Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Correspondence School Instructor Says Goodbye to His Poetry Students" by Galway Kinnell is a poignant and reflective piece that delves into the instructor’s interactions with a diverse array of poetry students. Through a blend of humor and melancholy, Kinnell explores the nature of writing, the relationship between teacher and student, and the enduring struggle for genuine expression.

The poem begins with a series of goodbyes to various students, each uniquely characterized by their peculiar traits and backgrounds. The instructor bids farewell to a "lady in Bangor" who hinted at her beauty, a "Miami Beach urologist" who sent clinical sonnets, a brassiere manufacturer whose eclogues explored the sagging breast motif, and a prisoner in San Quentin who admired Hitler. These specific and eccentric details paint a vivid picture of the eclectic mix of students and the oddities they brought to their correspondence.

In these farewells, there is an undercurrent of irony and subtle critique. The instructor seems both amused and exasperated by the idiosyncrasies of his students. The mention of the urologist’s "Clinical Sonnets" and the manufacturer’s treatment of the "sagging breast motif" suggests a humorous yet resigned acceptance of the strange and often misguided attempts at poetry that he encountered.

The instructor reflects on his own role and feelings throughout this process. He confesses that cheering himself up involved guessing which student might have poisoned the glue on their envelopes, a darkly humorous way to cope with the monotony and absurdity of his task. Despite the humor, he assures that he did read each poem and responded with the mildest words possible, indicating a genuine attempt to engage and provide constructive feedback.

The instructor’s relief at the end of this chapter is palpable. He expresses pity for the students’ "urge toward more life" that their poems ultimately smothered in words. This suggests a frustration with the limitations of language and the often futile attempt to capture the essence of life through poetry. The smell of the poems, lingering days later, symbolizes the persistent, yet often unfulfilled, desire to create something meaningful.

In the closing lines, the instructor addresses his students collectively, acknowledging their solitude and loneliness. The postmarks from "imaginary towns" like Xenia, Burnt Cabins, and Hornell represent the distant and often isolated lives of the students, whose attempts at connection and expression through poetry were both revealing and insufficient. Their poems gave away their solitude, but the deeper loneliness remained untouched.

"Correspondence School Instructor Says Goodbye to His Poetry Students" is a touching and multifaceted piece that captures the complexities of teaching and writing poetry. Through its mix of humor, empathy, and introspection, the poem offers a window into the challenges of finding authentic expression and the delicate balance between guiding and understanding the creative efforts of others.

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