After reading “Some transcendent Addiction to the Useless”( pg 108) , I have came to my interpretation of it. Beginning with the title and connecting it with the poem, I believe it is saying that it almost seems like we are addicted to what doesn’t help us. Lines 4-9 says “ You’re supposed to unthread the needle. It will be a lifetime task.” These lines indicate to me that when we are in a specifically difficult situation to get out of, that is when we have trouble disconnecting ourselves from it. Connecting it with an addiction of any sort, you almost feel like that addiction has become part of who you are regardless of how helpless it is, it is also what feels like it will take forever to completely leave alone. I feel like I have an idea of what the poem is interpreting but I still have some questions about it,
1. There are many poems in the book that are left justified, why did the poet decide to center this?
2. Why does It say/ mention the name Penelope? “ it’s going to take fake sewing worthy of Penelope”.
The last 4 lines really made me question my understanding of the poem.
HI Lucero: I can see why you might think that this poem is centered, but it's not. Look at the right side: See how jagged it is? If it were centered, it would be jagged on both sides. The publisher has just put the poem, since it's so skinny, toward the center of the page.
ReplyDeleteRe your second question: I suspect the author is making a reference to Homer's Odyssey.