Poem Explication: Marginalia
Poem Explication: Marginalia The poem, “Marginalia” is written by Billy Collins, American poet. In his poem “Marginalia” Collins expressed how notes in the margins share reading experiences with others. He addressed every reader that they must contribute by expressing their views in Margins. He used different expressions, to relate the meaning of Marginalia and its importance for every reader.
“Marginalia is defined as, “marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) or “nonessential items” (merriam-webster.com). In this poem, Billy Collins reflects his thought on the people and their important as they find certain notes in the margins of the book. Poet begins with explaining that how notes in the margin are “ferocious” and “skirmish” against the author. By these words, he means that notes in the margins are very irritating, cruel, and argumentative. These notes serve against the author as they directly challenge. Even if the reader is a philosopher like Kierkegaard, or a learned and intellectual man like Conor Cruise O 'Brien, these marginal notes are a challenge and threat for them, to explain more meanings and logical assumptions to the author. There is another meaning by these notes in margins, which is to argue and fight against the author and philosophers of the text.
In the second stanza of the poem, Billy also provides a contrasting view to enhance the importance of margins and notes. He begins with considering these notes and comments as “offhand”, “dismissive” and “nonsense”, but he soon explained the importance of such notes for the reader. Words are a link and connection between author and reader and reader always find links with the thoughts and circumstances in which the author or poet has written the text or readers have read it.
“I remember once… what the person must look like why wrote "Don 't be a ninny" alongside a paragraph in The Life of Emily Dickinson.” (billy-collins.com)
In the next stanza, he explained how students
“Marginalia is defined as, “marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) or “nonessential items” (merriam-webster.com). In this poem, Billy Collins reflects his thought on the people and their important as they find certain notes in the margins of the book. Poet begins with explaining that how notes in the margin are “ferocious” and “skirmish” against the author. By these words, he means that notes in the margins are very irritating, cruel, and argumentative. These notes serve against the author as they directly challenge. Even if the reader is a philosopher like Kierkegaard, or a learned and intellectual man like Conor Cruise O 'Brien, these marginal notes are a challenge and threat for them, to explain more meanings and logical assumptions to the author. There is another meaning by these notes in margins, which is to argue and fight against the author and philosophers of the text.
In the second stanza of the poem, Billy also provides a contrasting view to enhance the importance of margins and notes. He begins with considering these notes and comments as “offhand”, “dismissive” and “nonsense”, but he soon explained the importance of such notes for the reader. Words are a link and connection between author and reader and reader always find links with the thoughts and circumstances in which the author or poet has written the text or readers have read it.
“I remember once… what the person must look like why wrote "Don 't be a ninny" alongside a paragraph in The Life of Emily Dickinson.” (billy-collins.com)
In the next stanza, he explained how students
Cited: Collins, Billy. Marginalia - http://www.billy-collins.com/2005/06/marginalia.html Merriam Webster. Marginalia. Definition. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalia