![]() |
Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Albert Goldbarth's poem "How Simile Works" explores the intricacies of comparison in poetry, revealing how similes link disparate experiences to convey deeper emotional truths. Through a series of vivid images and personal reflections, Goldbarth demonstrates the connective power of similes, bridging the gap between the mundane and the profound. The poem begins with a pair of seemingly unrelated images: "The drizzle-slicked cobblestone alleys / of some city" and "the brickwork back / of the lumbering Galapagos tortoise / they'd set me astride, at the 'petting zoo'...." These lines illustrate the fundamental nature of similes, showing how two distinct experiences can be linked by a shared visual or textural quality. The slick, uneven surfaces of cobblestone alleys evoke the rough, patterned shell of a tortoise, creating a bridge between urban and natural environments. Goldbarth continues with another pair of images: "The taste of our squabble still in my mouth / the next day; / and the brackish puddles sectioning / the street one morning after a storm...." Here, the lingering bitterness of a marital argument is compared to the stagnant, salty water left behind by a storm. This simile captures the way negative emotions can leave a lasting, unpleasant residue, much like the puddles that disrupt a once-clear path. "So poetry configures its comparisons," Goldbarth states, summarizing the essence of his exploration. Poetry, he suggests, derives its power from these connections, drawing parallels between diverse elements to illuminate deeper meanings. The poem then shifts to a more intimate scene: "My wife and I have been arguing; now / I'm telling her a childhood reminiscence, / stroking her back, her naked back that was / the particles in the heart of a star and will be / again, and is hers, and is like nothing / else, and is like the components of everything." In this moment, Goldbarth uses simile to convey the complexity of human relationships and the vastness of existence. The wife's back is described as both unique ("like nothing else") and universal ("like the components of everything"), highlighting the tension between individuality and interconnectedness. By likening his wife's back to "the particles in the heart of a star," Goldbarth invokes the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction, suggesting that every human being is made of the same fundamental elements as the stars. This simile serves to elevate the mundane act of stroking a loved one's back to a cosmic level, emphasizing the profound connection between the personal and the universal. "How Simile Works" by Albert Goldbarth is a masterful exploration of the poetic device of simile. Through vivid imagery and personal reflection, Goldbarth demonstrates how similes bridge disparate experiences, revealing deeper emotional truths and connecting the mundane with the profound. The poem invites readers to consider the power of comparison in poetry, highlighting how the simplest images can evoke complex, universal themes.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO HIS WIFE FAR OFF IN A TIME OF WAR by PETER GIZZI HER LONG ILLNESS by DONALD HALL LETTER IN AUTUMN by DONALD HALL THE YOUNG WATCH US by DONALD HALL THE WEDDING COUPLE by DONALD HALL |
|