Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Carol Frost's poem "Books" is a reflective and evocative exploration of the power of literature and the transformative impact it has on the reader's consciousness. Through rich imagery and a journey from confusion to enlightenment, the poem captures the enchantment of discovering language and stories, and how they shape our understanding of the world and ourselves.

The poem opens with a seemingly simple yet profound statement: "There was a mongrel and Dick and Jane. / They didn't make sense." This reference to the iconic children's book characters, Dick and Jane, introduces the initial confusion and struggle with language and meaning that many experience when first learning to read. The "Alphabet in pieces; stumbling tongue, as if salted; fingertip slowing the voice, / making the ear not err" vividly depicts the painstaking process of learning to read, where each sound and letter must be carefully navigated.

A breakthrough moment comes with "A glimmer, finally, so the sounds spelled a name, naming the picture." This signifies the magical moment of literacy, when the written word begins to make sense and connect with images and meanings. The "paper people and a dog" by the water become a part of the reader's reality, an experience so impactful that forgetting it would require a conscious effort. The "enchantment so strange it took some getting used to" refers to the profound and often disorienting magic of storytelling.

The poem weaves in references to various elements of folklore and mythology, such as "runes and passwords, / Spot's woof which was Cerberus's," and "witch house of icing, velvet forests of wrongs and rights, Lost Boys, wooden Jonah, Marys, sleeping in the dark leaves." These allusions create a tapestry of the diverse and rich worlds that books introduce to the reader. The comparison of Spot’s woof to Cerberus's growl links the familiar with the mythic, highlighting how books merge the mundane with the extraordinary.

The transition to the speaker’s personal experience is marked by the passage of time: "while my cup of milk (tea or wine, later) grew tepid." This indicates how books have been a constant companion through different stages of life. The poem then delves into the deeper emotional and existential impact of reading: "Learning how far my life reached, and where emotion wakened." This line suggests that books have been instrumental in the speaker's self-discovery and emotional growth.

The poem’s imagery becomes more profound and introspective as it describes the experience of being immersed in a book: "I've felt over and over the sense of tumbling through light- and anemone-strewn oceans to the bottom / where I've lain like a slain thing yet breathed." This metaphor captures the total immersion and transformation that can occur when deeply engaged with a story. The reader becomes a part of the world within the book, experiencing a kind of rebirth or renewal through the act of reading.

The struggle to resurface from this literary immersion is depicted with great effort: "able to look up if a sound (someone calling?) broke the surface." This suggests the difficulty of returning to reality after being deeply engaged with a book. However, this return is often accompanied by new insights and clarity, described as "a greener light, as though through a green window, raising all that was saturated, magnified, / from those depths-saving it and storing it up inside." This green light symbolizes new growth, understanding, and the enrichment that literature brings to the reader’s life.

The poem concludes with a poignant reflection on the enduring impact of books: "the once and ever after—the the end." This closing line emphasizes the timeless nature of stories and their lasting influence on the reader. The repetition of "the" underscores the permanence and cyclical nature of literary experiences, where each ending is both a conclusion and a beginning.

"Books" by Carol Frost is a beautifully crafted ode to the transformative power of literature. Through its vivid imagery and reflective tone, the poem captures the journey from initial confusion to profound enlightenment, celebrating the magical and enduring impact of reading on the human soul.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Love_and_Scorn/asOTz7mTOdcC?q=&gbpv=1&bsq=BOOKS#f=false

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