Some Commonality

In thinking about our discussion about the reality of Wanda Coleman’s poetry and Houston Baker’s story of his childhood experience, our readings for today seem to support the use of personal stories. Yusef Komunyakaa also uses the poetic form as a way to provide commentary and stories based on his personal experience. Some of the most powerful stories he tells reflect his experiences in Vietnam. I found both “Tunnels,” “Facing it” and “Tu Do Streets” to be really interesting and pointed. I think the essay form of these poems also makes them somewhat easier to read. In addition, this is consistent witih some of the early challenges to formal conventions by other poets, including inconsistent line breaks, the use of “&” and a lack of stanzas are continued in his form.

It would also be an interesting topic to discuss how Rita Dove’s “Motherhood” ties into our discussion of the Wolf. The wolf from Coleman’s poem seems to reappear here and much of the imagery and story line actually seems quite similar.