Small Changes Can Make Great Impact

The meaning of Alvarez’s “Sometimes the Words are So Close” of what it means to be a writer is altered by demonstrating the multiple changes and transitions she did in earlier drafts of the poem. Her earlier drafts demonstrate those moments writers have when they are in the process of writing something. Alvarez proves that sometimes writing can be simply done quickly, but other times to share a meaning with more creativity a little more or a lot more critical thinking may be necessary. This is what I noticed as a reader; she was attempting to find the best way to express herself to her readers. How do I know? Reading through her earlier drafts, I noticed that her poem was much shorter and the untraditional sonnet structure was kept, but more words were added for the final version. For her final, Alvarez made sure to create a 14-line sonnet. Her earlier draft was 11 lines and was untitled. In her earlier drafts, she begins the poem like the first stating, “Sometimes the words are so close, I am more who I am when I’m down on paper than anything else, as if my life were a practice for the real me-” (Alvarez, Lines 1-4). There is a small detail that was changed. The final adds, “As if my life were practicing for the real me-” Small punctuation changes were made, but what’s interesting was the final was written in progressive verb tense, meaning that she changed it to make that message more direct towards the reader that “this is something I am still going through.” This demonstrates how such a small change can make a big impact when you’re expressing yourself in writing.

The earlier drafts and final show that this poem is about writing and what it means to be a writer, however, she assures that her final draft makes it obvious that she is a female writer and she adds, “you”. Her earlier drafts didn’t focus on that. This is precisely why her earlier drafts were shorter. The final states, “I was once in as many drafts as you. But briefly, essentially, here I am: Who touches this poem touches a woman.” (Alvarez, Lines 12-14). In her previous drafts, she wrote, “My flood comes through in so many drafts, But briefly, essentially, here I am. who touches these words touches myself.” What is the difference between both, how does this enhance the whole meaning of her poem? Well, in general, this poem has to do with Alvarez and who she is. Her final draft makes sure that the readers get that message. She makes that more direct by adding “you” within her poem. This is what her early drafts lack; directness. They do prove how expressing oneself can be complicated sometimes and can be easier to express on paper over speaking, but her final not only demonstrates who she is as a writer but brings confidence to others who are possibly struggling to express themselves as well.

This is how her earlier drafts alter the overall meaning of her poem. Her earlier drafts are a literal example of, “I was once in as many drafts as you.” (Alvarez, Line 11). Even without the drafts, her message could be received, but by having access to those drafts, we get to actually see what she means.

The mystery of poetry

Diane Tarabay-Rodriguez

Poetry is a very complex type of writing and in many cases very difficult to comprehend. There are different types of poems some more confusing than others, for this reason, many people tend to avoid them. Marianne Moore does a great job of explaining what poetry means in her poem “poetry”. Through her poem, she incorporates humor and brings into light all the confusion that poetry can cause. Ironically, she constructs her poem with many strangely placed sentences and many other strange things that most poems consist of. What I enjoyed about her poem is that she brings comfort to the reader by mentioning that poetry is not meant to be understood and that everyone has different interpretations of poems. She goes on to talk about the fact that poetry is not something that is meant to be understood. After reading her poem, readers are able to feel relieved and relaxed. We as humans always feel the need to understand and have the answers to everything. We put so much pressure on ourselves to get all the right answers and uncover the meaning of every little thing that we encounter. We have to accept the fact that some things are unknown and must be left to the imagination.