Essay #2 Sierra Logan

Poem evaluation

Mary Karr’s writing “Field of Skulls” is a short but vivid poem that delves into some of the deepest of human thoughts. I choose this particular poem because of the depth and darkness that is represents. When reading poetry I almost expect it to either rhyme or use small subtle words to get their points across in a simple sounding flow. This poem changed my expectations for writing and reading poems and gave me new insight on how to form and read a poem. The poem contains many big words that helps create the image of human fear and the mental thought process. Words that made the paper in this poem were such as, predisposed, disgruntled, azaleas, intricate and scrim.

            The tone of this poem is fast pace but has many pauses to let what is being said really sink in. The beginning of the poem starts of by stating “Stare hard enough at the fabric of the night and if you’re predisposed to dark- let’s say the window you’ve picked is a black postage stamp you spend hours at.”[Karr lines 1-4] The poem doesn’t have any form of rhyming present but Mary does reuse words like “black” and “night” to create a darker image for the setting. Since the poem is based on the visuals of a field full of bodies, Karr doesn’t hesitate to bring up past leaders who we know killed many people, most being innocent. She mentions how “our history lists monsters like Adolf and Uncle Joe who stalk the earth’s orb, plus minor baby-eaters unidentified, probably in you very midst.”[Karr lines 13-17]

            This poem is all about imagery and not just physical imagery but mental emotion. A good example of this is the detail he uses to explain what a field of skulls would look like. She writes “For you: a field of skulls, angled jaws and eye sockets, a zillion scooped-out crania. They’re plane once you think to look.”[Karr lines 10-12] All of your senses are being talked about throughout this poem which really adds to the imagery. Although it describes someone sitting and staring at a dark window, the thoughts Karr creates are heavy and distressing. She gives you an image but leaves spaces empty for the reader to personally connect with the emotion and fill in the blanks themselves. The questions asked are very open-ended and makes you think about the reality of the situation and the fear we live with daily. Most of us just don’t let ourselves dive into that thought process and this poem does a phenomenal job at opening up that side of our existence. The poem finishes stating “Let’s say they do press towards you against night’s scrim- could they not stare with slack jawed envy at the fine flesh that covers your scalp, the numbered hairs, at the force your hands hold?” [Karr lines 29-33]

Work cited

Karr, Mary “Field of Skulls” Viper Rum. New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1993. 15 September, 2011 http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171884