What I find curious about this poem is the number of times the word grey is used. I am not sure if the author wrote grey out a set number of times and decided to go from there or if he just had written a certain number of things associated with the word grey, and just formatted them in this manner. This poem structure is abnormal. The lines of grey run down the center of the pages and provide the structure for the poem to be built around. Most poems are just written free verse or have another form of fixed style that deal with pentameter. This style is different because it forces the writer to focus upon one keyword and build upon that. It forces the reader to focus in on the word grey as well and everything else seems to fall into the background.
With the lines of grey centered and fixed it also makes the readers eye jump around on the pages. I found it a little hard to read because of this. I think that was part of the point here as well. We are used to reading left to right up to down. This poem follows that tradition but it does not have set margins. This makes the reader go to way left sometimes or way right and you have to search for the beginning of the next line. This challenge of standard constructs was nice to see. I think we often forget how regimented everything in life is including reading.
The different forms of grey he addresses in the poem are interesting as well. When I think of grey the only visuals I get are suits and cloudy skies. I think myself and most reader’s associate grey with depression and thing are typically sad. In this poem he expresses the wonders of grey so to speak. He presents visual images that are typically not associated with the color and many items that are not commonly associated with grey.
All this being said this poem works. It takes a boring standard color and with the application of creative structure and though he has brought it to life. Brining grey to life is damn near impossible. If I were to paint a room grey, hand you a grey crayon or a grey piece of paper it is doubtful you would get excited. But here we are shown mountains, birds, silver and many other things we cherish and enjoy. So yes grey is boring but it is art and it is creative.
I agree that 'grey' has that assumption of depression or an hazy indifference between two subjects. The color gray is like you said is art and it can show creativity. The color can be used to express any thought by the author in any way they choose. I agree also there was a set number of word gray before the author went through and added the rest of the structure; he was able to convey different cues for the reader to apply to the word.
ReplyDeleteHonest, I don't find this poem to be effective. It just appears to be the word grey and some associations to the idea. I have no clue what the author is trying to tell its reader.