An Attempt to Apply Louis Zukofsky's Objectivist Poetics to My Poem Beggars of Iron

Mary Naylor  confirmed
After reading Louis Zukofsky's magnificent poem, Mantis, I wanted to try to apply some of his principles of Objectivist poetry in my writing. While we looked at the world through different eyes, I feel the universality of poetry bridges the gap. For an excellent discussion on Zukofsky's Objectivist poetics, Objectivism and Imagism, from which it is my understanding it had sprung, see http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Imagism.
To my knowledge, this type of poetry has no connection to the other forms of Objectivism that sprang up later.

Beggars of Iron
by Mary Naylor

A tiny plant struggled to grow.
It lifted yellow, brittle leaves,
Dented beggars' cups, to the sun's glow.
Its warty roots gripped the hard dirt, and cleaved.

The fragile stalk clasped the roots, in its grasp,
The rain fell in stinging drops,
The wind gusted in harsh blasts,
Until, weary, Dusk sank into shadowy flocks.

Over two hundred years ago,
Hungry people were put on ships.
They were sent to live in a harsh world.
Weak from jail, they prayed through dry, cracked lips.

A plant grows with roots, stalks and leaves,
Chanting flowers like hymns into the wind, and, as if it were a sin,
Sipping life from the soil; thusly, it receives
And releases, priceless rosaries of pure oxygen.

As plants claimed the rock hard soil,
And sank their roots into the earth,
Together, the men and women worked and toiled,
And, one day, to a land of freedom, gave birth.

Who can stop roots from digging down deep?
Who can stop the sweep of the wind, holding freedom in its keep?
Who can stop the unfettered crash of ocean waters?
Who can stop people from weaving freedom, into the dreams, of sons and daughters?

Published by Mary Naylor confirmed

I was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1933. I grew up in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, a wild and beautiful state, rich in literature and lore. I loved the stories of Paul Bunyon and his ox, Babe. The hoax of t...  View profile

1 Comments

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  • Mike Hatz10/11/2009

    Excellent poem with a very insightful prelude, Mary. Kudos!

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