Robert Pinnsky Poem Analysis

Robert Pinsky
Born in Long Branch, New Jersey October 20th, 1940, Robert Pinsky would become a renowned poet. His poetry career would take off post graduation from Rutgers University with a BA and later on receiving an MA and PhD in Philosophy from Stanford. Pinsky’s poetry would follow the symbolic movement, his most famous collection The Sounds of Poetry a perfect example. Pinsky is also known for his translations, most famously The Inferno of Dante. Elected Poet Laureate in 1997, he would serve two terms until 2000. During his time as poet laureate, Pinsky made it his focus to tell about the effects of poetry on Americans. Later on he would become Chancellor of The Academy of American Poets from 2004-2011. Pinsky has won many awards for

Focusing on the human condition, a handful of Pinsky’s poems can be categorized as such, which is pretty interesting. The poem First Things to Hand tells about how as humans, the things touched are now “disturbed”. There is a certain reference to remotes in which once a person “use them” they are now gone and put somewhere else, where they will find them again and “use them”. Next is Shirt, Pinsky’s use of the terms in the garment industry help to feel as if they are in the factories where shirts are made. This poem connects the reader to the creator of our shirt and helps form somewhat of a connection with them. It also brings to light the people who make our clothing and the stories behind them, people who they will never meet in their lives. Following Shirt comes Samurai Song, which tells about self reliance and the determination of oneself. In Samurai Song, there is a reference to a missing mother, and how the institution of the order would come and fill that void. Throughout the poem, there are references to missing things in this person's life and how they have filled them, something us a humans have done to survive and stand where they are today. Additionally, Poems about People tells of humans of all walks of life and their normal day to day. Lastly is The Green Piano, which tells about the motherly figure that raises all living

In The Refinery, oil is used as the focal point and how oil becomes it's valuable product. The oil starts out crude and “dirty”, truly unuseful for human desires, but once this oil becomes refined and separated it is a product of high class and high value. The perspective of the oil has greatly changed and examples how human perspective can change as well, human judgement. Impossible to Tell is the unpredictability of the future and how there are many perspectives for how the future will be. But in reality, the future is unpredictable and any prediction has high chances of failing no matter who makes the prediction. Fate is fate, and only the future can tell. Next, To Television is what about television and how we are losing perspective of the real world. This machine has made people believe in false realities and taken people out of current situations. In the poem there is a daughter and father who are glued to the T.V while their mother and wife is dying in the other room, absolutely crazy. December Blues, the holiday season come once every year and brings joy but not to everyone. Pinsky tells about how some people just do not become influxed with the holiday spirit and just stay sad, especially those who were prior to the season. The holiday season has no effect on them and they see it as a normal time, life still goes on and nothing special about it. It is amazing how people