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Analysis Of Mark Strand's Poem Eating Poetry

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Poetry Essay Loving something so much is one thing, but loving it until the point of consumption is another. In the poem “Eating Poetry” by Mark Strand, the speaker consumes poetry against the librarian’s wishes, acting in an animal-like manner. The librarian does not understand his messy desire for poetry, as it brings her anger and confusion. His joy for poetry is so intense, he becomes as wild as a dog. Strand passionately expresses the man’s love of poetry through consumption and his dog-like behavior.
In the first stanza, the speaker consumes poetry so intensely. The speaker says, “Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.” (line 1) The overflowing of poetry from his mouth is like his overflowing of happiness. While the speaker consumes …show more content…

Strand uses a simile to say, “Their blond legs burn like brush.” (line 11) This explains the dog’s blond legs burning, as brush would to skin. Again the librarian repeatedly gets upset. She stamps her feet, weeps, and still lacks understanding. “I am a new man.” (line 16). The speaker is explaining how he has become a new man after consuming the poetry. Continuing to snarl and bark at the librarian, he conveys his joy.
In this poem the speaker’s joy for poetry is so passionate in a way anyone with a great passion can connect to it. Whatever the reader is most passionate about is how the speaker feels towards poetry. I can only imagine consuming my favorite thing in the world and how I would act going about it. Seeing how the speaker in “Eating Poetry” acts might seem a little extreme, but putting yourself in the situation with your absolute favorite thing, can make it understandable. In “Eating Poetry” by Mark Strand, the speaker devours poetry against the librarian’s wishes, acting in a dog-like manner. The librarian cannot grasp her mind around why the speaker gets so crazed about reading poetry, just as the average person would. The speaker’s love for poetry and the joy he receives from consuming it, is like no typical happiness. In “Eating Poetry” Strand is striving for readers to be able to relate to the speaker with something in which they have so much love

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