Poem 4/23

The poem ‘The Naming of Parts’ was an odd poem for me to read. When I read the title I asked myself what exactly am I naming the parts of. I thought initially thought the parts to a machine or everyday item. For instance a clock. When I think of these parts in a clock I think of how there are the inner workings of things that create and allow us to see a bigger picture and comprehend more.  So based off of my interpretation of the title and 'machine's' I came to my first conclusion which is the poem will end up focusing on the government, and everyone who works for a living and how they contribute to the government as a whole, helping it function ultimately. Although me thinking the poem was about everyone working separately and in the bigger picture making a stronger united force, as well as others having more money, opportunities depending on where you stand in the system (machine). Again although my first interpretation of the poem had to do with almost like government knowledge I learned quickly that my interpretation was incorrect.

Once I read these line everything became clear and apparent. The poem was about war. Specifically I felt it was about how in our society war is looked at as almost the ‘easy’ way out of having issues with another and solving those issues. Also I felt it had to do with how young some of the soldiers were in certain wars, and how they were taught to kill, as if a second nature. "And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this, Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers: They call it easing the Spring" Lastly I felt this was a satire in a way if you analyze the last three words, “easing the spring.” I see two different springs; spring in a pen and the season. If you use the season, you can interpret spring as a new beginning. The flowers were in hibernation and come out again and this process repeats. And there’s idea that from destruction comes a new life; almost like a Phoenix. This reminds me of ‘Slaughterhouse 5’ which is also a satire.