I have always really liked this poem, and I'm glad that your question asks about the use of its details. This poem's details are the reason that I like the poem so much. I don't typically like poems that have obscure, flowery, overly developed metaphors. That's probably why I don't like metaphysical poetry. "Ex-Basketball Player" is a completely different kind of poem, because the details of the poem are so concrete. The details are specific instead of vague. Take the opening stanza for example.
Pearl Avenue runs past the high-school lot,
Bends with the trolley tracks, and stops, cut off
Before it has a chance to go two blocks,
At Colonel McComsky Plaza. Berth’s Garage
Is on the corner facing west, and there,
Most days, you'll find Flick Webb, who helps Berth out.
A specific street is named. Then in a short, unadorned sequence, the reader is told that the road bends and stops two blocks short of a garage. We are told which way the garage faces and who can be found there. The details are easy to read and understand, which makes the poem immediately accessible. The rest of the poem follows this same concept of using simple, concrete details. We are told that Flick played for the Wizards, scored a specific number of points, and now only dribbles inner tubes. Considering that the poem is about a simple, small town basketball hero, the simple, concrete details effectively help the poem tell Flick's story.
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