The 20th Century: Take-home Exam

Kevin Hart

Chose any one poem by Kevin Hart that you feel speaks to you most deeply. State what you think are the themes of the poem and show how aspects of Hart’s poetic craft (word choice, imagery, syntax, form, sound) bring these themes to life.

After reading many of Kevin Hart’s poems, a few have stood out to me and grabbed my attention and interest. Because I have already analysed some within my weekly blogs, I’ll stick to the one that is left on the list—the poem is called ‘Bread’ (Hart). Unlike the other poems, I do not exactly connect to this one through shared experience. Instead, the message I received from the poem spoke to me instantly—the simple things in life can make you happy. Can make you feel complete. I do not really know if this is the message Hart was trying to send out to his readers, but this message—the theme—basically screamed at me.

The persona within the poem is a lonely man—a man who realises that anything—bread, a drink, warmth, and a companion—will be able to get rid of his loneliness. The poem is basically made up of a list of “if only” solutions for his loneliness. The fact that the word “only” (Hart) is used before the desired, and is repeated, emphasises the fact that any one of these things will satisfy him.

The poem starts off with him wanting “only a hunk of bread, days old” (Hart). This tells us that food could fill the hole inside of him. Even “a glass of something strong” (Hart) could be the source of the strength he needs to overcome this loneliness. The persona then lists “candles feasting in the simple cold” (Hart). The sense of desperation starts off strong from the beginning of the poem.

The fact that he is lonely is told in the beginning of the last line of the first stanza when he lists “a woman” (Hart)—but not any woman, one with “hands like song” (Hart). The use of this simile exaggerates his loneliness as it helps describe the kind of person he wants and needs. Like a song, this woman’s voice will be beautiful. Like a song, she will give him rhythm, life, beat, and the purpose for his heart’s beat. Sticking with music, he longs for an “evening playing blues” (Hart)—the kind of music that he will be able to relate and belong to, music that will welcome him.

The poem ends with the persona simply wanting “a heel of bread, days old…” (Hart) creating a never-ending cycle of the same specific desires. At the beginning of the poem, the persona lists a “hunk” of bread then he lessens the amount of bread to “only a heel” (Hart), emphasising his sense of desperation—he realises that any amount of bread will satisfy his loneliness and lack of belonging.

After reading the poem, the one thing that I was able to learn from it is to appreciate the simple things in life, along with the fact that, together, they can make us feel complete. The warmth of a candle, the fullness of food and drink, the presence of another person, and the sense of belonging that the sounds and emotions, that create a song, can bring to us.

David Malouf

How did the conversation with the author deepen your understanding of the power and purpose of ‘Fly Away Peter’?

Having David Malouf come to a lecture to answer questions about ‘Fly Away Peter’ (Malouf) was touching! After the insightful answers Malouf had given, I was able to understand a lot more and make many more connections within the novel.

One of the many things I could not wait for Malouf to explain was the purpose of G.K Chesterton’s quote in the beginning of the novel. I love that Malouf stated that “humans are extraordinary”, one of the reasons being because, unlike animals, we can feel certain emotions for more than just one reason. For example, an animal may feel aggression simply because they feel threatened. As for a human, aggression could be felt due to the loss of property. I found it fascinating that Malouf pointed out how humans can “reject instinct and use intellect”. Once I had thought about it, I was able to realize that we do that on a daily basis. But, finally, he explains that the choice and use of the quote is because, like the novel, it explores and contrasts the two different worlds of nature and humanity.

I was interested in knowing the true meaning or representations behind the three main characters—Jim, Ashley and Imogen—and what Malouf had to say about them and, I have to admit, I was not expecting his answer. It is obvious in the book that Jim represents the bridge of the human and natural world (Malouf). Now this is where it got interesting—Ashley plays the role of recognizing the two different kinds of ownership that exists over land. 1. Having the legal possession and ownership of the land; and 2. Having the knowledge and a connection with the land. As for Imogen, Malouf did not actually have Imogen represent anything at all. Instead, Malouf wanted to create an ideal relationship between three very different people who did not have anything in common. After Malouf had mentioned this, I was able to make this connection instantaneously. I had not realized just how different the three protagonists were until it was mentioned.

Of all the answers that Malouf had given throughout the lecture, to me, the most amazing answer he had given was for the question of what he hopes his readers would learn from Jim, Ashley and Imogen. And that is that the relationship that is shared between Jim, Ashley and Imogen is far more important than the qualities that the individuals possess. That allowed me to come to grips with the true power and meaning behind ‘Fly Away Peter’ (Malouf)—the three protagonists are always able to connect each other’s presences to a landmark nearby, even though they may not be physically present. Their relationship was not made from what they share in common and interests, it was built on the fact that they happened to have an impact on each other’s lives through their appreciation of one another.

David Malouf’s insight was an eye-opener for me and I now have a deeper understanding of the fascinating novel.