My poet, Kevin Coval, is an American Jew from the suburbs in Chicago, but he feels and expresses a deep connection with the heart of Chicago, specifically the city. Off paper, Coval focuses on bringing together the cosmopolitan community of Chicago by facilitating safe spaces for young people to share their thoughts, art, and poetry. As a poet, Coval focuses on integrating his connection with Chicago and Judaism into his poetry. In last week’s poem, Coval wrote a piece on a bar in Chicago and how he viewed the bar as a microcosm of the city, as he spoke about the interactions and inanimate objects in the room, bringing them to life. The poem also included a graphic of a bar, which Coval wrapped his poem around in a very aesthetic manner. This week’s poem, “Drive-By In Humboldt Park,” isn’t as appealing visually, but what it lacks in graphic art it makes up for in nuanced content.
Coval starts the poem by setting the scene as he describes the park he, or in this case us as the readers, find ourselves in. As he speaks to his readers, he almost breaks the fourth wall as he tells us: “you are hungry,” which further helps him set the scene for the reader. He uses really descriptive words to create imagery, like “crisp,” or “a grey canopy of sky,” which makes the reader feel like they are in that park with him. As I read the poem, I could imagine myself in a gloomy field at a park, with the skies ready to open up and my stomach ready to be fed. Coval then mentions a Puerto Rican woman selling meat from a food stand, and as he talks about her, he uses a nuanced description that seems so subtle yet eloquent. As he describes her actions, he mentions that “her smile [is] a secret she tells everyone,” which is one of the many sophisticated phrases I’ve seen Coval use in this poem and a few others. I know it’s such a minute addition, but I find it to be one of the elements that makes the whole poem so much more enjoyable. This, too, makes me feel as if I’m buying questionable meat at a food stand in the park, where the woman handing me my food has a sweet, sincere smile on her face.
Of course, Coval continues on describing the scene, and toward the end, he includes a brief mention of the presumably Puerto Rican gangs fighting in Humboldt Park. I like this poem because, in an effort to bring the community together, Coval spends time juxtaposing the unity and community he sees in Humboldt with the division and violence he knows to be present there too. It seems like a great way to address conflict in your city while creating a nice piece of poetry, and Coval did just that.
(The Puerto Rican Flag in Humboldt Park, Chicago)
How interesting! I like what you mentioned about the juxtaposition Coval provides about the unity and division within the community. I think it's also a relatable topic, too, as most communities face inner conflicts within themselves no matter how unified they may seem (and it's pretty realistic). It sounds like he was quite detailed in his description, not only about the park, but the people, as well! I feel like I can just picture it in my head.
ReplyDeleteThis poem and poet seem to be very interesting due to the great amount of detail and visual imagery. I love how although he is Jewish, he writes about different communities in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting that the author speaks directly to the reader. This is for sure the best tactic in order to engage the reader. I find it fascinating that works of art have the ability to transport people to different landscapes across the world (in this case Chicago) and acts as an escape the world around them.
ReplyDeleteCoval definitely gives us that juxtaposition to show the varied sides. That's a nice analysis. I'm glad you picked up on a line that you loved - sometimes, even just one small turn of phrase can make or break a piece of literature.
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