Marianne Moore and Poetry

Poetry and Modernism

Poetry by Marianne More is a humorous work that questions the essence of poetry. It fits in very well within the cannon of American Modernist Literature. It’s similar to other modernist works in terms of mechanics and its attempt to be authentic and genuine.

This poem’s most obvious examples of modernism lie in its mechanics. It relies heavily on fragmentation. For example, Moore writes, “These things are important not because a high sounding interpretation can be put upon them but because they are useful when the become…” (Moore). There are sentences and periods, however fragments are often followed with a period. There are also commas and semi colons but they appear to be somewhat randomly placed. Also, the poem is not evenly spaced. Some lines only have 1 word. In some places, Moore also uses alliteration, “There are things that” (Moore).

This poem is particularly interesting because it is a poem about writing poetry. Like other modernists, Moore was creating a new modern literature. So, first she is asking the question, what is poetry? She knows it is not, “business documents and school books” “and must be genuine” (Moore). Another way Poetry is similar to other modernist works, are in its use of ordinary objects. She writes about, “elephants, wild horses and tireless wolves” (Moore). Modernist literature emphasizes ordinary and daily life.

When Moore says, “I too dislike it” (Moore). She is saying that it is not necessarily the most useful thing. It can’t feed you or give you shelter. However, she does believe it has a role in society. It is the job of the reader to give literature a role in their own life. Modernist literature is not about trying to find some universal truths, it’s about the individual experience each person has after they read it. The reader must have imagination to see things like “imaginary gardens with real toads” (Moore). This line emphasizes the need for imagination when reading poetry.

I believe this poem emphasizes the battle of every poet; Attempting to stray from conventions while still being understandable. Modernism was deffinetly straying from traditional literary conventions. Moore writes, “If you demand on the one hand the raw material of poetry and on the other hand that which is genuine, then you have an interest in poetry” (Moore). I believe this is an example of her own experiences as a poet. Moore was trying to be unique in her writing, while not straying to far from writing conventions. She does not want to be too abstract because, “We do not admire that which we cannot understand” (Moore). If the reader cannot understand the poetry, they will not find it useful.

Overall, I think Moore is a great addition to the cannon of American Modernist literature. She is very original and although Poetry is simple, there is a lot under the surface. Her writing is comprehensible and not made for solely the most educated of readers. Her use of common objects also help Moore stay away from being to obscure.