Mendi Lewis Obadike's first book of poetry, "Armor and Flesh" is transparent in the themes it attempts to tackle - sexual and racial identity, the battle within the self between love, apathy and anger, articulation and silence. The speaker in Obadike's book is "wanting softness, but "needing hardness." I feel this book is born of trauma, and regardless of whether it is truly an autobiography, is clearly confessional in nature. This is evident not only because of the consistent use of the I, but also the nature of poems, such as "Gassed," which seem only concerned in providing a background (of life events) in which other poems can be considered, as in, the weight of a particular piece cannot survive, but this may act as something as an unconscious influence. Many of the shorter pieces in this book seem far from complete, and in fact, they act more like small connector blocks to drive home the issues of larger more complex ones. For example, "How She Figures," while yes, incredibly vague, could easily attach itself to poems considering the women of Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Caracas, or the confessional pieces involving the inability to speak, or the pieces involving racism. I think "Tug of War" works in much the same way, as a poem standing on one leg, which has no particular context, but existiing as an elaboration on other pieces. "Strategy" also applies here ("She sneezes/on the chance/someone will bless her"). When I consider that for this class, we are studying how a book is created, thematically and structurally, I see Obadike's "connectors" as immature and not quite thought out, perhaps poems which were started but never finished, yet could have been stanzas in other pieces.
It is immediately noticeable that Obedike lacks a mature and refreshing language with which to tackle these issues. There are perhaps a few lines which I might not have heard before, but certainly I have seen all of her forms before. She relies on the audience's cultural connection with her experiences, such as our knowledge of racism in the South, the Rodney King decision, a cursory knowledge of the hardship ridden lives of Haitian women, to engage us, rather than attempting to redefine our perceptions, deepen them. Also, her extensive use of the shadow poem reveals to me that she is more comfortable working with the language and form of others, rather than inventing her own (not to mention her use of song lyrics). It is a shame to me, that in trying to articulate a unique and personal experience, one which, in its human suffering and identity confusion, many could emotionally connect with, she makes little attempt to confront cliche. An amazing example of this is "Excess Makeup Reverie" where she speaks of the woman as wearing a makeup mask. Although, I am unaware of whether her work is mostly cliche, or just unoriginal, or maybe didn't go through enough revision.
This book was disappointing, but I feel I have learned, in a sense, what not to do with a book of poems. How blatant connections and language can ruin the mystery and complexity of poetry, and how shadow poems can be used as a crutch.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
I Don't Know...Maybe I Just Don't Like the Pictures...?
The most intriguing aspect of Ondaatje's ...Billy the Kid is his understanding of poetry. There is gong to be much debate whether or not his foray into poetry was worthwhile; however, his UNDERSTANDING of the beast is what fascinates me.
While for the most part his poetic pattern is lower-cased, three stanza, almost no articles, it fascinates me that he tries to take a turn for the nuanced in poems such as that on page 29--a mirror poem, though I'm having a hard time understanding precisely what it is that made him decide on that tactic. My problem is that there seems to be a desire for him to be a poet rather than his actually being a poet. What I mean to say is, he suffers from many poets’ plight of trying to seem poetic—through such tactics as the mirror poem on page 29.
Though I'd be lying to myself if I said his poetry superseded his prose, I would also be doing his poetry a disservice if I didn't mention his ability to create natural image. That is, he uses language that very intricately gives a tangible depiction of the sensual body, death, and fear. Poems such as that on page 11 show Ondaatje’s ability to work within image strongly and creatively: “moving across the world on horses / body split at the edge of their necks / neck sweat at eating at my jeans”. His imagery is very visceral and it leaves nothing to the imagination (thank Jah). However, that’s not to say that at times his word choice takes a turn for the campy and incredibly trite, as in the poem on page 16 when describing his ejaculation as “love juice” (which, for all those interested, is also the title of a cheesy J-Pop song). But, I have to wonder if his word choice is a product of the need to explore the indiscretion of the “Wild West” and one of its biggest heroes, Billy the Kid?
