For my
final blog post this year, I’ve decided to talk about a poem named “One Art” and
written by Elizabeth Bishop. At first, it seems fairly simple to understand “One
Art,” thanks to its basic vocabulary, but when trying to comprehend its message
and what is truly addresses, things become more challenging.
The
author starts off by writing “The art of losing isn’t hard to master; / so many
things seem filled with the intent / to be lost that their loss is no disaster”
(1-3). This sets the premise for the poem, saying that learning to accept loss
is possible and that losing something is not a “disaster” (3). Bishop continues
with this idea, by first mentioning the loss of door keys, potentially demonstrating
that the loss is a tangible one. However, later the author mentions the loss of
a places and names, and a wanted destination, showing that the loss may be one
related to memory. Bishop next mentions a watch, houses, cities, realms,
rivers, and a continent. This adds evidence to both cases with the watch
supporting physical loss, and the other mentions supporting a loss in memory. In
the final 4 lines, Bishop speaks to a person, telling them that even their loss
is not hard to accept. With this, it is not entirely clear as to what type of loss
“One Art” addresses, and it is quite possible it acknowledges both. Regardless,
it seems the message of “One Art” is that we shouldn’t dwell in the past, specifically
the losses of our past, and instead move forward and look to the future.
For the
most part, I enjoyed reading “One Art” and taking a deeper dive to understand
what it’s all about. I think the message is a nice one, and I also generally
enjoy poems, but for me the message of “One Art” was portrayed a little harshly.
Because of this, I would give the poem a 7/10 or maybe a 7.5/10. I highly
recommend “One Art,” especially to those who enjoy poetry.
- Yusef Aboukhatwa
Great post Yusef! I liked how you began this by breaking down the poem and explaining some of that information, then giving what the main theme of the poem is. I don't usually seek out poems, but if I were to I might try reading this one. Good job! - Claire Hobson
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis, Yusef. I like how you broke the poem down and went into detail about the meanings implied. The harshness of the message may have been a stylistic or intentional move by the author, but everyone has their own preferences.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis Yusef! You did a wonderful job breaking down the poem and explaining the messages it's trying to convey. "One Art" is an interesting read, although I've yet to read more of Elizabeth Bishop's work! "One Art" addresses loss as being inevitable, and I agree with your interpretation of how we shouldn't dwell on the losses of the past but look towards the future and move forward. As always, I really enjoy reading your reviews, and awesome job with this poetry explication!!
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