My poet Kevin Coval often connects his Jewish heritage to his community in Chicago. Born and raised, he expresses a deep connection with his city of Chicago and usually uses very descriptive, colorful, and captivating language that entices the reader to read one line after another. In his poem “Ode To The Old Barbers,” Coval’s writing style follows suit as he describes his experience in a Chicago barbershop, once again using really impressive analogies and descriptive language.
Coval sets the scene by describing the Polish barber he chose, but what makes the poem so interesting is that he doesn’t actually say the barber is Polish. He sprinkles in innuendos about their food and appearance, and he mentions the polish radio station they had playing. Coval only reveals the barber’s nationality more explicitly when he mentions that he “told them [his] bubbe was polish” and Coval and the barber “joked [they] were cousins.” Pretty straightforward, more or less, but what’s actually interesting is how he connects the story to his Jewish heritage. He continues by recognizing that “the mother country rounded [his bubbe’s] kin into pogroms,” which almost contrasts the previous comment about them being cousins. It’s like they are both brought together in a barbershop in Chicago, yet Coval remembers the injustices committed by the Polish to their fellow Jews. But, once again, Coval doesn’t explicitly make this connection. Instead, he makes this ambiguous reference about the barber’s heritage and Coval’s bubbe and leaves it to the reader to make that connection.
While there are like 10 other things I could discuss in the rest of this poem, what really caught my eye was a fun little phrase Coval included in the end. He describes his haircut, like the sharp edges of his hairline, and mentions that he was “feelin’ like a million bucks for twelve,” which really impressed me. Like my last blog said, it can be one or two lines a poet includes that can change the entire impression a poem has on its reader. Also, $12 for a haircut is, like, a really great deal!
Wow. Poetry is honestly very impactful. I feel like all poets kinda say really simple stuff using large words so it makes us feel like they're so complex. I liked all the references to haircuts in this though. If you've got a good cut you feel good no question. I like ya cut.
ReplyDeleteg
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how your poet ties together the pogroms in Europe to a barbershop in Chicago. It just shows how impactful our heritage is in how we perceive the world and react to it. My own unique heritage is not just a recollection of my past, but an integral part of my identity. I think the poet does a great job of conveying that.
ReplyDelete