“We don’t want to know what the world is like, we can’t bear very much reality”
Sam Hamill -The Necessity to Speak
Sam Hamill -The Necessity to Speak
In Sam Hamill and Carolyn Forche’s articles, they are making a case for the necessity of Poetry of Witness. Hamill is basically saying that it is the responsibility of the poet to show others the reality of suffering; the reality of life. In Hamill’s words, “Writing is a form of human communication expressing ideas regarding the human condition” (546). This is what Poetry of Witness is all about; the emotions, struggles and conflicts of being human. Hamill has been the abused and the abuser and he has chosen to speak. He knows that there are many who cannot speak; or do not know how and he offers them his own voice. He relates with those who know what it is like and he challenges others who refuse to see to open their eyes. Hamill has this to say about poetry, “The “I” of the poem is not me. It is the first person impersonal, it is permission for you to enter the experience which we name Poem” (551). This is echoed throughout the poems of witness. The “I” in the poems is meant to resonate at a deeper level with the reader and become the reader. The poem that comes to mind that does this is “The Woman Hanging From the 13th Floor Window”.
Forche too understands the extreme importance of Poetry of Witness. She knows that there needs to be a remembering, whether of the survivor or the other who has not yet suffered. Forche states, “Regardless of subject “matter”, these poems bear the trace of extremity within them, and they are, as such, evidence of what occurred” (The Poetry of Witness). Forche also explains how the poems of witness are not only personal or political, but “the social”, a “space between the state and the supposedly safe havens of the personal” (Twentieth Century Poetry of Witness). Many poems in the Poetry of Witness fall into this category, such as “The Colonel”. Both Hamill and Forche are aware of the power of poetry and the need to face reality and voice it all, no matter how ugly. I think that both of these articles do well to show the meaning and purpose of Poetry of Witness and are a must read for any writer.
Click here to read Sam Hamill's poem "The Orchid Flower".
Hamill, Sam. “The Necessity to Speak.” Writing as Re-vision. Eds. Beth Alvarado and Barbara Cully. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996. 547-553.
Forch, Carolyn. “The Poetry of Witness.” The Writer in Politics. Ed. William H. Gass and Lorin Cuoco. Southern Illinois. Up, 1996. Southern Illinois University.
Image Source http://componentsofenthusiasm.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/the-ruins-of-war/
I agree with your view of Forche and Hamill. They both see the importance of seeing an injustice or tragedy and giving it a voice. Force said that the works she included in her book "remain .. as poetic evidence of the dark times". Hamill speaks of telling people what the already know but don't want to hear. It is easier to look away than to take a stand.
ReplyDeleteI tried clicking on your link to "The Orchid Flower" but it didn't work. It took me to the poetry site but then I had to search Hamill to find the poem. At first I thought it was just showing the lighter side of the poet but then I reread it. The last line caught my eye. It seemed to say he treasured the times spent with his wife with the knowledge that some day she would die.
Thank You
Laurie
I enjoyed reading your blog.You have a nice flow in the way you write that makes your thoughts easy to follow. You seemed to have a clear understanding of what Hamill and Forch are conveying through their writing about what a poetry of witness is.I liked how you said, "He(Hamill)knows that there are many who cannot speak; or do not know how and he offers them his own voice." This resonates with me because there have been many times I felt an emotion inside but could not articulate it. Then someone comes along and says it perfectly, either verbally or in writing. There IS a sense of comfort in the shared understanding and emotional release.
ReplyDeleteI had a difficult time understanding and relating to Forch. I didn't feel a connection to what she was saying like I did with Hamill. In saying that, you helped me have a little better understand of her article on a poetry of witness.
This blog post is very well written! It is very clear and fluid. I like your approach on Hamill. I think that Hamill has a more personal understanding of poetry of witness. His article is more emotional in nature. I agree with both of your views. Froche sounds more like a teacher explaining the importance of Poetry of witness. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDelete