Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lynn Emanuel's poem "Item:" offers a haunting exploration of identity, creation, and reflection through a surreal and metaphorical walk through a neighborhood. This neighborhood, however, is unique because it is one created from her own writings, blending the real and the imagined in a deeply introspective manner. The poem is imbued with a sense of both accomplishment and isolation, emphasizing the pervasive influence of the self in one's creations and perceptions.

The opening lines, "I strolled through the neighborhood of beautiful houses / All of which I had written," immediately establish a setting that is both literal and figurative. Emanuel portrays herself as walking through a landscape that she has created through her poetry, suggesting a world fashioned by her words and thoughts. This creation is not just architectural but existential, as she has constructed the environment that she now navigates.

As she moves "Down the long dark street / Past the cemetery," the imagery becomes more somber and reflective. The mention of a cemetery introduces themes of mortality and legacy, further deepened by the eerie description of tombstones that bear "my small white face." This personalization of the tombstones suggests a confrontation with her own mortality and perhaps the mortality of her creations—each stone a marker not only of death but of something she has crafted and left behind.

The poem continues with vivid natural imagery, describing the pages of her works as they are "fluffed and ruffled / Like water by stones into a tune." This description personifies her writings as living entities affected by the environment, interacting with the natural world in a way that transforms them into music. It's a beautiful metaphor for the way poetry can animate thoughts and feelings, turning the static into something dynamic and resonant.

Emanuel then shifts to animal imagery, watching "the horse and the rat / The rabbit and fox" as they leave tracks "On the snowy drafts." The use of animals commonly found in folklore and their tracks on the "snowy drafts" of her pages evokes the idea of stories and characters coming to life from her writings, each leaving its mark on the canvas of her creations. The inclusion of the fox, which notably "looked like me / Had my face," deepens the theme of self-reflection. The fox—a creature often symbolizing cunning and adaptability—mirrors her own identity, suggesting a kinship or identification with these traits.

As the poem concludes, the wind affects both the natural world and her sense of self: "The wind riffled its beautiful pelt. / My spelling faltered / Under the spell of myself." The elements not only physically disturb the fox's pelt but also metaphorically disturb her composure, illustrating how her engagement with her own creations and reflections can be both unsettling and transformative. The play on the words "spelling" and "spell" underscores the magical and occasionally disorienting power of language and self-engagement.

"Item:" is a meditative and lyrical examination of the ways in which we create and are in turn created by our own expressions. Emanuel crafts a landscape that is both a product of her literary imagination and a mirror to her soul, using powerful, evocative imagery to probe the intersections between creator and creation. Through this introspective journey, she reveals the complexities of self-awareness and the profound impact of seeing oneself reflected in one's own work.

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