By far and away the most uninteresting aspect of the book is the use of physical images--that is, the photography. Though they are historical in terms of their attachment to the literal reading of the "Wild West", they underscore the ability of the words to do the work for themselves. There is something to say for the scrapbooking nature of the book, but I wonder if, perhaps, the use of images is nothing more than an immature poet’s way to collide literal image with lyrical image?
However, something that I'd like to explore is the use of blank picture frames at what seems to be the beginning of a new era in the character of Billy the Kid. Those moments, indicated with a square of empty space and italicized words, not only do the work of preparation. They seem to forcibly open the readers mind to something new. This image is the most important in terms of a literal picture on the page.
Whether or not the prose outshines the poetry, one thing that I almost refused to do was force meaning on the words through the images. If anything, what I can glean from this book is its attention to capturing what can only be described as the inner monologue/diary of one Mr. Billy the Kid. Though journal-esque collections come a dime a dozen, what interests me is the books refusal to answer the question of its historical relevance. The focus should be, not on the accuracy of the times, but rather the accuracy of one character's experiences and interactions.
I also see a common thread among this collection, the Lichtenberg Figures, and The Sonnets: there's most definitely a move to create collages through ideas, styles, images, etc. A poet's collection turns into his obsession, turns into his book of poetry. If that's all that we can get from Ondaatje's poetry, at least that's something fascinating, right?
While for the most part his poetic pattern is lower-cased, three stanza, almost no articles, it fascinates me that he tries to take a turn for the nuanced in poems such as that on page 29--a mirror poem, though I'm having a hard time understanding precisely what it is that made him decide on that tactic. My problem is that there seems to be a desire for him to be a poet rather than his actually being a poet. What I mean to say is, he suffers from many poets’ plight of trying to seem poetic—through such tactics as the mirror poem on page 29.
Though I'd be lying to myself if I said his poetry superseded his prose, I would also be doing his poetry a disservice if I didn't mention his ability to create natural image. That is, he uses language that very intricately gives a tangible depiction of the sensual body, death, and fear. Poems such as that on page 11 show Ondaatje’s ability to work within image strongly and creatively: “moving across the world on horses / body split at the edge of their necks / neck sweat at eating at my jeans”. His imagery is very visceral and it leaves nothing to the imagination (thank Jah). However, that’s not to say that at times his word choice takes a turn for the campy and incredibly trite, as in the poem on page 16 when describing his ejaculation as “love juice” (which, for all those interested, is also the title of a cheesy J-Pop song). But, I have to wonder if his word choice is a product of the need to explore the indiscretion of the “Wild West” and one of its biggest heroes, Billy the Kid?
By far and away the most uninteresting aspect of the book is the use of physical images--that is, the photography. Though they are historical in terms of their attachment to the literal reading of the "Wild West", they underscore the ability of the words to do the work for themselves. There is something to say for the scrapbooking nature of the book, but I wonder if, perhaps, the use of images is nothing more than an immature poet’s way to collide literal image with lyrical image?
However, something that I'd like to explore is the use of blank picture frames at what seems to be the beginning of a new era in the character of Billy the Kid. Those moments, indicated with a square of empty space and italicized words, not only do the work of preparation. They seem to forcibly open the readers mind to something new. This image is the most important in terms of a literal picture on the page.
Whether or not the prose outshines the poetry, one thing that I almost refused to do was force meaning on the words through the images. If anything, what I can glean from this book is its attention to capturing what can only be described as the inner monologue/diary of one Mr. Billy the Kid. Though journal-esque collections come a dime a dozen, what interests me is the books refusal to answer the question of its historical relevance. The focus should be, not on the accuracy of the times, but rather the accuracy of one character's experiences and interactions.
I also see a common thread among this collection, the Lichtenberg Figures, and The Sonnets: there's most definitely a move to create collages through ideas, styles, images, etc. A poet's collection turns into his obsession, turns into his book of poetry. If that's all that we can get from Ondaatje's poetry, at least that's something fascinating, right?
