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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Lunar Baedeker" is a surrealist poem by Mina Loy that was published in 1923. The poem is divided into four parts, each of which contains short, fragmented lines that create a dreamlike, disjointed atmosphere. The poem explores themes of femininity, desire, and the mysteries of the universe. The title "Lunar Baedeker" references a travel guide, suggesting that the poem is a guidebook for exploring the lunar landscape of the mind. The poem presents a series of surreal images and metaphors, such as "Glittering ships on a desert sea," and "The indelicate pointed horoscope / Proclaims the instant whore." These metaphors suggest the fluidity and impermanence of identity and desire. The poem also plays with language and sound, using alliteration, internal rhyme, and repetition to create a musical quality. For example, "Moonmoth and grasshopper die / Under the still microscope's eye" uses alliteration and repetition to create a sense of rhythm and flow. Overall, "Lunar Baedeker" is a complex and intriguing poem that explores the boundaries of language and the mysteries of the human experience.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BLACK RIVIERA by MARK JARMAN GREEN SEES THINGS IN WAVES by AUGUST KLEINZAHLER WITH A BOTTLE OF BLUE NUN TO ALL MY FRIENDS by MADELINE DEFREES NEAR THE BRIDGE OF SAINT-CLOUD; AFTER ROUSSEAU by NORMAN DUBIE THE BUS STOPPED IN FIELDS OF MISDEMEANOR by NORMAN DUBIE |
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