Sifting through the list of poets took a lot longer than I expected, but when I stumbled upon Kay Ryan, I liked her relatable poems and writing style. The poem that I chose is called, “The Best of It”. The poem is very short, and I’d encourage you to read it. In 13 lines, Ryan explores how ‘we’ look on the bright side of every situation. She uses the example of a garden being reduced to 1 beanstalk and celebrating its growth. Ryan is able to, in just 2 sentences, not only discuss how people are able to look on the bright side, but also make the reader think about how s/he should be more grateful for the things that they do have.
By using the word ‘we’ in her poem, she insinuates that looking on the bright side is a universal truth. Keeping the poem short, Ryan is able to make the reader introspective. I found this combination of optimism and reflection left me wanting more, and made me think about my own life — it made for a great poem. Especially today, in our COVID world, our lives and social lives have been “carved up” and “pared down” in the same way that Ryan discusses in her poem. Ryan suggests that we, as humans, “make the best of it” and I agree with that sentiment. It’s not often that we stop and reflect, but this poem made me do just that. I wondered, am I making the best out of this situation?
Very interesting great poem
ReplyDeleteAh, I really liked this poem, thank you for including it at the end! I think your analogy with COVID was really well-suited for this and it definitely had me overthinking my own life a bit. Maybe 'we' should all be a little more optimistic and grateful in our day-to-day lives.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great way to look at life especially in the hard times in life is when it is most important to embrace this message in order to keep a positive mindset.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. This poem is perfect to read during a time like this when our lives are limited; however, during these past few months I had the opportunity to reflect on how great life was before Covid and how much I took things for granted.
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