Billy the Kid
From only my brief past knowledge of BTK, as well as what I've discovered following a brief perusal on the Wikipedia, I find that the element of paradox strikes the very core of his mythic legend. A man who lusted for murder and the occasional Mexican sombrero should, by all conventional standards, be reviled in his cloak of infamy. This was (is) not the case for young Billy, however, whose mythical status is still adored/disputed by contemporary historians and occasionally families through oral tradition. As it is difficult for these qualities to effectively coexist, here is Ondaatje's The Collected Works of Billy the Kid which mixes historical account and multi-layered mythology through the juxtaposition of poetry and prose. The text blends a variety of perspectives in order to establish a frequently filth-laden account that feels surprisingly natural, even when considering the jarring collision that comes from stylistic shifts. I appreciate the recurrent mention of characters (as with Sally Chisum), although I felt more inclined to drink in the lack of stability in overall terms of narration; narration is probably the wrong word, but rather the sense of credible authenticity. This is much like history more broadly, cultivated from news clippings and word of mouth that eventually build legend. Take “The Kid Tells All” (81), which incorporates an account of the conflicting character traits for which the Kid stands; “I: But you were wanted for cattle rustling weren’t you?. Yes… [but] they had to practically catch me with stolen cattle in my bed.” Ondaatje occasionally facilitates this kind of humor when constructing pieces within the collection; in this case, it paints Billy as a somewhat likeable, certainly accessible, hero of sorts. The counterpoint to this argument is that he is allegedly performing this interview from jail, with the Texas Star granted rights to exclusivity. The selected images of BTK accompany the media fixation well, and Ondaatje manages to keep the focus fresh despite the relatively narrow scope of the surface subject matter. One of the poems, on page 27, utilizes a dark agenda (involving internal damage) with a strict poetic device. Through the variance in the lenses, Ondaatje’s collection provides a surprisingly deep pool for interpretation that likely makes a statement about myth in perpetuity more generally.
the ORIGINAL btk --- found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_the_kid
The Collected Works of Billy The Kid by Michael Ondaatje is a story stooped in fantasism and legend. Ondaatje attempts to enter the mind of the American West’s most famous celebrities. Not one of Hollywood though. Rather, Ondaatje brings the reader through the life of the western frontiers greatest murderers, Billy the Kid.
The book is sprinkled with both prose and lyrical poetry. Ondaatje tries numerous different forms of writing, and often even includes pictures in order to make his case. This allows him to penetrate the minds of different types of readers, and accommodates for many different preferences. He begins a piece of prose in all italics accompanied by a “pictures”. This picture however is just a blank box, leaving the readers imagination to figure out what lies between its lines. The first line of this italicized piece of prose reads “I send you a picture of Billy…”. Right off the bat Ondaatje wishes the reader to begin picturing Billy the Kid, because from this point on it will be his task to change and alter that picture with stories from his life.
Another great example of the forms Ondaatje expresses is found on page 81 in a piece entitled “The Texas Star March 1881. The Kid Tells All: ‘Exclusive Jail Interview’”. On display here is a completely unique way of attacking the poetic form. This long question and answer session allows Ondaatje to fill the reader in on a large amount of information about Billy’s life, without ever having to say it. He lets Billy tell all, in response to questions from a reporter (who might as well be the reader). One of my favorite lines in this sequence is the interviewer’s third question asking “I: You were reported as saying, as adding, to that phrase – ‘If I make it’ when asked that question before. B: Well, sometimes I feel more confident that at others”. These lines not only made me chuckle, but also really helped capture an overall theme of the novel.
In looking at the poetry in the book verses the prose I find that they have a strong symbiotic relationship. The prose is much more story based, and we learn a lot about interactions and specific stories relating to Billy. The poetry is much vaguer, and I see it as a venue for Billy’s personally feelings to be unleashed. Less so actions and interactions going on around him, and more so thoughts and even feelings that I believe come straight from Billy himself.
