Karl Shapiro – Car Wreck
December 7,1941 was a turning point in World War II when the Americans, devastated past times the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, decided to actively engage Axis forces past times deploying the military. After years of 'neutrality' (the U.S. of A. of America had already been helping the British past times sending money, ammunition in addition to nutrient supplies since the jump of 1941), activeness had been imposed on them, therefore to speak.
It seemed his being drafted into the the world forces in addition to serving inwards the Pacific Theater brought well-nigh Shapiro's inspiration to write. Four books of poems were published from his days inwards the army. Stationed inwards New Guinea, he wrote V-Letter in addition to Other Poems which gave him the Pulitzer Prize inwards 1945.
"Auto Wreck" can hold upward construed every bit the direct consequence of what Shapiro experienced during the war. The hollow logic of war, the arbitrariness of human life in addition to death, the idiocy of apathy within a context of normality are the ideas this verse form evokes to readers, though state of war per se is non mentioned. It is every bit if Shapiro wishes to explain the futility of life to someone who has never experienced it inwards combat, exactly who tin bring to hear like thoughts in addition to feelings having already been a witness to road accidents.
I select seen the verse form broken upward into three stanzas as good every bit four. To me, 4 stanzas seems to a greater extent than logical (read the verse form here) due to the gradual evolution of the logic behind the verse form every bit description of the scene moves from outside, societal, organized forces (the ambulance inwards stanza 1 pertaining to welfare, the constabulary officers inwards stanza two pertaining to law and order) to individual, inner thoughts (the on-lookers inwards stanza three) in addition to therefore on to the decisive conclusion, reminding one of the concluding lines of sonnets of yore.
Despite its length, to me, this verse form is a prime number example of how modern verse tin hold upward every bit complex, restricted, precise in addition to meticulously planned every bit the to a greater extent than conventional poems of Petrarch or Dante Alighieri were 700 years ago.
The notes that follow are to guide class discussions of the poem. I fearfulness that a to a greater extent than lengthy critical analysis must follow at around signal inwards monastic enjoin to convey this poem's true value to the forefront.
Karl Shapiro – Auto Wreck
- Life
- 1913- 2000, Baltimore, Maryland
- Russian-Jewish roots
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner (1945), served inwards the the world forces (WWII)
- poem:
- stanza 1:
- medicine / wellness / body
- focus on scene / event
- stanza 2:
- focus on living beings: the government + bystanders (“We”)
- (no humans introduce inwards stanza 1: all agents are objects, role of passive vox + personification)
- results of crash emphasized:
- we are deranged
- cops: impersonal, non flustered past times human drama
- society has piece of work clinically sterile of emotion
- cops are a share of practical bureaucracy
- choice of tidings ‘cops’
- emphasis on the tidings “gutter”
- stanza 3:
- witnesses linked to accident victims through imagery (splints, sickly, tourniquets, convalescents)
- philosophical musings on death:
- witnesses endeavour to rationalize using mutual sense
- basic human terror = Who’s next?
- “Who’s innocent?”: meant every bit query or every bit ironic statement?
- stanza 4:
- conclusion: reminds 1 of sonnet
- opening: work (accident / who shall die?)
- ending: resolution / determination (logic flora inwards other deaths, exactly non inwards accidents)
- imagery:
- medical
- cityscape
- themes:
- mortality
- randomness
- society’s sterility / coldness
- title:
- who or what is the automobile wreck? (society, us individuals, ambulance / cops, driver?)
Click the film for explanations of price used
