Blog 8 Collins and Jarrell

Poems can be a challenge to not only understand, but also to enjoy. Poems need to flow and have a good purpose behind them. The ability to understand poems comes from our ability to relate to what is being talked about in some way. Randall Jarrell’s poem “The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner” is a very interesting and sad poem. Jarrell’s use of language and the tone help make the poem enjoyable to read. When looking at Billy Collins’ poem “Schoolsville” it seems plain and simple. His use of language as well as the tone makes the poem difficult to pull you in. Its lack of rhyme scheme also makes the poem boring.  

Randall Jarrell’s poem is a poem that may not have a rhyme scheme for flow like a typical poem, but is a poem that can be understood by most. The poem is about exactly what the title states. It recounts the death of soldier in the ball turret of an aircraft during World War II. The unique thing with this poem is that the narrator is the soldier that has died. This is seen in the first line of the poem, “From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,” (658). His language helps make the poem interesting. In the poem it says, “And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.” (658). This language is more descriptive and creative than just saying “I was in the bottom of the airplane and it was really cold”. Jarrell is relating the aspects of flight in a bomber during World War II to more common ideas that help draw the reader into the poem. The ending of the poem can be a little abrupt to some people, but it really helps complete the poem. It presents the outcomes that most soldiers faced that were ball turret gunners.

Billy Collins’   poem “Schoolsville” is a poem that seems simple to the point of almost not being a poem. It flowed more like someone just talking about what he sees around town in poorly structured sentences. He does not draw out any emotions from the readers. The purpose behind this poem is lacking. It is just about a man observing his town and the people that he has taught. The language and the tone of this poem do not pull the reader into the story like Jarrell’s poem does. Collins’ writes, “Wherever they go, they form a big circle.” (643). The language of this line from the poem is not complicated, but seems random. It is as if the narrator throughout the play is going “Oh yeah they also do this” which leads to choppiness when reading.

Poems are frustrating at times to understand and enjoy and the lack of purpose some poems have can lead people to avoid them. No one wants to read something that they find pointless. The poem that shows a purpose or evokes some sort of emotion within the first few lines will grab the reader and lead them to continue to read and enjoy the poem.