tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641638.post109733597447021847..comments2023-06-17T04:25:51.988-04:00Comments on <center>Living Poetry</center>: The Land of our ForefathersAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754785071196846157noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641638.post-1097511058973029992004-10-11T12:10:00.000-04:002004-10-11T12:10:00.000-04:00I am struck by your interpretation of the "land of...I am struck by your interpretation of the "land of my forefathers" as your personal history, and in particular your parents. My initial thought was connected more with place, as if the author has a strong desire to leave his homeland never to return but is held back by a perceived "shadow" that watches over him and warns him of the "crime".<br /><br />The line "And a triangular shadow whose apex is my toe" perplexed me the first two time I read through the poem. My initial attempt at visualizing the meaning lead me nowhere. However, reading your comments on the second stanza sparked a new meaning. The "shadow" is one's past, always there following us, in fact always connected to us at the seemingly insignficant "toe" of our being. Our past extends behind us, ever growing larger, as the base of a pyramid must be large enough and strong enough to support the "apex" of the present.<br /><br />Reflecting back to the first stanze, "She shouts" might even be this past, constantly commenting on our present actions, trying to keep us in line. It reminds me of a book I am reading "Taming Your Gremlin" about the critical voice(s) in our head that keep us from achieving what we want. Here I can see the author struggling to make a new life different from the weight of his past, much as you describe abandoning "the land of my forefathers" and the pain and anxiety that results.<br /><br />Christopher J. WhiteAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com