The poem is structured in an unconventional form as it is written in free verse. There are six stanzas out of which two are one line stanzas. Each stanza has an irregular number of lines which is quite typical of Krog’s style. There doesn’t seem to be any logical progression in her ideas although each stanza has its own idea. For example, the first stanza which would normally be used to describe the setting is used to dive right into what the poem is about, writing poems. The second one lined stanza describes how she doesn’t have control on what she says in her poems. The third stanza sets the building blocks of the climatic point. The forth stanza is the climax of the poem which is out of the ordinary because usually the climax would be at the end of the poem whereas in this one, it is half way through the poem. The fifth stanza describes the setting and provides the mild shock of her family being beheaded. The final stanza is somewhat enigmatic and somehow provides closure to the poem. The effect of the unconventional structure on the poem is to create an unusual, choppy atmosphere because of the irregular amount of lines per stanza. This choppy atmosphere emphasizes the vivid intensity of the poet’s words and therefore having a stronger impact on the reader.
The language used in this poem seems to be quite vibrant. The poet uses almost scientific terms for some of the body parts she mentions. For example, when she refers to the words leaking ‘down the jugular’ (5), or when she describes ‘molars shredding mouthlinings’ (6), in addition when she refers to her family beheaded ‘with aortas reeling staining’ (16). The use of a vein and artery could symbolize the flow of words in her blood and depict how writing is in her blood. The language seems to be quite formal and is appropriate to the theme of the poem because the poem is about writing, one would expect that the poem should use a vivid choice of words. Also the poet’s use of repetition of the word ‘come’ throughout the 4th stanza could imply how the speaker is desperate for an outlet of her feeling. This would yet again reinforce the reoccurring theme of power of writing which is a characteristic of her work. The use of a vivid choice of words enriches the poem by adding different meanings to her words which is distinctive of Krog’s style.
Krog’s use of imagery throughout this poem conveys her message with emphasis. For example, when she mentions how ‘every word stubbornly’ (1) tilts into writing, the personification there could be interpreted to say that her writing has a mind of its own and how they don’t want to be only a piece of writing but more. She also refers to how ‘it leaks’ (4) strangely. The connotation implied by the word ‘leaks’ is negative, because when something is leaking, the substance leaking is not wanted to be dripping out. This could be interpreted to mean that she has almost full control over what she writes but she cannot control everything. In addition, when the speaker expresses how writing brings ‘mildness afterwards’ (11) it shows the speakers appreciation for writing as she has done before, it could be interpreted as once she has expressed herself she feels relieved after. . A striking feature of imagery in the poem is when the speaker refers to her family being ‘beheaded’ (15), the use of a single word line in the middle of the longest stanza of the poem provides the mild shock of a family without heads. The lines leading up to this line gradually get smaller creating emphasis on piece of imagery. All of these striking examples of imagery convey her message of the power of writing, how it can have a mind of its own, how it can help express oneself. The overall effect this has on the poem is to evoke appreciation for writing, but also note that it can be uncontrollable.
The most prominent sound features used in this poem are literary devices such as alliteration, sibilance, plosives and nasals. For example, Krog refers to the aortas of her family ‘reeling and staining’ (16). The nasal sound implied could be intended to balance out the fricative used in the single word line before, ‘beheaded’ (15), therefore contributing to the undulating tone of the poem. The sibilance used in the next line (‘through the spittlesoft sounds’) reinforces the sound imagery given through the meaning of the words. In addition, when the speaker refers to ‘the blubbering blood swabs’ (18), through the use of alliteration and plosives, it emphasizes the gruesome imagery. The effect of the sounds would be to enhance the meanings of the words hence create an ominous atmosphere.
In conclusion, the impact of the whole poem is quite significant in that it makes the reader see the power of writing. The theme of power of writing is a distinctive feature of Krog’s style and can be seen in her other work such as ‘Nightmare of A Samuel Born Krog’. The poet’s purpose is thoroughly achieved through the more striking literary features such as the imagery, language and the sound. In my personal opinion, the poem is beautifully written although the imagery of the beheading didn’t come as much of a surprise because it is a characteristic of Krog’s style to challenge the modern reader with ideas that no one would want to talk about. This could be seen in the vulgarity of ‘Salad’ or in the questioning of whether she belongs in Africa in ‘How Long’, but overall a very well written poem.
Word Count:
1,198
