Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Kenneth Koch's "Let Us Praise the Elephant" is a celebratory and rhythmic poem that exalts the elephant’s strength and majesty while also reflecting on its impact on the environment. Through a mix of playful language, repetition, and vivid imagery, Koch captures the essence of the elephant as a powerful and transformative force in nature.

The poem opens with a call to honor the elephant: "Let us praise the elephant / Oooh hooo bando!" This invocation sets a tone of reverence and excitement, inviting readers to join in the celebration. The use of nonsensical sounds like "Oooh hooo bando!" adds a musical quality to the poem, emphasizing the joy and energy of the praise.

Koch then describes the elephant as "severe and great," highlighting its imposing presence and significance. The phrase "Ohh hah bando lai go shi" continues the playful, rhythmic pattern established in the opening lines, reinforcing the celebratory mood.

The poem contrasts the "manageable elephant" with the "unmanageable tree," suggesting that while the elephant itself can be guided and revered, it has the power to bring down even the most steadfast and robust elements of nature. The exclamation "Hoo tai yan!" expresses awe at this capability.

As the elephant "tears down" the unmanageable tree, the poem shifts to the idea of creating something new from the destruction: "We will make a town - Ban do he mai ho shi!" This line suggests a transformation, where the broken branches and remnants of the tree are repurposed into a "Wooden city." The repetition of "bando" and "ho shi" enhances the rhythmic and incantatory quality of the poem, as if the words themselves are part of a ritual or chant.

The poem culminates in a vision of a "town of broken branches / Wooden city!" This imagery conveys a sense of resilience and creativity, where the aftermath of the elephant's power is not merely destruction but the foundation for new beginnings. The final lines, "The elephant brings it down - / Man gai no chi!" reiterate the elephant's role as a powerful agent of change, capable of shaping the landscape.

"Let Us Praise the Elephant" uses a blend of playful language, rhythmic repetition, and vivid imagery to celebrate the elephant's grandeur and its impact on the environment. Koch's poem invites readers to marvel at the elephant’s strength and to recognize the potential for creation and transformation inherent in its actions. Through its joyous and dynamic expression, the poem captures the awe-inspiring presence of the elephant and its ability to inspire both reverence and renewal.

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