poetry response #2

I think the reptition used in "DNA" by Bierds serveas a literary device to instill these images into your mind to make them as concrete as possible. From the way the poem ends, I almost feel like it's giving a sharp litle jab to those who work with DNA, maybe prodding them a little in accusation of "playing God". The narrator seems to be a scientist constructing a model of DNA in London, February 1953. Upon further inspection, I found that this was the date when Crick and Watson declared in a pub that they had "discovered the secret of life" (citation needed). What's really fascinating about this poem is the way that it's structured. It seems that the base pairing of DNA is used to structure part/most of this poem. Coincidence? I think not. GC, AT as the pairs, A - cloud white, the scissors, T- At hand :the rounded shapes, G - two dozen toothpick pegs, a vial of amber glue, C - he's at play, James Watson: the cardboard shapes. In the next stanza, the order is G, (new line A), C, (new line T). Next, A, (new line G), T, (new line C) and so on. I was confused by the amount of repeats, but it shows the wit of the author, to be able to come up with images and specific phrasing to repeat to simulate base pairings in the DNA code.

The other three poems seemed the most similar to me, though "DNA" showed some similar elements as well. "A Dog Has Died" explores the grief behind losing a pet dog, "I Go Back to May 1937" deals with the grief of love struck teenagers and the "real" adults they would become, and "Loading a Boar" goes in-depth of the grief of life in general. Each lament their woes - "I'll not speak of sadness here on earth", "you are going to suffer in ways you never heard of", "nothing's going right and I'm feeling half dead" - and, in some way, each accept their fate. After celebrating the good times, the narrator of "A Dog Has Died" accepts the death of his best companion and admits that his dog is now just buried out in the garden. The narrator of "1937" examines young love, commenting on the pleasing setting that create the rift in time from whence he was born - the meeting of his parents. He calls them young and dumb and naive and yet does not want to stop their meeting because he wants to be born and he has accepted history for what it is - a bundle of experiences that shape you into the form you have in the present day. "Loading a Boar" is written in a much simpler form - a run-on sentence. My curiosity lies in the author's choice. Did it more effectively convey his point? The poignant advice on poetry made me rethink the process completely and I sat down to consider poetry more thoughtfully after that. I hope to use the advice of John some day to write a poem that means that much to me.