Poetry Response #9

Merrell Pressley

Mrs. Jernigan

English Lit AP

28 March 2011

Poetry Response #9

            The poem “Sestina” was written by Elizabeth Bishop, first published in 1956. Like the traditional sestina, it has thirty-nine lines, ending with a tercet that contains the overall meaning. It is a narrative poem, telling the story of a grandmother and her granddaughter in the kitchen. The day seems ordinary, but the reader can tell that the grandmother is attempting to cover up her hurt with the routines of the day. On the other hand, the child is residing in this world of pain and loss as she draws “half-moon tears” in her drawing.

            The poem is written with an almost playful, trivial tone of voice. For example, the grandma “[reads] jokes from the almanac,” something that is quite mundane and of no importance. In the following stanza, the tea kettle “sings on the stove.” In addition, the child is merely sitting and talking with her grandmother, drawing with crayons. These images draw a picture of a not-so-sad day in the life of any human being.

            However, there is more than meets the eye in this poem, as is very obvious through the grandma’s futile attempts to “[laugh] and [talk] to hide her tears.” In addition, several things in the kitchen are referred to or seen as tears. The tea kettle is full of tears, the grandma’s “teacup is full of dark brown tears,” and the child draws tears in her painting. While the grandmother tries to hide the pain from the child, the child is not afraid to admit or express the pain or sorrow she must obviously feel.

            The grandmother’s actions are very telling of how adults attempt to create a utopia for their children or for young people around them, not believing that they are old enough to handle the truth. However, their denial usually causes more trauma, fear of problems, or a tendency to always feel like the victim. Bishop’s seemingly surface level poem speaks more deeply to all humans, saying that there needs to be an acknowledgement of trouble and painful circumstances, despite the initial reaction.