Despite the books lack of consistent poetic form, I find the collage almost soothing, in that I am never bombarded with one type of interpretation. Ondaatje was able to aptly fuse two forms, without either being to constricting, or too overpowering, upon the other.
Ondaatje Response...by me!
In focusing on the formation of Michael Ondaatje’s collection, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, I am left with both inquisitiveness and amazement at the accomplishments of the works. Ondaatje introduces his collection with an empty frame over an italicized description of an unseen picture. Initially, this opening passage filled me with curiosity. The are several references to unidentified things, “the Perry shutter,” “Pyro,” the horses, etc. The frame and caption give explanation to and represents the pictures and specimen the reader finds throughout the book both figuratively and literally. To better understand the purpose of Ondaatje’s introduction, I compared it to that of a movie introduction. If this collection were a movie, the caption would be read while soft music plays in the background as the camera spans across various pictures soon to be encountered in context. Then, the movie begins…
Following the open ended introduction, Ondaatje kicks off his collection with two different opposing poetic styles, poetry and prose. The first poem is frank with minimal detail. “These are the killed.// By me) –” It leave you with several questions, many of which are modestly addressed in the subsequent prose poem on the opposing page. These poems play off of each other in placement and content. In the prose poem, a story is explained. To reference the movie example again, the first poem would be a scene of people being killed. The audience/reader is not sure of who or why. After the violent opening scene, the story begins to unravel and we see people together (as described on page 7) while a voice narrates what’s taking place; then the actors take over….
Throughout the first part of the book, many of the poems serve as narrations. They give brief summaries of general info, while the prose offers more detailed explanations.
During the collection, Ondaatje uses several artistic devices to share the story. The prose, poetry, photographs, interviews, and captions are compiled in a way that leaves you with questions and answers at the same time. Most of the questions arising in the poetry, and being answered in the other included forms. I think the arrangement of different types of writing successfully work in keeping the reader’s attention. The switching up artistic inclusions comes just before the audience may get tired of one writing style. Ondaatje never goes more than four or five pages with the same artistic style. Even the poems have different poetic devices such as spacing (p.53), indentation (p.67), or reflection (p.27) that make each poem different in more than content.
Following the open ended introduction, Ondaatje kicks off his collection with two different opposing poetic styles, poetry and prose. The first poem is frank with minimal detail. “These are the killed.// By me) –” It leave you with several questions, many of which are modestly addressed in the subsequent prose poem on the opposing page. These poems play off of each other in placement and content. In the prose poem, a story is explained. To reference the movie example again, the first poem would be a scene of people being killed. The audience/reader is not sure of who or why. After the violent opening scene, the story begins to unravel and we see people together (as described on page 7) while a voice narrates what’s taking place; then the actors take over….
Throughout the first part of the book, many of the poems serve as narrations. They give brief summaries of general info, while the prose offers more detailed explanations.
During the collection, Ondaatje uses several artistic devices to share the story. The prose, poetry, photographs, interviews, and captions are compiled in a way that leaves you with questions and answers at the same time. Most of the questions arising in the poetry, and being answered in the other included forms. I think the arrangement of different types of writing successfully work in keeping the reader’s attention. The switching up artistic inclusions comes just before the audience may get tired of one writing style. Ondaatje never goes more than four or five pages with the same artistic style. Even the poems have different poetic devices such as spacing (p.53), indentation (p.67), or reflection (p.27) that make each poem different in more than content.
One of the more interesting elements in Ondaatje's Billy the Kid the woven elements of language and texture. Apparently the poet is known for his approach to the senses, but it seems overwhelmingly so in this book. I'm in complete agreeance with Shannon's comment about Ondaatje exploring the myth of Billy the Kid, rather than necessarily the real guy. By using heavily textured/image-rich/sometimes overly romantic and overly emotional language, Ondaatje asks the reader to "come closer" and form a more personal relationship with the myth of Billy. It seems as though one language (that of intensely violent/dark text) is layered and sewn within another language (that of fantastical/mythical text). The passages and poems are dense and compact, like his words are meant to be taken seriously, almost like we should be reading BTK as a biography and not as a "Collected Works."
