Turtle
Kay Ryan
Who would be a turtle who could help it?
A barely mobile hard roll, a four-oared helmet,
She can ill afford the chances she must take
In rowing toward the grasses that she eats.
Her track is graceless, like dragging
A packing-case places, and almost any slope
Defeats her modest hopes. Even being practical,
She’s often stuck up to the axle on her way
To something edible. With everything optimal,
She skirts the ditch which would convert
Her shell into a serving dish. She lives
Below luck-level, never imagining some lottery
Will change her load of pottery to wings.
Her only levity is patience,
The sport of truly chastened things.
A barely mobile hard roll, a four-oared helmet,
She can ill afford the chances she must take
In rowing toward the grasses that she eats.
Her track is graceless, like dragging
A packing-case places, and almost any slope
Defeats her modest hopes. Even being practical,
She’s often stuck up to the axle on her way
To something edible. With everything optimal,
She skirts the ditch which would convert
Her shell into a serving dish. She lives
Below luck-level, never imagining some lottery
Will change her load of pottery to wings.
Her only levity is patience,
The sport of truly chastened things.
Ryan, Kay. "Turtle." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation,1994. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/180966
This poem is universal in its theme. It tells of
struggles that must be overcome and focuses on perseverance. This turtle has a hard time doing everyday
things from walking, finding food and avoiding predators: “She’s often stuck”. But
despite these obstacles the turtle is still patient in her pursuits showing her
ability to break loose. I chose this poem because of what the turtle represents.
The turtle is personified throughout the poem; she is described as having “modest
hopes” and thinking “practical[ly]” for the purpose of connecting the turtle
more with humans in general. The turtle’s entire day is a struggle, but she is
still able to continue. We too will face adversity many times throughout life.
No one wants to “be a turtle”, but at some point everyone will be. And the best
we can do is be patient and persevere through those times.
I love the poem you chose, it's a very good subject to write about because it's something that everyone comes face to face with. I like how you used examples from the poem in your analysis.
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