Break
Dorianne Laux
We put the puzzle together piece
by piece, loving how one curved
notch fits so sweetly with another.
A yellow smudge becomes
the brush of a broom, and two blue arms
fill in the last of the sky.
We patch together porch swings and autumn
trees, matching gold to gold. We hold
the eyes of deer in our palms, a pair
of brown shoes. We do this as the child
circles her room, impatient
with her blossoming, tired
of the neat house, the made bed,
the good food. We let her brood
as we shuffle through the pieces,
setting each one into place with a satisfied
tap, our backs turned for a few hours
to a world that is crumbling, a sky
that is falling, the pieces
we are required to return to.
by piece, loving how one curved
notch fits so sweetly with another.
A yellow smudge becomes
the brush of a broom, and two blue arms
fill in the last of the sky.
We patch together porch swings and autumn
trees, matching gold to gold. We hold
the eyes of deer in our palms, a pair
of brown shoes. We do this as the child
circles her room, impatient
with her blossoming, tired
of the neat house, the made bed,
the good food. We let her brood
as we shuffle through the pieces,
setting each one into place with a satisfied
tap, our backs turned for a few hours
to a world that is crumbling, a sky
that is falling, the pieces
we are required to return to.
I believe this poem reflects a universal theme of beginning and end. How happiness, growth, and exploration turn to impatience, stagnation, and destruction. The literary vehicle that Laux uses is unique in that it is a puzzle. One gains satisfaction from steady progress and completion of the puzzle, while the child grows impatient. Eventually the child wins out and the pieces are returned back into their box as the whole poem comes to an end.
I like this poem because of its subject and the way it comprehends reality. Puzzles are good literary objects to convey problems, and achievement. When paired with the broader idea of life and existence the poem really fits. It acknowledges that puzzles begin and end in the same way that all things begin and end. It is the "loving how one curved notch fits so sweetly with another." that gives life its meaning, its purpose. In essence its message is life may be puzzling at times, but it is the sense of achievement gained by working life out that gives existence a justifiable meaning.
Laux, Dorianne. "Break." Poetry 180- Break(Library of Congress). University of Arkansas Press, 1 Jan. 2001. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/180.html>.
Laux, Dorianne. "Break." Poetry 180- Break(Library of Congress). University of Arkansas Press, 1 Jan. 2001. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/180.html>.
GOOD JOB JACK!!!! I liked the poem and its message about puzzles. In your analysis I liked how you made outside connection with the poem and your view on the broader meaning of life.
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