I realize we're all still dancing with "Jabberwocky," but I thought we might consider multitasking. Consider the following poem (don't worry ... it's brief).
"To the Field Goal Kicker in a Slump"
It must be something
like writer’s block,
when nothing will go
between the margins,
when language won’t soar
high enough,
when you wake
in the morning and know
you’ve chosen
the wrong game.
- Linda Pastan
Please take a moment, and share your thoughts with everyone. Do we love this poem? ... hate it? ... are we absolutely indifferent to it?
Does the poem work for you, and if so, what makes it work? What is going on here?
Be brave ... poetry doesn't bite unless you give it the opportunity.
*** STRING IS CLOSED ***
38 comments:
Poetry doesn’t bite unless you give it the opportunity. I’m amused with this.
When your write it just must come to you. This poem is saying you can’t write when you’re not willing to do it. In order to write you must have interest in the subject, otherwise it’s hard to let the words flow.
I like this poem only to a degree. There are some qualities about it that I enjoy, which include how the writer made a conceit between writing and taking a field goal. Overall this poem does work for me in a way of me being able to relate to it. The idea of having “writers block” is what happens to me whenever I try to write an essay. Writing essays is just not my kind of “game.”
Does the guy who’s standing up in the picture have both his legs? If so, I feel bad for the guy that has the ball on his head in the picture. However, if the guy who’s standing up doesn’t have both legs, then I feel bad for him instead. How can he kick the ball when he only has a stump? Stump……… slump….. stump? ...slump? Hmmm.
Alright, let’s pretend that the guy who’s standing up doesn’t have both legs (to make things easier, I’ll dub him Steve for now). If poor Steve indeed doesn’t have both legs, then he truly is in a slump. He must kick the ball, but how can he when he doesn’t have his kicking leg? This brings us back to Linda Pastan’s poem, "To the Field Goal Kicker in a Slump." She says that having writer’s block is kind of like picking the wrong game. Steve definitely picked the wrong game, since being the kicker, most of the time, requires a person to have both legs.
In the poem, Pastan talks about how when you lack inspiration, the right words don’t come to you as easily as they would if you did have inspiration.
Although I agree with Pastan, I don’t feel anything towards her poem. I’m indifferent to her words. (Sorry Pastan)
I think this poem is extremely clever. It's relating two things that I know enough about to understand the message: writing, and football. These are two things that I am relatively comfortable with, so it makes sense that I like the poem. People tend to like things that they feel comfortable with.
So, yes, I like this poem and I like that I could understand it.
I like this poem. Relate any sort of poem to a sport and you've got my attention.
I believe this poem isn't truely speaking of writers block. I believe it is just using that as an examply. This peom could relate to any problems you are having that keep you from being able to accomplish anything.
To Collin,
I agree with you. Two things I, too, am comfortable with.
Marissa,
I love ... LOVE ... that you recognized the conceit at work in the poem. Thank you for that.
Does no one recognize the Three Stooges? I feel so very old.
I noticed the Three Stooges, and I am still wondering why there is a picture of them.
I like the poem, and like abby, I think the poem is discussing writer's block. Although I don't completely understand football, it is something that I am familiar with, which makes it easier to understand the poem.
My question is, why is there a picture of the Three Stooges? Also, why can't all poetry be this easy to comprehend?
Mariana,
I think the guy kicking the ball has two legs and your post was very interesting :)
Marissa
I completely agree with you when you talk about essays. They are not my thing either, but I guess that's what we are working on right?
I love that there is a picture of the three stooges on here. Curly reminds me so much of my brother. This poem is not amazing to me, but I do like it. I think this poem is about more than just writing and football. It can be about any problem that you are facing in your life.
I totally get the writer's block because that is the story of my life but I don't really get the football part of it. Football isn't my thing.
I believe that the link between the writers block and football is one of direct comparision. In football there are many times when a team just can't do anything. They constantly try to move forward but can't, no matter if they run the ball or throw it. Just like writers block they can't get past the problem. Especially if its with the 3 stooges, who aren't the brightest.
The Three Stooges was the first thing i saw when i opened the blog. The picture brings more of a comedy to the whole idea. Obviously being the Stooges, something stupid will go wrong. This reminds me of well, me when I try to write certain essays. I just get lost in the whole idea and stumble and fall over my words. Just like what I imagine the Stooges will do, stumble and fall.
I think i like this poem... I feel as though it pertains to me because i try very hard to get things going in my head. The poem talks about writer's block but i feel like it can apply to most things. We don't always know what to do or say, we get stuck. As for the picture, i'm lost
Abb, now I get the picture. I think you nailed it. I can definetly realte!
I liked this poem. I like how Marissa applied it to writing essays, and it can also be applied to sports.
I think that the poem doesnt have to apply just to those two things though, it can be applied to any situation in which you are having a problem you cant seem to get past.
I loved the Three Stooges picture, I laughed as soon as I saw it and I love how it applies to the poem. The Stooges mess everything up, and when Im stuck with writers block while doing an essay I feel like Im tripping over my words because I cant put them together in a way that makes sense.
