poetry help

Hi,

Can someone read ‘portrait of the alcoholic with home invader and housefly’ and tell me their thoughts. What do you gauge from poem and what do you find interesting from it. Also, what about the style, language and structure stands out to you?

Thank you

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 1

waffelton

Original post by mmswizzle

here’s some quick thoughts:
— the narrator uses language to dehumanise themselves and they feel almost disassociated from their environment (“began leaking”)
— use of surrealism and stream-of-consiousness to add to the disorientation (“mother…thorn”)
— the narrator seems calm throughout what happens, yet doesn’t present themselves as confused
— the narrator uses academic language (“frieze of Damascus” ((Biblical reference)) and this adds to the juxtaposition of their words. Perhaps they are a clever person, just being an “alcoholic” taken from the title, has put them into this situation.