Alzheimer's by Kelly Cherry - Book Report/Review Example

Alzheimers" by Kelly Cherry Kelly Cherry has often been considered as one of the famous poets in Virginia who attained the status of the poet laureate in the year 1920. She was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and grew up in Ithaca, New York, and Chesterfield County, Virginia, on 21 December, 1940 (Poetry Foundation 2014). He is writer who tried her hand in various genres of literature. Her writing career include nineteen books of fiction — both novels and collections of stories — poetry, memoir, essay, and criticism. Cherry has also published eight chapbooks and translations of two classical dramas and her writing career still continues (Alger, 2010). Among the number of poems written by Cherry, the "Alzheimers" is specifically notable as it invokes the readers to be aware of the hard reality awaiting us. The poem appears in her poetic collection, Death and Transfiguration, published by Lousiana State University Press (November 1997). In the poem "Alzheimers", she invites the attention of the readers to the grave issue of Alzheimer’s, a disease that wipes off one’s memory and is forced to drag one’s life till he/she meets the tragic end. Analyzing the poem, one could identify some autobiographical elements where the poet was recollecting her father who had the same disease and the mood and the tone of the poem acknowledge it. The opening stanza of the poem deals with a diseased old man coming back to home from the hospital and is vainly trying to recapture his lost memory. The very portrayal of the old man itself is capable of arousing a sense of eagerness in the readers as the readers feel something unnatural at his presentation. The first line of the poem, ‘He stands at the door, a crazy old man,’ (Cherry 1) shows the mental state of the old man, and the things he posses with him rouses the readers’ enthusiasm. The mental state of the old man is also made clear when the poet says, ‘his mind rattling like the suitcase’ (Cherry 2-3). Here it shows the hollowness of the old man’s mind, that is, his mind is not sticking on a particular thing but is ‘rattling’ like the suitcase. ‘A book he sometimes pretends to read’ (Cherry 5) also provides the same effect. It is evident that the mental state of the old man does not allow him to focus on his reading. Theme An overview of the poem reveals the theme as losing someone we love. Literally, the poem does not speak about death, but it figuratively it shows how we lose some one when one forgets us and everything related with us. The same thing happens here in the poem when the old man, affected with his disease, forgets everything including his wife. The poet draws out this tragedy in the following lines when she writes, “The first thing he must do, now that he is home, is decide who this women is, this old, white-haired woman, standing here in the doorway, welcoming him in” (Cherry 25-29). The poet realizes that such a status is really even worse than death itself. Tone of the poem The tone of the poem is grief that one is sad to note someone who is our dear and near forgetting us one day. The poet maintains this sad note all through the poem as such it enables the readers to recollect the memories of their loved ones and to think what will happen if they are confronted with the same fate. The poet makes her readers realize this terrible situation by moving through the mind of the old man. Here the poet shows how the old man off and on moves to the memory lane and deduces himself as a young man. “He remembers himself, /A younger man, in a tweed hat, a man who loved/Music.” (Cherry 18-20). When the poet portrays the old man as the one who loved music in his youth, it really acknowledges the tone of the poem where the poet uses this poem as a medium to keep alive the memory of her father. Thus it is evident that the poet maintains the tone of sadness all through the poem. Symbols The poet uses various symbols to reveal the mental status of the old man affected with Alzheimer’s. The very notable symbol used at the beginning of the poem is the suitcase where the poet uses a simile to establish it. “his mind rattling/like the suitcase” (Cherry 2-3) thus becomes a symbol. Another symbol appears in the poem is the ‘sun shining’ appears in the “The sun is shining, as it does late in the afternoon/in England (Cherry 8-9). Here the ‘sun shining’ in the ‘late evening’ is suggestive of the vague memory of the old man that often fades. The colors, roses and white used frequently in the poem are also symbolical. When the rose symbolizes the warmth or the sweet side of his life, the white shows the dull side of his life after being affected with the disease. Rose is also suggestive of the love and appreciation he once enjoyed. Poetic devices and figurative language The poet does not use any poetical devices alliteration, assonance, rhyme and rhythm in the poem. However, the makes use of various figures of speech make an effect in the poem. The poet uses a metaphor to describe the old man in ‘a crazy old man’ (Cherry 1) and similes in the following lines, ‘his mind rattling/like the suitcase’ (Cherry 2-3), ‘Sun hardens the house, reifies it/Strikes the iron grillwork like a smithy’ (Cherry 10-11), ‘The sun is shining, as it does late in the afternoon/ in England’ (Cherry 8-9). The figures of speech and the poetical devices used in the poem exposes the real suffering of the old man who once enjoyed the warmth of life and was so energetic and hardworking. One cannot also attribute the form of the poem as belonging to a particular genre. However, the poem stands very close to a lyric in form. But it does not speak about nature or any other matters generally found in lyrics. The poet adopts a different subject- Alzheimer’s for her poem and presents it such way that the readers feel the pulse of the poet while reading through it. The theme discussed in the poem has some close association with the poet’s life. The lines in the poem end towards the middle, reminding the breaking of the thread of memory in Alzheimer’s patient. Conclusion The analysis of the poem leads to the conclusion that the poem is strictly autobiographical in which the poet recollects her father who was an Alzheimer’s patient. But one cannot simply regard the poem as a memoir, but a poem that handles a powerful theme that make the readers think about horrible side of such a disease. The poem can be taken as an exhortation from the part of the poem to array against such cruel disease that causes for the wavering of memory and even to the loss of it. The poet has won in her attempts to bring the attention of the readers to the hard reality that forgetting is more cruel or painful than death. In order to achieve this sense or effect, the poet makes use of the right tone and mood in the poem. The sad tone kept in all through the poem is really apt to the theme and content of the poem. The reference to music towards the middle part of the poem is indicative of her father who was a violinist and musician. The various symbols and poetic devices and figures of speech used in the poem really enhance the theme of the poem. Works cited Alger, Derek. Kelly Cherry: Interviewed by Derek Alger. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/kelly-cherry Poetry foundation. Kelly Cherry. Poetry foundation.2014. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Read More