Plum Rain and Lush
In the past, I’ve never really liked sharing the meaning behind specific lines or phrases. There was always an overall meaning or emotion encapsulated in the poem, but I believed that having parts that were intentionally vague could allow readers to form a more personal connection. However, I’ve found that when I sit down, reread, and explain my poetry, I can not only have a deeper understanding of my own writing, but also learn new ways to improve my craft. In this post, I will dive deeper into the meanings of two of my poems—writing about the thought process and hidden meanings.
Plum Rain has always been one of my favorite titles. In East Asia, the term refers to the monsoon season that occurs during the fourth and fifth lunar months. Old folklore states that during these hot summer seasons, the moisture from plums evaporates and condenses into heavy rain.
The purpose of this poem was to illustrate my summers in China and the sweet melancholy of living with relatives before coming back to America. Slashes throughout the poem serve as a reference to rain and break up the poem into three parts: the landscape of a small fishing village, the formation of memories, and a last meal before departing.
Parts of the poem were left intentionally vague. In the first part, the imagery of fruit was connected to being “bruised like / an unfulfilled promise,” establishing a dismal tone. The start of the second part, “Thorns eroding into palms— / a last attempt / before being pitted,” alludes back to the image of a poem; this time, it can be seen as an unwillingness to let go. This idea is juxtaposed in the next stanza with “how easy / knife guides,” but reiterated with the lines, “how my / roots stain / with red.” Lastly, the third part connects back to the idea of plum rain and the speaker’s wish that the rain could wash away a feeling of bitterness.
Lush was written the summer before senior year. I had just finished reading tons of Jim Harrison and wanted to write a poem capturing the development of an existential crisis. “Lush” was meant to emphasize how life is like a pendulum, swinging between finding solace and facing inexplicable fear.
The structure is one short stanza, representing the brief brevity of life. Moreover, the short staccato sentences of this poem mimic the beating of a heart, which adds to the build-up of the last line: “There seems to be / an uncontrollable urge / to find solace on this earth.”
In general, this poem had little hidden meaning. Instead, it was a vessel to seize the feeling of uncertainty and realization.
Comments
Post a Comment