Reading Response on Oysters

I am a big fan of poetry, and I actually write poetry myself. But I honestly think that Heaney's work has been one of the most difficult works I have ever came across. Through my interpretation of poetry, I think it should be filled with metaphors and beautiful combinations of words that paint an image in one's mind, and also deliver a message or a story, or even a feeling. And I usually think that it needs to be somewhat easy to understand because who knows who is going to be reading the work... But with Heaney, it was quite a challenge starting from the first poem I have read.

Oysters was quite an interesting combination of words and mythologies that I had to "Google". I really did not reach my final conclusion and analysis about it until our recent class, because I realized that Heaney's work needs a lot of discussion, and a lot of meaning negotiation. Through our give and take in class, I finally realized the meaning of the poem, and it honestly struck me and I felt something weird going on inside me. I was amazed and was angry at myself that I hadn't figured it out earlier. I was also inspired to write more poetry using his ambiguity; I have written two last night. The best portion of any poem in my opinion is usually the last sentence of the whole thing, cause it can either make it or break it. I think the last sentence was perfect for the purpose of the poem. "I ate the day deliberately, that its tang might quicken me all into verb, pure verb" (Heaney 3). I find that composition so intriguing and settle, and I really like the way he is calling out for action, yet he is still contemplating what to do within himself. I believe that is how humans really are. We talk and talk and talk, but when do we really live up to our words?

- Sara