Kevin Young sums it up

The poetry of Kevin Young is very recent which makes it interesting to read, but also challenging to know how to interpret. His poetry seems to have a visual and an oral feel, and like others, seems to integrate and address both aspects of poetry. He also uses interesting wordplay in DEFACEMENT and other poems that challenge the reader to break down what he is saying, what it sounds like, the diction and accent, and also the organization.

In the Poetic Statement many of the common themes we have discussed throughout this course are unpacked from Young’s poetry. He uses blues and jazz forms that harkens back to times of oral poetry and tradition. The Statement also notes how Young uses differing poetic forms to mirror what his poetry is saying or commenting including the familiar topics of love and relationships. He also seems to speak about these topics with a vivid quality not unlike what Wanda Coleman did as well.

For all of these reasons, it seems holistic to finish with a poem who address so many of the themes and ideas we have explored throughout this course.