Reflections on Life and Love in "ABC" by Peter Meinke
By Peter Meinke
p. 283-284
Presentation by Natasha de Puyjalon
Poem Recital
Commentary
Poetic devices
Personal connections
A
ir seeps through alleyways and our diaphragms
b
alloon blackly with this mix of
c
arbon monoxide and the thousand corrosives a city
d
oles out free to its constituents,
e
veryone’s jogging through Edgemont park,
f
rightened by death and fatty tissue,
g
asping at the maximal heart rate,
h
oping to outlive all the others streaming
i
n the lanes like lemmings lurching toward their last
j
ump. I join in despair
k
nowing my arteries jammed with
I
int and tobacco, lard and bourbon – my
m
edical history a noxious marsh:
n
ewts and moles slink through the sodden veins,
o
wls hoot in the lungs’ dark branches;
p
robably I shall keel off the john like
q
ueer uncle George and lie on the bathroom floor
r
aging about Shirley Clark, my true love in
s
eventh grade, God bless her wherever she lives
t
ied to that turkey who hugely
u
ndervalues the beauty of her tiny earlobes, one
v
iew of which (either one: they are both perfect)
w
ould add years to my life and I could skip these
x
-rays, turn in my insurance card, and trade
y
oga and treadmills and jogging and zen and
z
ucchini for drinking and dreaming of her, breathing hard.
Past = memories; future = exercise
Line 11-12: “knowing my arteries jammed
with/lint and tobacco, lard and bourbon”
Line 18-19: “raging about Shirley Clark, my
true love in/seventh grade”
Favorite part: last lines 23-26: “would add
years to my life and I could skip these/x-rays,
turn in my insurance card, and trade/yoga
and treadmills and jogging and zen
and/zucchini
for drinking and dreaming of
her, breathing hard.
Form of poem: open form
Title: “ABC”
Imagery
– Line 11-12: “in the lanes like lemmings
lurching toward their last/jump”
- Line 13-15: “medical history a noxious marsh:
newts and moles slink through the sodden
veins/owls hoot in the lungs’ dark branches”
Swimming
Kicked out of house
Getting back into shape
Exercise = not desirable
Speaker = dreams of life of being in shape
again
The poem "ABC" by Peter Meinke delves into the themes of mortality, self-reflection, and unrequited love. Through vivid imagery and introspective commentary, the speaker contemplates the fragility of life, the burden of unhealthy habits, and the allure of lost love. The verses evoke a sense of melancholy juxtaposed with a yearning for a simpler, more fulfilling existence. Meinke's work invites readers to ponder their own mortality and the choices that define their journey through life.
Uploaded on Sep 19, 2024 | 0 Views
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
By Peter Meinke Presentation by Natasha de Puyjalon p. 283-284
Poem Recital Commentary Poetic devices Personal connections
Air seeps through alleyways and our diaphragms balloon blackly with this mix of carbon monoxide and the thousand corrosives a city doles out free to its constituents, everyone s jogging through Edgemont park, frightened by death and fatty tissue, gasping at the maximal heart rate, hoping to outlive all the others streaming in the lanes like lemmings lurching toward their last jump. I join in despair
knowing my arteries jammed with Iint and tobacco, lard and bourbon my medical history a noxious marsh: newts and moles slink through the sodden veins, owls hoot in the lungs dark branches; probably I shall keel off the john like queer uncle George and lie on the bathroom floor raging about Shirley Clark, my true love in seventh grade, God bless her wherever she lives tied to that turkey who hugely
undervalues the beauty of her tiny earlobes, one view of which (either one: they are both perfect) would add years to my life and I could skip these x-rays, turn in my insurance card, and trade yoga and treadmills and jogging and zen and zucchini for drinking and dreaming of her, breathing hard.
Past = memories; future = exercise Line 11-12: knowing my arteries jammed with/lint and tobacco, lard and bourbon Line 18-19: raging about Shirley Clark, my true love in/seventh grade
Favorite part: last lines 23-26: would add years to my life and I could skip these/x-rays, turn in my insurance card, and trade/yoga and treadmills and jogging and zen and/zucchini for drinking and dreaming of her, breathing hard. Form of poem: open form Title: ABC
Imagery Line 11-12: in the lanes like lemmings lurching toward their last/jump - Line 13-15: medical history a noxious marsh: newts and moles slink through the sodden veins/owls hoot in the lungs dark branches
Swimming Kicked out of house Getting back into shape Exercise = not desirable Speaker = dreams of life of being in shape again
