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Why Is A Raven Like A Writing Desk?
| Critical Analysis #1 |
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Why Is A Raven Like A Writing Desk? |
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Pearls_Of_Wisdom Member
since 2000-09-02
Posts 175 |
There is nothing to write about. What do you want me to say? That the well is in drought, That the words have run out, That the darkness will not find the day? Would you like me to be poetic, To sing a hymn or a psalm? Even when all the paper has burned, The tears turned to dust and the lessons unlearned, And the music refuses to be a song? Would you rather I come out of nothing? In my starvation conjure food? What you are unwilling to listen to I am unwilling to tell you. Your deeds I shall not do. Should you wish me ever to return In hours of day or night, Before my riddles become your rhymes, Before my words flow in your times, There is a contract you must sign. There are no words to this contract. Rules have no place in my game. It is an exercise in dreaming, A test of mere believing, A pause without delay. |
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Kirk T Walker Member
since 2000-01-13
Posts 357Liberty, MO |
The Carrol reference in the title is not totally lost on me, and if nothing else points us toward Wonderland. However, on first reading, not until "Rules have no place in my game. It is an exercise in dreaming, A test of mere believing, A pause without delay." did I really start to see the connection (aside to the mention of riddles). If the overall idea was that poetry is Wonderland-like, then I think I see how it all ties together. The line "And the music refuses to be a song?" is a reference to the idea popularized by Sam Loyd that they are alike "because the notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes." I am not sure that the line "in my starvation conjure food" is effective, but perhaps I am not catching the reference. However, if you are intending to refer to Wonderland specifically, I would lose references which are not in some way observably connected to the books. Disclaimer: The preceding statement is just my opinion. |
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Pearls_Of_Wisdom Member
since 2000-09-02
Posts 175 |
Hi Kirk, I like your disclaimer there! =) Your interpretation is very interesting (and thorough!). I'm sorry if this is disappointing to you, but I hadn't really thought that much into it, although I think that part about muscial notes (despite the fact that I don't think I've heard that specific quotation before) seems to fit in nicely. To be totally honest, that title sort of picked me. After that one came up, I thought of others, but they seemed so boring and ordinary for such a paradoxical poem. And, you're right, the poem is about riddles. In fact (note: I'm now going to give away my interpretation of the poem) it's a poem about writing poetry. Poetry is often composed of metaphors that can seem like riddles to the reader, and even to the poet. The speaker is what I refer to as my creative part, i.e. the part of me that writes the poems. Some people refer to a muse for this job, but I prefer to think of it as coming from a subconscious part of myself. Anyway, I wrote this poem at a time when I hadn't been writing much at all, so that's where the first line comes from. (It's ironic, I know: I wrote a poem about my inability to write poetry at the time.) Basically, I think the poem is about this part of me telling me that I've been ignoring it (I guess by ignoring and not taking care of myself), so I have only myself to blame for my lack of inspiration. This is also where "In my starvation conjure (I may change this to conjuring) food?" comes in. The line could be interpreted in a number of ways, but here are a few. This part of me thrives on me giving it attention and validation, but since I wasn't giving it those things it was "starving" and I expected it to "feed" itself, i.e. survive without my help, or maybe even to dream up it's own "food" (a reference again to writing). I myself also got an image of this part being in a "jail" imposed by me and going on a hunger strike until I noticed it. You could also say that imagination creates things that aren't physical things, but are, in a sense, "real." Does that help, or only confuse you more? "And the music refuses to be a song" - in fact that whole stanza - is about the above topic as well. My creative part is basically saying "How do you expect me to create something beautiful out of all this mess?" (namely, the way I've been treating myself and it). Yes, in a way, writing is like taking a trip into Wonderland. Those books by Lewis Carrol really made in impression on me, I think. Wonderland could also be seen as one's subconscious, the place where my "creative part" lives, so of course it would speak in riddles. Anyway, I'm rambling here, but those are some of my thoughts. Thanks a lot for replying. Ashley |
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Kirk T Walker Member
since 2000-01-13
Posts 357Liberty, MO |
I often feel that my subconcious has its hand in my poems as well, and often I find myself attempting to interpret my own work unsuccessfully. On writing poetry about not being able to write poetry: see Shakespeare's sonnet on the subject (I think it is 73 where he compares his self to autumn, and so on) in which he ironically writes a beautiful poem about his fading abilities. Disclaimer: The preceding statement is just my opinion. |
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Pearls_Of_Wisdom Member
since 2000-09-02
Posts 175 |
Kirk, So does this mean you liked my poem because you can relate to it? I do know the sonnet you're talking about, actually. We read it in English recently. |
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jenni Member
since 1999-09-11
Posts 478Washington D.C. |
ashley-- i normally don't like poems where the speaker says, in essence, i have nothing to write about, lol. this piece is a little different, with its address to an "other" about why there's been no writing going on, and it seems to work, lol. basically, i see this as saying "i can't write. what do you expect me to do about it? before i can write, you have to agree to dream with me." the rhyme scheme was uneven, as well as the meter. it made the reading a little jarring at times, which i guess is appropriate in a piece about how the speaker can't write, lol. if you intended this, well done, lol. the title...lol. kudos to kirk for seeing it a reference to lewis carroll, but it totally went over my head, and i still don't see what it has to do with anything in the poem at all, lol. (why is a raven like a writing desk, anyway?) thanks for a good read. jenni |
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Pearls_Of_Wisdom Member
since 2000-09-02
Posts 175 |
jenni, Oh, you found it uneven? Even within stanzas? I mean, if you think it adds to the theme, then I guess I could take it as a compliment. I wasn't really trying either way to make it even or uneven. My personal thoughts on the matter are that although the poem does seem to be written in fits and starts (I can sort of see what you mean in this way, with some lines seeming to have too many syllables), it's basically a rhythmic piece with a rhyme scheme that I thought was neat (abccb). So I took it as ironic that something that's clearly a poem is about not being able to write poems. As for the answer to the title, sorry. I couldn't tell ya myself! Ashley |
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jenni Member
since 1999-09-11
Posts 478Washington D.C. |
ashley-- i did find the rhythm a little uneven, even within some of the stanzas, basically the last lines of stanzas 2, 4 and 5, and throughout stanza 3. the rhyming, too, seems a little off your a-b-c-c-b idea (to my ear anyway); psalm/song is a little bit of a stretch, i think, as is night/sign and game/delay, and the third stanza reads more like a-b-b-b-b. go figure, lol. anyway, like i said before, i don't think any of that's necessarily 'good' or 'bad', i just noticed it, that's all. and dang, i was hoping you could tell me about the raven and the desk, lol. thanks again for posting this! jenni |
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Kirk T Walker Member
since 2000-01-13
Posts 357Liberty, MO |
jenni and ashley: just for your information, Carroll did not intend for the riddle to have an answer. When he was asked to answer his own riddle most people found his solution unsatisfactory. I forget what his explanation was, but I remember my favorite answer that someone else came up with later was that "Poe wrote on both". |
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