Did anybody read a poem "News" by George Bowering?

Question

Every day I add an inch
to the pile of old newspapers
in the closet

In that three foot pile now,
a dozen airliner crashes,
one earthquake in Alaska,
seventeen American soldiers
face down in Asian mud.

I could go on enumerating
like newsprint-we record
violent death&hockey scores
&keep the front room neat

In front of me, on the table
my empy coffee cup, somewhat melted
butter, carbon copy of an old poem,
familiar things, nothing unexpected

A plane could crash into the kitchen-
a fissure could jag the floor open-
some olive faced paratrooper bash
his rifle butt through the window-

It would be news, somewhere.

Ok, what does 3rd stanza mean? And can you give me examples of irony and juxtaposition? What points do the irony and juxtaposition make about human nature, mass media, and the world we live in today? Juxtaposition- is contrasting images side by side by suggesting a conflict.

Answer 1

This is just one of the many poems by the clever, prolific, "first poet laureate of Canada." At one time he wrote a poem for every letter of the alphabet, as well as one poem a day for 365 days! Because his wife suffered from multiple sclerosis he entertained her with his poems.

The 3rd stanza he is referring to the many newspapers, lists of facts, and the fact that he has put them in a closet, thus keeping the room fairly neat. To ennumerate simply means to list.

irony = look for words that seem to imply the opposite of the literal meaning. This is usually humorous or sardonic

juxtaposition = look for two (or more things) placed side by side.

Let us know what you find in this poem and someone will be happy to critique that.

Sra

Answer 2

In that three foot pile now-irony

one earthquake in Alaska,
seventeen American soldiers- juxtaposition