Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Interspecies" is a poem by Marge Piercy, published in her 2007 collection titled "The Crooked Inheritance". The poem explores the relationship between humans and animals, reflecting on how we see ourselves as separate from nature and the consequences of that perception.

Explanation:

The poem begins with an image of a deer eating apples in the speaker's yard, and how the speaker feels a sense of kinship with the animal. The speaker then reflects on the ways in which humans have tried to control and subjugate animals, and how these efforts are ultimately futile. The poem ends with a plea for humans to recognize their connection to the natural world and to stop trying to dominate it.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: "Interspecies" is a free verse poem with no set rhyme scheme or meter, but it does have a consistent structure with short stanzas of varying lengths.
• Imagery: The poem is rich in imagery, evoking the sights, sounds, and sensations of the natural world, such as the "sweet flesh" of the apples and the "chuckling" of the deer.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is contemplative and meditative, inviting the reader to reflect on their relationship to nature.
• Repetition: The phrase "we draw circles" is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the idea of separation and the ways in which humans try to control their environment.

Conclusion:

"Interspecies" is a thought-provoking poem that challenges the human tendency to view ourselves as separate from the natural world. Through rich imagery and a contemplative tone, Piercy invites readers to consider the consequences of our efforts to dominate nature and to embrace a more harmonious relationship with the world around us.

Poem Snippet:

"We draw circles around us

to shut out everything

but our own kind, but

these circles can't keep out

the world's tide, it can't

keep suffering or death

from coming in or making

us see, and perhaps

understand."