Looking for something in the Sunday paper,
I flipped by accident through Local Weddings,
Yet missed the photograph until I saw
Your name among the headings.
And there you were, looking almost unchanged,
Your hair still long, though now long out of style,
And you still wore that stiff and serious look
You called a smile.
I felt as though we sat there face to face.
My stomach tightened. I read the item through.
It said too much about both families,
Too little about you.
Finished at last, I threw the paper down,
Stung by jealousy, my mind aflame,
Hating this man, this stranger whom you loved,
This printed name.
And yet I clipped it out to put away
Inside a book like something I might use,
A scrap I knew I wouldn't read again
But couldn't bear to lose.
--Dana Gioia
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2 comments:
i actually like this poem. i must admit most poetry is too lofty for my simple mind. for some reason i can't seem to 'get' most of it. this one touched my heart and felt more like a story. if i was smarter i guess i would know what kind of poetry this is because i'm sure it has a name.
thanks for the cool blog... maybe if i keep reading... i might advance some brain cells:-)
miss priss,
Thank you for stopping by my blog. I'm sure you don't have a simple mind. I don't "get" most poetry either. So there!
Gioia's poem is a traditional form of poetry, not the ultra-popular modern style of free verse which often has no rhyme or rhythm (or reason!). This poem's rhyme scheme is a simple ABCB (where the second and fourth lines rhyme.) You're correct--it does tell a story, and I think all good poetry does. The simple wordage and easy rhyme of "The Sunday News" do a lot to make the story dance.
In light of your comment, my suggestion to you is this: When it comes to poetry, just keep doing what you're doing---read what touches your heart.
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