It seems like he's really dealing with a push and pull of formal vs. content. On the obvious side, there is a super strong tension between the poetry and the prose. Added into the mix is the graphic images, for example on page 13 after the Charlie Bowdre poem, or the interview on pages 81-84 (is that real or created? I love the idea of putting something into a book that you wrote but it looks like you didn't. Ondaatje is basically begging the reader to step out of their comfort zone and experience his work beyond the typical "poem-poem-poem-poem" structure. While I was reading I was sufficiently uncomfortable with the graphics and also with the constant change in form. However, after analyzing my reaction, I'm pretty sure this is how Ondaatje wanted the Works to be heard/felt/experienced. Considering the text relies on image and sensory detail, it seems to be a primary concern to him that the reader is communicating and gripping each section (prose, graphic, poem) for what it is, rather than what it is not.
Going along with an idea that Nicolette brought up, I also feel that death is so commonplace and mundane in the community brought forth in Billy the Kid that you're essentially forced to pay attention to other stories going on in the book. Normally death is pretty shocking, but it seems as though Ondaatje would rather focus on multiple lives rather than the numerous deaths and killings.
It seems like he's really dealing with a push and pull of formal vs. content. On the obvious side, there is a super strong tension between the poetry and the prose. Added into the mix is the graphic images, for example on page 13 after the Charlie Bowdre poem, or the interview on pages 81-84 (is that real or created? I love the idea of putting something into a book that you wrote but it looks like you didn't. Ondaatje is basically begging the reader to step out of their comfort zone and experience his work beyond the typical "poem-poem-poem-poem" structure. While I was reading I was sufficiently uncomfortable with the graphics and also with the constant change in form. However, after analyzing my reaction, I'm pretty sure this is how Ondaatje wanted the Works to be heard/felt/experienced. Considering the text relies on image and sensory detail, it seems to be a primary concern to him that the reader is communicating and gripping each section (prose, graphic, poem) for what it is, rather than what it is not.
Going along with an idea that Nicolette brought up, I also feel that death is so commonplace and mundane in the community brought forth in Billy the Kid that you're essentially forced to pay attention to other stories going on in the book. Normally death is pretty shocking, but it seems as though Ondaatje would rather focus on multiple lives rather than the numerous deaths and killings.
The Myth of Billy the Kid
It has come to my attention while reading previous posts that a great amount of attention is given to the "informative" or historical accounts/pieces within this work. I think, coming to this piece, especially if it is with only a cursory knowledge of Billy the Kid, it is only natural to look for sign posts or guides into the "real life" and "real person" of "William Bonney" (his birth name was Henry McCarty). However, I see Ondaatje's project here as a look into the nature of myth, with the clear intent of challenging and complicating our view of yes, a historical person, but more essentially, a name, a time, and a way of life (the outlaw).
To me, this intent was made clear on the first page, which is conviently lacking the photograph that is referred to in the prose underneath. I feel that the blank photograph is an introduction about what the reader really knows about Billy the Kid- nothing. A photograph of him is given on the book's cover, and yet Ondaatje chooses within the book's pages not to represent Billy, but the acquaintances and settings in which he interacted. There are a fem moments where Billy (as the speaker) recalls certain photographs taken of him, but these are never shown. I believe this allows Ondaatje the free reign to construct a theoretical universe for Billy in which what is believed to be known contends with the unknown.
