The Post-Structuralists and "Keeping Things Whole"

Strand, Mark. "Keeping Things Whole." The Norton Introduction to Poetry. Ed. J. Paul Hunter, Allison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. 9th ed. New York: Norton, 2007. 252.

The Post-Structuralists believe that signs are arbitrary and their importance lies in the difference among signs. The ideas of "absence," "missing," and "part[ing]" are abstract and only exist in contrast to a designated sign of a concrete entity such as "field" or "air." The poem seems to be ambiguous because the speaker intends it to be that way. Progressively, the speaker gives more insight to the reader about their ultimate purpose, but the reader's understanding still relies upon the speaker's willingness to state the truth. However, even in the end, the idea of wholeness is left open for interpretation. Full of ambiguities and places where the poem fails to concrete certain understandings, Post-Structuralists would confirm that Strand's "Keeping Things Whole" is just a play of signs and therefore open to many interpretations.

1. What ideas are established through the binaries of existing in place and being absent?

2. Which of the two binaries (from question one) seems to be privileged?

3. How does the privilege on that sign affect the interpretation of the poem?

The New Critics and "The Pillar of Fame"

Herrick, Robert. "The Pillar of Fame."The Norton Introduction to Poetry. J. Paul Hunter, Alison Booth, and Kelly J. Mays. 9th edition. New York: Norton, 2007. 285.

The New Critics analyze words, content and structure/form in order to find tensions that ultimately resolve. The poem can be analyzed merely as a self-contained entity and has a singular effect. The visual structure of the poem most notably lends towards tension. While a pillar seems strong in its foundations, there is a frailty presented in the word choice of "charmed and enchanted" (line 3). While most of the poem exists within the realm of perfect rhyme, the few partial rhymes draws extreme attention to conflicting ideas. These partial rhymes occur in the center of the poem (where the poem is at its theoretical weakest) and at the very end (where the poem is at its theoretical strongest). The tension between weakness and strength of a pillar is in the end resolved, implying that despite its trials, the pillar will stand as a foundation.

1. What is the relationship of the title to the rest of the poem?

2. What do you believe is the chief paradox in the text? What is its importance?

3. How do all of the elements in the text support the text's main paradox?