Poetry by Marianne Moore - Question and Answers

 

I. Answer these questions in a sentence or two.

1. Which are the useful things listed by the speaker ?

The genuine physical reactions (useful things) listed by the poet are hands that can grasp, eyes that can dilate, and hair that can rise.

2. According to the poet, how can one find something genuine in poetry?

Genuine poetry is useful and one can find  genuine poetry by observing the physical reactions such as the hands that can grasp, eyes that can dilate, and hair that can rise.

3. Is the speaker impatient with 'half poets'? Why?

 The speaker is indeed impatient with 'half poets' or Poetasters. They are not able to write and appreciate genuine poetry. They are fake.

4. How does the speaker define people who are really interested in poetry?

 The poet in fact creates an imaginary world with real life in it. Hence, the raw material of poetry is the exact life with the true and genuine color of reality. Then the poetry will be interesting for the people.

5. "We do not admire what we cannot understand." Can you explain?

Readers cannot admire and appreciate something that is beyond the reach of their understanding.  Admiration  for something comes only when we can understand it properly. We do not admire what we cannot understand.

 
II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph:

1. On what grounds does the speaker say that she is not a fan of poetry?

 
Moore says that she is not a fan of poetry or rather  she dislikes some poetry because such poems are not genuine and incomplete as well. Those poems are insignificant and like a fiddle.
Genuine poetry can even instigate physically the readers by creating certain spark among them. It happens not because of the high sounding interpretation but it is useful for human kind. Poetry also deals with the simple things in life. Readers do not admire poetry when
They cannot understand it. There are also fake poets, they can't produce genuine poetry.

2. How does the speaker criticise “high-sounding interpretation”?

 The speaker was of the opinion that the high-sounding interpretation makes poetry difficult to understand. Readers usually admire those poems which are quite simple to grasp.

 Any trivial things can be the subject matter for poetry like the bat holding on upside down or in search of something to eat. Some poems speak about elephants pushing or a wild horse taking a roll, or a tireless wolf under a tree. Some others write about the immovable critic, the base-ball fan and the statistician. Such serious writings may keep people away from poetry.

3. List out the important phenomena as mentioned by the speaker. Why does she think they are important?

 A genuine poet can create the rhythm of poetry in everything. The speaker mentions some important phenomena like the bat holding on upside down or in search of something to eat, and elephants pushing. There is also a wild horse taking a roll, and a tireless wolf under a tree. Then there is the immovable critic who moves his skin like a horse that feels a flea, the base-ball fan and the statistician. Business documents and school-books.

All  these phenomena are important because they help readers to think about and understand the simple, the trivial and the unnoticed side of  life.

4. According to the speaker, what happens when we read good poetry?

 While the poet dislikes bad poetry she also talks about the benefits of good or genuine poetry.  

Good poetry helps to perceive things in clear manner. The language of poetry is intense and honest.  Poetry doesn't discriminate. It helps readers to think about the simplest, unnoticed side of life. This  may not sound interesting to intellectuals or literary critics.

But poetry can indeed influence genuine readers  who can understand and appreciate these qualities. It also helps people to understand the real face of life and nature. Poetry reflects the simplicity and the beauty of life.

5. "Then you are interested in poetry." According to the speaker, which are the possible ways to analyse one's interest in poetry?

The speaker talks about the possible ways to analyse one's interest in poetry. A genuine piece of poetry is like an "imaginary gardens with real toads in them". This statement can be considered as the heart and core of the poem. The poet was of the opinion that the imaginary world should be true to life. Thus, the raw material of poetry is the exact life with the true and genuine color of reality. Then the poetry will be interesting.

 

 II. Answer the following question in about 300 words.

1. Do you agree with the speaker’s opinion that real poetry is "imaginary gardens with real toads in them"? Why?

‘Poetry’ is a remarkable piece of poem written by Marianne Moore which celebrates the benefits of reading genuine poetry.  As a modern poet she follows free verse and conversational tone. The central argument of the Poetry is how poetry is viewed by various kinds of  readers. She favours a genuine physical reaction than an intellectual one in the readers.

 The poem begins with the expression, "I too dislike it", as the poet dislikes some poetry that are not genuine or such poems are created by fake poets. Those poems are incomplete and failed to inspire the readers. Hence, she compares poetry to a fiddle.

Obviously, A true poetry can even instigate physically the readers by creating certain spark among them. It happens not because of the high sounding interpretation but it is useful for human kind as the Great poet William Wordsworth puts it poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge. According to the Victorian poet and critic “poetry is the criticism of life”. These epigrams highlights the importance of poetry. A genuine poetry can transform human life by providing thought provoking ideas. Useful poems are not an imitation of other works.

Readers cannot admire and appreciate something that is beyond the reach of their understanding. They admire what they can easily grasp.

 
Further the poet remarks that there is no such proper stuff of poetry. Anything can be a subject matter for poetry. Like the bat, holding on upside down, elephants carrying weights, movement of the wild horse, energetic wolf under the tree and so on. It is not possible to discriminate anything from the poetic circle. Each has its own values.

 One should capable enough to differentiate between poetasters (half poets) and genuine poets. They are fake poets and can't produce poetry. A true poet with a literal imagination can never be an autocrat. A genuine poet and find out the poetic pulse in everything and he/she   shall never approach poetry with disrespect and insignificance.

 She presents a thought provoking analogy of garden with the process of writing or the approach towards poetry, "the imaginary gardens with real toads in them". The process of writing takes place from the imaginary world of the poet’s mind. The world created by the poet may or may not be real. But the characters should be true to life. The characters must exhibit real human nature.   So, Poetry helps those readers to understand the life and the nature in clear manner.

Thus, the raw material of poetry is the exact life with the true and genuine color of reality. Then the poetry will be interesting.