The careful choice of words allows poets to evoke sensory experiences in their readers. This is an issue that James Schuyler appears to understand. In Korean Mums he, relies largely on vivid description to evoke these experiences. He allows his audience to share in the experiences of the characters in the poem.
As pointed out above, Schuyler provides vivid descriptions which have the effect of evoking sensory experiences. Thanks to these descriptions, the audience is able to experience sights, smells and sounds. The following is how Schuyler begins the poem “beside me in this garden are huge and daisy-like” (Schuyler, n.d). This opening allows the audience to see where the narrator is. The narrator offers additional details which provide the audience with visual experiences. For example, the narrator describes “the leaves pointing up” (Schuyler, n.d). Such detailed and vivid descriptions enable the audience to form mental pictures of the setting of the poem.
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The details that the narrator offers regarding the events he has witnessed also evoke sensory experiences in the audience. The narrator remembers that “this morning one of the dogs killed a barn owl” (Schuyler, n.d). Here, the audience is able to imagine some commotion and noises and the barn owl attempts to break free from the dog. The poem also excites the sense of smell. It does this through vivid description. For example, the narrator talks about “a rose, there a clump of aconite.” Since the audience is probably familiar with the smell of roses, they are able to share in the experiences of the narrator.
The sensory experiences that the poem evokes play a crucial role in revealing the themes that the poem explores. One of these themes is the complexity of human experiences. In the poem, the narrator describes how calm and beautiful the garden is. He then proceeds to mention that a dog killed the barn owl. The narrator also states that Dylan tried to intervene but was unsuccessful (Schuyler, n.d). Essentially, the narrator is saying that human life is so complex that at one moment one is enjoying the beauty of nature and in the next moment, they are witnessing the death of an owl. The conflicting experiences that the narrator evokes allow the audience to recognize how astoundingly complex life is.
Instead of telling, metaphors and figurative language show audiences. These devices allow the readers to form mental impressions. These impressions are effective in engaging the readers and communicating themes. As they show readers instead of telling them, these devices also challenge the readers to borrow from their own experiences. This way, the poems become more personal and are able to effectively engage the audience. Since they play an important role in engaging readers, poets need to incorporate metaphors and figurative language in their creations.
Reference
Schuyler, J. (n.d). Korean Mums. Retrieved 12th October 2017 from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/33328/korean-mums
