Thursday, February 18, 2016

Whore House

Rhyme is very much present in this poem. Almost like a stumbling beat in the first verse "I will grieve alone/ as I strolled alone/ years ago, down along, The Ohio Shore." That can be the lyrics to a blues song. This entire poem could be a blues song. He uses sounds to keep his beat marching along.

Repetition is also present. It gives the story some anticipation. I love the use of the wings imagery. Almost like these women are fallen angels drowning in their own life. I deeply appreciate his ambiguity and how he uses it in a sort of witty sadness in the verse "For the river at Wheeling, West Virginia, Has only two shores: The one n hell, the other in Bridgeport, Ohio." That is so dark but almost knowingly tongue and cheek.

"And nobody would commit suicide, only to find beyond deal Bridgeport, Ohio."

The poem has a sense of saddened admiration and awe for the girls.

1 comment:

  1. I love how you noticed the bluesy, musical element of this poem. It's something that I didn't notice in my original readings but it makes me think of this poem very differently.

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