The poem I chose this week is about Hurricane Katrina and its effect on New Orleans in 2005. The hurricane destroyed the whole city and left it devastated to have to be brought back to life, defying all odds. The poem begins by saying that there is “a lake the size of outstretched arms.” It goes on to say that this is not a normal lake. This is a lake that shows hardship and resilience. “There are children swimming here…” and making the most of the situation they were faced with.
It is very interesting that the poem depicts something so terrible and creates happiness and shows their strength throughout. A couple times in the poem, it says one thing and then goes on to juxtapose what you think the conclusion is and leading us to a more positive conclusion. For example, one of the lines says that “the droplets ricochet...and roll down the side of the boy’s cheek. No, the boy is not using the water to hide his tears. He is laughing.” Instead of the conclusion the reader originally drew that the splashing water was to conceal his tears, Smith tells us that the water is actually the boy laughing. He is laughing in awe of the size of the water, as he has never before seen water overtake a city--his city. I find it reassuring that Smith takes this terrible occurrence and shows their resilience in this poem.
That juxtaposition you described makes reading more interesting, to me at least. The mini plot-twist-like shifts in focus or tone helps me stay somewhat focused because you have to pay attention to notice those shifts.
ReplyDeleteI really do like the juxtaposition that you pointed out. It's as if there are two different meanings! I like that the resilience was spotted as well.
ReplyDeleteThe subversion of expectations in the poem seems to really highlight how people are able to stay hopeful and optimistic even in the most trying times.
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