[1397] Introduction to Poetry

Guest poem sent in by Phebe Haugen

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

	-- Billy Collins

Not long ago, when my teenage son was struggling with poetry in his English
class, I gave him this wonderful poem.  For a kid trying to figure out what
imagery is all about, this little gem offers itself as a color slide, a
hive, a dark room, a lake, a knowing, but silent, defendant.  It invites
us to engage all these images - except the last one - so that we might see
into the heart of a poem without bludgeoning the poor thing to death.

And who among us doesn't know that feeling of being the mouse dropped into
the poem, trying to probe its way out?

Phebe

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From: "Mallika Chellappa" <mchellappa@>

<P>=0A<BR>=0AAnother poem that comes to mind which teaches<BR>=0Athe young
to nurture their imagination<BR>=0A(sorry - this one's from my nursery class<BR>=0A- how many out there remember the readers<BR>=0Acalled "The songs the letters sing"?)<BR>=0A<BR>=0ABaby blew a bubble<BR>=0ASoftly let it fall<BR>=0ALike a Rainbow Fairy<BR>=0AIn a Silver Ball<BR>=0A"Pretty little Bubble<BR>=0AWon't you stop and play?"<BR>=0ABut the bubble, bubble, bubble<BR>=0ABubbled right away.<BR>=0A<BR>=0ABaby blew a bubble<BR>=0AVery hard she tried<BR>=0ASaw another Baby<BR>=0ALike herself inside<BR>=0A"Pretty little Baby<BR>=0AWon't you stop and play?"<BR>=0ABut the bubble, bubble, bubble<BR>=0ABubbled right away.<BR>=0A<BR>=0AI'm not sure whether the last four<BR>=0Alines should in fact be identical in <BR>=0Aboth stanzas. Or whether bubble<BR>=0Ais repeated once or twice in the<BR>=0Apenultimate lines. (It's been a while)<BR>=0A<BR>=0AMallika=0A</P>=0A=0A=0A<br><br>=0A<A target""_blank" HREF""http://clients.rediff.com/signature/track_sig.asp"><IMG SRC""inbox.htm@">http://ads.rediff.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.cgi/www.rediffmail.com/inbox.htm@Bottom" BORDER"0 VSPACE"0 HSPACE"0 HEIGHT"74 WIDTH"496></a>=0A

From: svirani@  Wed Nov 26 15:17:28 2003

Excellent poem.  I would suggest that this poem be added to the list of
"poems about poetry" that is found at poem # 713

Cheers,
Salima

Salima Virani
Power Budd LLP
Barristers and Solicitors
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Toronto, Ontario M5X 1C7
Telephone: (416) 642-8573 (direct line)
Facsimile: (416) 640-2777

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E-mail: svirani@

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From: "Chellappa, Mallika (Mallika)" <mchellappa@>

Another poem that comes to mind which teaches the young
to nurture their imagination (sorry - this one's from my 
nursery class- how many out there remember the readers called 
"The songs the letters sing"?)

Baby blew a bubble, Softly let it fall
Like a Rainbow Fairy In a Silver Ball
"Pretty little Bubble, Won't you stop and play?"
But the bubble, bubble, bubble, Bubbled right away.
Baby blew a bubble, Very hard she tried
Saw another Baby Like herself inside
"Pretty little Baby, Won't you stop and play?"
But the bubble, bubble, bubble, Bubbled right away.

I'm not sure whether the last four lines should in fact be identical in 
both stanzas. Or whether bubble is repeated once or twice in the penultimate
lines. 
(It's been a while)
Mallika

From: Lily Chambers <hippiechicklil@>

Hey im 12 and my class had to wright a critisism paragraph on this to =20
show what we think it means. this is mine:  The author wants you to
carefully examine his poem but not to strangle it. By holding the
colored slide to the light means to see the brightest colors and
strongest meanings. He wants you to listen to the poems secrets like
you `listen to a hive'.  He wants you to put your thoughts inside
the
poem and let them scurry around like a mouse inside of a maze. `Feel =20
the wall for a light switch' he wants you to gently feel the poem for =20
and answer or idea He has complete control over you when you read the =20
poem like the poem is the skies and the author is the boat. You wave
to congratulate him and that's all he needs and wants for you to do, =20
to understand and thank him. But you shall not harm the poem or jump
to conclusions by tying it to a chair and hearing only what you want. =20
Listen to the poem don't destroy it.
I got an A- on this one