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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Things to Think" by Robert Bly is an evocative poem that invites the reader to expand their perception of the ordinary, imbuing everyday occurrences with profound significance and possibility. Through a series of imaginative scenarios, Bly encourages a departure from conventional thinking, proposing a worldview where the mundane becomes a gateway to the extraordinary. This poem is a meditation on the power of thought to transform reality, to imbue the quotidian with depth and meaning, and to open the heart to the miraculous in the midst of the familiar. Bly begins with an exhortation to "Think in ways you've never thought before," setting the stage for a series of vignettes that challenge the reader to reconceive their approach to everyday events. The ringing phone is not just a call but a harbinger of a message with the potential to eclipse "a hundred lines of Yeats," suggesting that significance and revelation can be found in the most unexpected places. This opening sets a tone of openness to wonder and the potential for profound communication and change in the fabric of daily life. The imagery of a bear at the door, "Maybe wounded and deranged," or a moose emerging from the lake with a child on its antlers, serves to disrupt the ordinary flow of thought and perception. These images blend the wildness of nature with the domestic sphere, symbolizing the intrusion of the unknown and the magical into personal spaces. Bly uses these startling juxtapositions to emphasize the richness and mystery that can lie beneath the surface of what we consider to be reality, urging the reader to consider the unseen connections and hidden stories that animate the world around us. The poem then transitions to a more intimate scenario, where a knock on the door could signal the arrival of transformative news or gifts. The possibilities Bly enumerates—forgiveness, release from toil, assurance against existential fears—speak to deep-seated human desires and anxieties. By framing these profound yearnings in the context of such a simple act, Bly elevates the everyday to the realm of the sacred, suggesting that grace and redemption can arrive in the most unassuming guises. "Things to Think" is, at its core, a call to mindfulness and a deeper engagement with the present moment. Bly suggests that by altering our perceptions and expectations, we can uncover the extraordinary within the ordinary, finding beauty, mystery, and meaning in the rhythms of daily life. This poem is a reminder of the capacity for wonder and the infinite potential for discovery that lies within each moment, each encounter, if only we are willing to think in ways we've never thought before. Through this poetic exploration, Bly articulates a philosophy of life that celebrates the imagination's power to transform and enrich our understanding of the world. "Things to Think" stands as an invitation to live more fully, to embrace the unknown with curiosity and openness, and to recognize the miraculous woven into the fabric of the everyday
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CONTEMPLATION OF THE SWORD by ROBINSON JEFFERS AGAINST EXCESS OF SEA OR SUN OR REASON by WILLIAM MEREDITH PROVISION FOR THE HIGHER OZONE BODY by WILL ALEXANDER THE BOOK OF THE DEAD MAN (#65) by MARVIN BELL THE MACHINATIONS OF THE MIND by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR WHY FOOL AROUND? by STEPHEN DOBYNS POPHAM OF THE NEW SONG: 1 by NORMAN DUBIE |
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