In speaking about the relationship in the book between "prosaic" sections (most all of which I catagorize as prose poems) and the "poetic" sections, I agree their is a tension. The imagination of the poems where Billy interprets his the memories of his life (the deaths he witnessed, his friends, the western landscape) are beautiful (not childish, as someone else mentioned), haunting, and provide a complex emotional character. I do not believe Ondaatje created a coherent character, but a many-faceted amalgamation of conflict. Just as society as a whole is unable to agree on his character, his horror or his heroism, the reader is unable to get a clear idea of what Billy thought of himself. This is often brought up in the recurring them of madness. A particularly telling image of Billy, I think, occurs on page 33, when he recounts an experience with Sallie Chisum. He places her in the bath with her bedsheet wrapped around her, lifts her out, and watches while she tries to escape from the entanglement - all used as an illustration for "a mad man's skin." I feel here that Billy's mind, his ego, and his violence are all struggling in the net that legend has wrapped around him.
Despite this being my second time reading this book, I felt with immediacy again the confusion imposed on the reader by Ondaatje's inverted chronology and multiple speakers (some of which must be guessed by context). (Actually, I was suprised when I accidentally read a poem in the voice of Billy, when it actually turned out to be Garrett.) Again, I feel this confusion further contributes to the inability to grasp a clear picture.
One thing I found particularly interesting was the tension between Sallie's rather ambiguous accounts in juxtaposition with the later portrayal of her complicated (perverse?) affair with Billy. I love Sallie's description of Billy as "a courteous little gentleman" who was "the pink of politeness."This image is certainly difficult to reconcile with the image of him watching her naked struggle in a mad man's skin.
Rather than looking for the truth in any of the events and relationships Ondaatje portrayed in the book, I reveled in his imagination of Billy's mind. I feel "getting into the mind of the myth" is really what drives the piece, and collects together all of its disjunct parts. One of the most artful and moving books of poetry I have ever read.
To me, this intent was made clear on the first page, which is conviently lacking the photograph that is referred to in the prose underneath. I feel that the blank photograph is an introduction about what the reader really knows about Billy the Kid- nothing. A photograph of him is given on the book's cover, and yet Ondaatje chooses within the book's pages not to represent Billy, but the acquaintances and settings in which he interacted. There are a fem moments where Billy (as the speaker) recalls certain photographs taken of him, but these are never shown. I believe this allows Ondaatje the free reign to construct a theoretical universe for Billy in which what is believed to be known contends with the unknown.
In speaking about the relationship in the book between "prosaic" sections (most all of which I catagorize as prose poems) and the "poetic" sections, I agree their is a tension. The imagination of the poems where Billy interprets his the memories of his life (the deaths he witnessed, his friends, the western landscape) are beautiful (not childish, as someone else mentioned), haunting, and provide a complex emotional character. I do not believe Ondaatje created a coherent character, but a many-faceted amalgamation of conflict. Just as society as a whole is unable to agree on his character, his horror or his heroism, the reader is unable to get a clear idea of what Billy thought of himself. This is often brought up in the recurring them of madness. A particularly telling image of Billy, I think, occurs on page 33, when he recounts an experience with Sallie Chisum. He places her in the bath with her bedsheet wrapped around her, lifts her out, and watches while she tries to escape from the entanglement - all used as an illustration for "a mad man's skin." I feel here that Billy's mind, his ego, and his violence are all struggling in the net that legend has wrapped around him.
Despite this being my second time reading this book, I felt with immediacy again the confusion imposed on the reader by Ondaatje's inverted chronology and multiple speakers (some of which must be guessed by context). (Actually, I was suprised when I accidentally read a poem in the voice of Billy, when it actually turned out to be Garrett.) Again, I feel this confusion further contributes to the inability to grasp a clear picture.
One thing I found particularly interesting was the tension between Sallie's rather ambiguous accounts in juxtaposition with the later portrayal of her complicated (perverse?) affair with Billy. I love Sallie's description of Billy as "a courteous little gentleman" who was "the pink of politeness."This image is certainly difficult to reconcile with the image of him watching her naked struggle in a mad man's skin.
Rather than looking for the truth in any of the events and relationships Ondaatje portrayed in the book, I reveled in his imagination of Billy's mind. I feel "getting into the mind of the myth" is really what drives the piece, and collects together all of its disjunct parts. One of the most artful and moving books of poetry I have ever read.
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