Mindful College Writing - Define Poetry

September 22, 2017

Define Poetry: Pablo Neruda and Archibald Macleish

Poetry by Pablo Neruda defines poetry as a journey to consciousness. “Poetry arrived in search of me,” Neruda is describing the moment his mind opened to something profound and used diction such as “summed” to convey his mystical awakening into higher thought. “My eyes were blind,” Neruda is letting the reader know poetry is not bound to tactile senses, “…something started in me,” can be seen as a new spiritual sense being activated within him. “There I was without a face,” voyaging further into poetries mysticism Neruda reveals the ego/identity of himself being removed and the emptiness presenting fresh vision, a rebirth of neurological wiring. Further diction such as “deciphering that fire” conveys the practice of such new found perception fuller and connected to nature’s quiet cornucopia, a renaissance of cosmic ongoings. After much perception opening Neruda softly loosens his thoughts onto page showcasing his process of becoming wise “suddenly I saw the heavens unfastened and open.” Neruda correlating ethereal expansion within self to poetry creates the imagery of poetry being telestic, celestial and tactile senses working in collaboration.

Ars Poetica by Archibald Macleish creates the same imagery of poetry being soft and closer to nature than, for example, technology, superficial personas. Poetry is designed to shed falseness of identity and open a person up to a realm of organic sovereignty–beautiful a person is because the whole universe conspired to seed their unique breed. In this quote, “A poem should be motionless in time/as the moon climbs,” Macleish describes poetry as mindful. In order to witness the moon’s rise and fall a person must have presence, stillness. Therefore, poetry isn’t an attainment or sought out ambition. It is closer to a Native American quietly observing a tree while seated facing its timelessness than a prestigious scholar’s pounding desire. Poetry is a calm connection to movement of nature not existing for time but is I Am that I Am, open, ever-changing, mysterious, spontaneous growth without dictation. “A poem should be equal: not true,” Macleish makes it clear poetry is not fundamental, fixed such as other writings are presented with rules and formats. It is practical, organized yet loose, flexible and wise.

Both Neruda and Macleish express poetry as wholehearted in its ability to seep mindfulness. “A poem should not mean but be” by Macleish and “My heart broke loose on the wind” by Neruda both communicate poetry as fluid, honoring nature’s loyalty to peace. They provide the imagery of a poet receiving a glimpse behind the curtain between human and nature. Looking through a person witnesses the spaciousness of consciousness. Poetry showcases the invisible alteration of perception, the neurological expansion, bio-chemical adjustment, subtle or angry, something has shifted and a poem captures the process of that opening.