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LAND SURVEYOR, FR. LIBRETTOS FOR EROS, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

In "Land Surveyor" from *Librettos for Eros* by Forrest Gander, we are immersed in a visceral and unflinching portrayal of a surveyor's return from the wilderness. The poem vividly captures the physical and emotional toll of his labor, using stark and often unsettling imagery to convey his experience.

The opening lines immediately set a raw and gritty tone, describing the surveyor with "beggar ticks in his pubis" and "the light syrup stink of urine on his jeans." These details evoke a sense of discomfort and disarray, underscoring the harsh realities of his work. The description of his "Godawful b.o." and the "brown blood stains in the unmade / Sheets" further accentuates the poem's unfiltered approach to depicting human and natural grime.

Gander's use of sensory language is relentless. The "ferruginous odor of her period" introduces a metallic scent that contrasts with the earthiness of the surveyor's experiences. This olfactory imagery is powerful, grounding the reader in the physicality of the moment. The juxtaposition of the surveyor's prayer-like "Holy holy holy" with his expression of aversion to the "copperhead in the copple-stones" and the "brown / Recluse making its nest in my underwear" creates a tension between reverence and repulsion.

The poem's catalog of irritants—"poison sumac poison ivy poison huckleberry"—serves to amplify the surveyor's discomfort. Gander's listing technique, along with the repeated "poison," heightens the sense of an environment teeming with threats. This litany of hazards extends to the "ganglia of blackened liana" and "bowers of meshed kudzu," where the surveyor's step is troubled by the invasive and entangling vegetation.

Gander's language continues to evoke a visceral response with phrases like "spraddle-legged dumps" and the "degenerate itching of my locust-leaf-wiped butthole." These crude images are presented unapologetically, emphasizing the raw, unrefined nature of the surveyor's experience. The poem does not shy away from the grotesque, but rather embraces it as a fundamental aspect of the human condition when immersed in the wild.

The surveyor's reflections on his physical trials are interwoven with a broader contemplation of his place in the natural world. The imagery of "tents of webworms" and "striped leeches / From bruised ankles" speaks to the pervasive presence of life, even in its most unpleasant forms. His encounter with "outrageous arachnids" whose "eggsacks burst and crawled / Every slake and chine of my sopranic skin" illustrates an intimate and invasive relationship with the environment.

The poem shifts from these immediate, tactile experiences to a more existential consideration. The surveyor's unwitting contact with "dead things nailed to fenceposts" and his imagination running wild with "bodies and parts of bodies in the footsucking weedlots" suggest a preoccupation with mortality and decay. The "crack of limbs in wheezing copses" evokes both the fragility and persistence of life in the wilderness.

In the closing lines, the surveyor finds a moment of respite and contemplation. The "moon backsliding coolly from blue slips of cloud" over "bare semi-dark autumn fields" offers a stark contrast to the earlier chaos and discomfort. This celestial imagery provides a sense of tranquility and detachment, allowing the surveyor to momentarily escape the physical and mental trials he has endured. The stars "smoke / dimly for anyone" suggest a universal, though faint, sense of hope and peace.

"Land Surveyor" is a powerful exploration of the intersection between the human body and the natural world. Through Gander's unflinching and evocative language, we are given a profound sense of the surveyor's arduous journey and his complex relationship with the environment. The poem's vivid imagery and sensory details create a compelling narrative that delves into themes of discomfort, survival, and the search for peace amidst chaos.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Deeds_of_Utmost_Kindness/zDvHBwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22And+came+home+with+beggar+ticks+in+his+pubis%22+gander&pg=PA53&printsec=frontcover


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