem is how the poem is a free verse. Free verse is a colloquial quality of a poem and as stated as, in the Merriam Webster Dictionary, ‘verse whose meter is irregular in some respect or whose rhythm is not metrical’. One way this poem is a free verse is that he capitalized words that were not pronouns or in the beginning of the line, like ‘chick’ and ‘kid’. The poet’s use of free verse also shows in the format and wording used. The rhythm of this poem is very out of beat as it states nothing informative for the reader. The poem being a free verse, gives room for the last aspect, rhyme, which adds to the colloquial quality of the poem.
George Starbuck’s, “Margaret Are You Drug”, is an excellent example of a colloquial poem. The term “colloquial” simply is a poem that has a style so informal, it gives the readers a feeling the speaker is having a casual talk with his subject, in this case Margaret. The speaker, in this case, comes across as one apathetic drug user who talks to another (Margaret or “Mag”) about his attitude towards premature drug-induced death. By incorporating the colloquial characteristics of slang, free verse, and rhyme, poet Starbuck effectively humiliates the drug culture.
The first most prominent colloquial quality of the poem is the use of slang. Slang as stated in the Merriam Webster Dictionary is ‘an informal nonstandard vocabulary...’ George Starbuck’s use of slang makes this poem stand out as being colloquial. The reader predicts that the speaker and the subject the speaker is talking to are both high due to the use of slang. Some of the slang statements said were, ’sure it’s a drag’, ‘all the green flaked out’, ‘and they’ll be changing the color of bread ’, ‘sevennyeighty years’, and ‘shmeaves’. These phrases used are informal when talking to one another and are considered slang and colloquial. His use of slang also contributes towards the quality of free verse.
Another prominent colloquial quality of this poem is how the poem is a free verse. Free verse is a colloquial quality of a poem and as stated as, in the Merriam Webster Dictionary, ‘verse whose meter is irregular in some respect or whose rhythm is not metrical’. One way this poem is a free verse is that he capitalized words that were not pronouns or in the beginning of the line, like ‘chick’ and ‘kid’. The poet’s use of free verse also shows in the format and wording used. The rhythm of this poem is very out of beat as it states nothing informative for the reader. The poem being a free verse, gives room for the last aspect, rhyme, which adds to the colloquial quality of the poem.