Marianne Moore was an American modernist poet known for her precise, careful use of language and her interest in a wide range of subjects, from nature and animals to literature and culture. Born in Missouri in 1887, Moore moved to New York City as a young woman and became involved in the vibrant literary scene of the city.
Moore's poetry is characterized by its formal structure, often featuring tightly rhymed and metered verse. However, she also had a unique style that combined elements of traditional and modern poetry, making her work distinctive and hard to classify.
One of the most notable features of Moore's poetry is her use of language. She was known for her love of words and her interest in the way they could be used to convey meaning and emotion. She often employed unusual words and phrases in her poems, drawing from a wide range of sources including science, philosophy, and literature. This, combined with her precise and careful use of language, gives her poetry a sense of intellectual rigor and depth.
Another important aspect of Moore's poetry is her focus on the natural world. Many of her poems are inspired by her observations of animals and the natural environment, and she often used these subjects as a way to explore larger themes and ideas. For example, in her poem "The Fish," Moore uses the image of a fish as a way to meditate on the complexities of the natural world and the mysteries of the sea.
Moore's poetry also often reflects her interest in culture and literature. She was well-read and had a deep knowledge of literature and art, which is evident in her references to other writers and artists in her poems. In addition, she often used her poetry to comment on social and political issues of the time, such as the role of women in society and the dangers of war.
In summary, Marianne Moore was a highly respected and influential modernist poet known for her precise use of language and her interest in a wide range of subjects, including nature, animals, literature, and culture. Her poetry is characterized by its formal structure, unique style, and focus on the natural world, culture, and social and political issues.
Poetry by Marianne Moore
But already she gives us some examples of what she means: Hands that can grasp, eyes that can dilate, hair that can rise if it must… Though Aristotle says in the Poetics that poetry is superior to history because of its ability to express universals, The reason we should attend to such quotidian realities, moreover, might come as something of a surprise. She herself is credited with this turn of phrase, and it seems like the use of quotation marks are more tongue-in-cheek there's that humor again than serious citation. What makes something poetry, anyway? The seashore is shown dead, broken and forlorn with the negative imagery in the poem. And why would the speaker choose them to elaborate her metaphor? Nothing spells big and dumb like that image. The poems come from the collection 'Mean Time ' and both have themes of love, loss and regret.
Poetry Study Guide
Just like the oceans are connected to form one big body of water, the first line is connected to the title of the poem to form a stanza. It seems like a pretty simple distinction, but when you really start to noodle it through, it can get confusing. Plain, useful things like hands and eyes are good material for poetry as opposed to difficult things people do not understand. Hey—does that remind you of anything? Or, put it this way: poetry gives voice to the things that are, and thus in a sense speaks the world into existence for the reader. She died in 1972 in New York City. At least, that's what our speaker would argue. GradeSaver, 14 February 2017 Web.
Poetry “Poetry” Summary and Analysis
Only when poets become "literalists of the imagination"—use their imaginative capacities to reveal or engage with something "genuine"—can they achieve something that, in the speaker's view, deserves to be called poetry. Her later works include a translation of The Fables of La Fontaine 1954 ; Like a Bulwark 1956 ; O, to Be a Dragon 1959 ; Tell Me, Tell Me: Granite, Steel, and Other Topics 1966 ; and The Complete Poems of Marianne Moore 1967 , which was reissued in 1981 with revisions to early poems and additional poems written later in life. It would be possible; but is it really necessary? Such ordinary things ought to be the stuff of poetry. The title itself should be read together with the first line of the first stanza to form the line, "The fish wade through the black jade. Both the sea and cliff are symbolically stand for the endurance and patience.
