In Mark Strand’s “Eating Poetry” he supports that eating poetry can transform a person. The speaker in “Eating Poetry” undergoes the transformation that poetry can cause. Strand uses imagery and tone to portray that consuming poetry can possibly be dangerous. To communicate the speaker’s message that poetry can be dangerous, Strand uses visual imagery to help us understand the meaning of “Eating Poetry”. Mark Strand writes, “The poems are gone./The light is dim./The dogs are on the basement stairs and coming up” (7-9). In other words, Strand is displaying what is happening now that the poems have been eaten. The person who ate the poems is now going through a transformation. When I read this quote I envision a scene out of an action movie where the actor transforms into another character. During scenes like such the lighting is sometimes dim or it flickers. On the contrary, Strand writes, “She does not …show more content…
Poetry for Students is mistaken because they overlook that there isn’t any words that describe such an action. However, I look at “Eating Poetry” as more literal than complex. On the other hand, this quote shows us that the tone is calm and subtle. On the contrary, towards the end of the poem we can sense a change in tone. Mark Strand writes, “I am a new man./I snarl at her and bark./I romp with joy in the bookish dark.” (16-18). Here we see that the speaker’s tone is stern. Ultimately, what Strand is conveying through his poem is that eating poetry runs a risk of transformation. In conclusion, Mark Strand uses visual imagery and tone to reveal that eating poetry can aim towards transformation. Although, eating poetry may seem of concern to only a small group of readers, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about poetry. Would you consume poetry knowing that it can transform