By reading several excerpts from Erica Hunt’s A Local History, it is evident that she has a diverse writing style. Each poem portrays a different tone or conveys a different perspective on a subject. The poem that most resonated with me has to be “Surplus Future Imperfect”. This poem describes an event that could or may happen in the future. For me, with the way the government and politics are currently going, I believe this poem is most relevant. The loss of democratic values and loss of freedom are all significant and realistic factors that need to be feared by the general public, especially since the U.S. government is constantly threatening to take away or are finding different ways to challenge our basic human rights. The poem is written using the literary element: anaphora. Anaphora is the repetition of a phrase at the beginning of several sentences. For instance, the word “No” is used over and over again throughout the poem in order to engage and emphasize particular points to the reader. The point of using lexicon and prosody are important in a work as it allows better comprehension of the piece and creates an easy rhythm or flow of the piece. By using the same word to start each sentence, it helps to create a rhyme and sound throughout the poem Specific diction or word choice is used by Erica Hunt to portray a certain argument or feeling to the reader. Phrases such as “No spirituals” “No stops” “No thought police and “Corporate ambience” all highlight the control of the government and the lack of control held by the people. The language used in the poem reflects a realistic idea which is unsuitable and unfortunate, while it constructs a feeling of hopelessness.
One significant point discussed in the conference is that all poetry is political. This is because a writer is influenced by their setting and the events going on during that time period. Poems are formulated around a time, place and social interactions. In addition, the conference communicated points surrounding the effect of politics in poetry which include, “Would be to give the reader a sense of the necessity for change. And perhaps make the reader feel a part of the steps toward such change.” (Silliman 1). Furthermore, the text states, “Composition is the use of rhetorics, formal and informal gestures that generate, constitute, elevate, perform or authorize the real, deploying language in ways that go beyond the context of the work, by shaping the way we read the world.” (Hunt 4). In other words, rhetorics are significant to an author as they aid in portraying certain emotions, thoughts and events to both formally and informally connect the reader to the topic. It accentuates the language used throughout the work. Erica Hunt herself stated, “For many years I have been interested in techniques that purposely unsettle the crisp ride and appropriate shade of perfect register and vocabulary.” (Hunt 5). This detail expresses the fact that Erica Hunt does not rely on the structure of rhetorics. She is finding ways to break through that mainstream ideal by using different techniques to create a different atmosphere for the reader.
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
