Thursday, January 30, 2014

Poem Response to "Naked Girl and Mirror" by Judith Wright


I have to reiterate that there is a distinct sound and flavor of professional poetry that I still cannot fathom.  Like stumbling out into a beautiful sunny day when all you know is darkened rooms.  I’m seeing beautiful things, but the light is too bright and their wondrous details are impossible to make out clearly. 

  The poem “Naked Girl and Mirror” is one such poem.   I feel like the “I” in this poem is at odds with their physicality.  Like they are seeing themselves for the first time and are repulsed by their own mortality.  I almost think the speaker in the poem literally is something outside of its reflection.  The word choice makes the speaker sound pleased with many elements of how they look, but still not completely willing to believe that it is themselves.  Like looking at clothing or some other inanimate object.  The end of the poem goes back to the speaker being unhappy with the girl in the mirror. “I resent your dumb and fruitful years” I interpret as being unhappy at … being young?  Being naïve?  Maybe the speaker is a sociopath?

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