I like this poem because it is simple and easy to understand. It is also one I can relate to, being an athlete there are times that a team struggles together and cannot get past a point of conflict.
I did notice that the picture is of the Three Stooges attempting to play football. This may be that because the three men are not the brightest fellows they find themselves having trouble playing a sport, thus they have chosen the wrong game.
I never thought of it that way Sophie! That was such a good observation!
I can honestly say that I am stumped with this poem. So I guess it relates to me now? Weird...
Anyhow, it talks about writers block and then the realization of choosing the "wrong game." By this I think that when writers cant find the words to write, it is because they aren't familiar with the topic. In personal experiences, I have found this out the hard way.
I agree with Mariana's first comment when she mentioned Pastan's wording. It is difficult to understand the thought pattern she had while writing. Maybe she had writers block while trying to write this poem? So she possibly tried relating it to football which she could have known well?
Angelina,
Thanks, and yeah, I'm definitely over thinking it =)
(But really, from the angle of the picture it’s hard to tell.)
Marissa,
First of all, thank you for mentioning some things about the Stooges. I’ve never seen or even heard of them before until now, so it really helps. =)
I can relate to you when you say that you get lost in the whole idea when writing (as shown by my first comment on this blog post lol).
Abby,
I agree with your statement that this poem could apply to a broad range of things, as opposed to just writing or football. What other things do you think it could be about?
Christina,
You said that the author talks about the realization of choosing the "wrong game." I didn't remember reading this, so I went back and reread the poem. So I have a question for you: Do you think that the importance of the poem lies only in the last few lines, or is the beginning of the poem just as important?
Ange,
Thanks! Trying to think outside the box and see how to connect the picture with the poem :)
Christina,
I like how you put yourself into the poem. That often happens to me with my first attempt at a blog post!
Collin, I think the end is equally as important as the beginning of the poem. When I was "translating" this in my head, I focused on the end to relate it to my personal experiences and with the picture as well.
Collin -
As I have said, this poem could relate to anything. No matter if it's playing a sport, attempting one's homework, or having a conversation.
This poem doesn't really do much for me. I don't think it's a bad poem, but I also don't think it speaks to me either. This poem could apply to me though in every day life. When writing essays some times I could have a writer block and just not know what to say. Other times too it just might be the wrong direction that I'm going in that makes everything else seem wrong.
Abby I know I'm not quite as athletic as you but as soon as I read the poem I thought the same thing. When poetry is related to something I know about or like I understand it better. In this case it just happened to be sports this time.
I think that this poems main message is that whatever you do in life should and needs to be what you really want to do. If you dont enjoy what you do then you wont be good at it. Not only this but you wont be happy with your life as a whole.
I like this poem just because it it so easy to relate to and rather easy to understand. It has a great message and it gets that message across very well.
To go along with what Abby said, i dont really think this poem has anything to do with sports. But thats just my opinion. The picture and title are just simple examples of the message of the poem
Mariana, those are the three stooges; don't feel bad, they get hurt all the time!
(I just put on two inch nail extensions for Halloween, so don't complain if something is spelled wrong.)
I know that feeling quite well I must say. As an artist I have days where I just can't a face the right shape or make the nose actually look like Alan Rickman's nose (is currently having trouble drawing Alan Rickman's nose). And then you really start to doubt yourself and your abilities. "Have I actually gotten worse?" When you don't think anything else could possibly go wrong, your pessimistic attitude makes the problem worse. So to make yourself feel better you eat half the container of Friendly's peanut butter Reese's explosion ice cream and a lot of Halloween candy some little kid won't be eating anymore...
Katie,
You and I are in the same boat (Football isn't my thing either). =)
I don't really think that this poem had much to do with football either, because a lot of people are saying it. I think it could be easily applied to it though, as it could to nearly anything involving a certain level of skill.
Hollis,
You are a great athletic. We all have our rough days, just as the poem says! Even me!
Hollis,
I agree with you! I liked this poem a lot because it's subject was something that I am comfortable with. Also, the language is much less dense than that of "Jabberwocky."
First of all, I love the three Stooges. This poem works for me, but only partially. For whatever reason, it just doesn't evoke any emotion in me. Football and writing, football and writing. I get blocked when I try too hard, not when I'm not trying. Instead of letting thoughts and ideas flow, I put a filter on every thought so that nothing can be pure or substantial enough for me to actually use.
I agree with what Sarah and Jarrett said, the poem can be about anything in your life and it is extremely easy to relate to.
Without reading the title, I think of this poem differntly. I don't relate it to having writers block, something that is an obstacle you can get over, rather I tihnk its describing something you never had the talent to do in the first place. Knowing the title of the poem, the meaning changes and it really is showing desperation anyone feels when they are in a slump, or have writer's block, or when falling on hard times.
To comment on something that about half the people here have said, I think the football picture relates to the poem. I don't think that it is showing how one how a slump or writer's block is a real problem, but rather it is showing the message, "when you wake
in the morning and know
you’ve chosen
the wrong game."
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