Alexa Gibbons Dr. Andrea Trapp Intro to Literature 1 March 2023 Essay One Poetry can be defined as the use of imaginative language in order to gain an emotional response from a reader through the use of metronomic rhythm, tone of voice, and symbolism. In this essay I will be using a poem entitled, “Alley” by Tom Chester in order to create a relationship between poetry and three different types of literary criticism; Reader Oriented Criticism, Historical Criticism, and New Criticism. This poem is derived from the Intro to Literature textbook written by William Stewart. The importance of understanding between these devices stems from the reader's impression of what is in front of them. The interesting aspect of poetry is that no person understands it the same way twice. Stanza 3 lines 1-7 of “Alley” states, “In my alley I found an arm Of a child’s doll like a cherub- Dirty and broken, fallen to earth. I found soiled lace and feathers too In an oil can drum Not far from view.” While I may see the representation of a child’s doll and soiled lace as a loss of innocence, it may symbolize to others a loss of creativity amongst a group of people. Reader Oriented Criticism is completely subjective to how the reader has chosen to take and interpret what they …show more content…
My interpretation of the reading stems from the narrator's use of allegory to throw the reader, in this case myself, off track. Where he speaks of things that are almost instantly considered ‘good’, he also nonchalantly points out the bad. In dark alleyways, the author speaks of peace that can be brought to those who have been broken before by the light. Where they once have found their hearts tattered in perfection, torn by the good things the world has to offer, light, love, and protection can be offered unto