14.01.14 In the Tree : a response

From: [four] Factorial Journal Summer 2005

In the Tree

   I have always been partial to poems that were shorter in length. Not because I don't enjoy reading them, but because often times when you cram metaphor after metaphor into a piece, in my opinion it becomes diluted and almost a chore to read through and make sense of. Then again, that could just be the effect of my short attention span. 
   The author uses metaphors throughout the piece. "The rain in the bright afternoon comes in through my eyes and courses endlessly through the inside of my body. The late night rain comes in through my ears and fills my skull..." I saw the 'rain' as a metaphor for either knowledge, new information, nourishment, or maybe even pride. 'Rain' that comes in the bright afternoon is more easily seen, or easily obtained and will last or be 'distributed' throughout our bodies and lives. Whereas, 'rain' that comes in the late night, is much less understood. Maybe even abused because of the fact that it is misinterpreted for what it really is. Which unfortunately leads to the 'swelling' of our minds that is described in the poem. 
This however is merely my interpretation of what the author is trying to describe.
   There is a great use of imagery in this piece. There is also a relaxation brought with the subject matter of the poem. Rain itself could be described as something relaxing or soothing to those who enjoy it. As well as the swaying of trees lazily in the wind. When the author describes the 'swelling' of their brain, I cannot help but think of a towel and how it absorbs water if accidentally dropped into a bathtub. The towel becomes heavy and hard to handle, much like the author's mind when it has swelled from the rain. This to me shows that the author of this piece was successful in their use of imagery. Because, whether the image in the reader's mind was the actual image the author was trying to convey, or something totally off track; to me the fact that the poem has created an image in the mind of the reader is a successful use of imagery in my eyes. 
No pun intended. 
   Overall, I found this poem enjoyable to read, and I seem to create a new interpretation each time that I read it over again. This poem to me could almost be compared to a painting. There's something hidden that you miss the first few times that you skim through it. But, if you look beyond the foreground then you achieve more of an understanding of the painting's content.