Nature as a Revealer of Truth

Marci Batchelor's poem "Storm Shelter" is a descriptive narrative that details the way the world bends under a storm from the hole in door. The speaker watches as the storm rages and sends her from purely outwards descriptions to inward deliberations, contemplating especially the permanence of things and life in general.

I love it when a piece of writing's title gives more insight into the true meaning of the piece than first conveyed through the body. This may be narcissistic of me; there have been many short stories and poems I've written that have followed this formula of vague description to have the title give direction to the purpose or meaning of the piece.

The indirect approach Batchelor uses when addressing the meaning of her poem is one I admire greatly. Done sloppily, this poem's message, summed up perfectly in its conclusion "the fearsome break we", could have been a slap to the face rather than a creep towards the meaning. Even with such a striking ending, the meaning takes a moment to decipher, something I love and try to utilize in my own work. Although I think that the poem could have been much longer in order to draw out the conclusion and further draw the audience in so they feel the vulnerability the speaker does, Batchelor masterfully balances her descriptions and observations, often using her descriptions as a tool to justify her more profound statements.

Her structure is pleasing and clever for this piece as it allows for the aforementioned justification she employs. This also helps to justify her title, as it could be argued that the whole poem is an observation that is justified by the context. I know that I have many a time used the title as a tool of revelation, but I don't believe I've ever succeeded in achieving the effect that Batchelor does. I hope to use her as an example in a future poem to mimic her style and test my ability to make connections.

Batchelor, Marci. "Storm Shelter." Cargoes. 2016: 23. Print.

#Cargoes #MarciBatchelor #Poem