IPP - long poem analysis

“Ode to Pokeweed” is the longest poem in the second part of Maura Stanton’s sixth and most recent book, Immortal Sofa. The book is divided into four parts, the second of which is called “Lost and Found.” “Ode to Pokeweed” is the second poem in this part, following a poem that has the same title as the section, “Lost and Found.” “Ode to Pokeweed” is (despite its title) a free verse poem that describes a pokeweed plant and how that plant has been viewed in history.

            “Ode to Pokeweed” is all one stanza, with 105 lines. Every other line of the poem is indented slightly, so that the even numbered lines start at about the third letter of the odd numbered lines. The lines range from medium to long, but there are all generally the same length as the lines around them. There are many instances of enjambment in this poem, as well as a lot of punctuation in the form of commas, exclamation points, periods, and dashes. There is much apostrophe in the poem, as Stanton is talking to and about a plant.

            This poem is a great example of Maura Stanton’s style of poetry. As time has gone on, Maura Stanton has taken a narrative stance with her poems. Most of her poems tell a story of some sort, and “Ode to Pokeweed” is no different. Stanton first describes her confusion over seeing the pokeweed plant growing in her backyard, until she finally looks up what kind of plant it is. She then goes on to describe how the pokeweed plant is the quintessential American plant, and she tells some of the plant’s history in the States. She uses a narrative style to tell about how different parts of the plant are poisonous and how the plant has been treated over the years. At the end of the poem, Stanton describes how rain knocked the plant down and killed it, and how it made her sick to her stomach with grief, as if she had lost a friend. This contrasts with her original stance on the plant, shown at the beginning of the poem, when she tried to cut the plant down at all costs. In the final line of the poem, she does not call the plant “pokeweed” but “Pokeweed” as if it were a friend named “Pokeweed” instead of a plant.

            Over the course of the poem, Stanton’s view on the plant changes dramatically, and the character of the persona evolves. At first she hates and fears the plant, and tries to destroy it. Then comes a period of trying to understand the plant, and valuing its rich history. After she has discovered how influential the plant has been, she begins to like it, and eventually to love it like a friend. When the plant dies, she mourns for it until she realizes that it will return the next year, and then she rejoices. She looks forward to a time when someone asks her why she is allowing a weed to grow in her yard and she can share with them all she has learned about the plant. Then she calls the plant by its name as if it were a person.

            This is a fantastic example of how Stanton uses narrative in her poems. She takes an idea, something from every day life, and makes a story about it. Then she uses poetry to tell this story. She also uses the pokeweed to point out a fascinating contrast in much of nature. The pokeweed is both poisonous and useful. It has a dark and a light side. Eating parts of it can make you sick or even make you die, but other parts of it are still sold to be eaten today. Its berries can make ink and it is, according to Stanton, being researched as a possible ingredient in medicine for HIV patients. Something most people would believe is useless – a weed – actually has many uses and a very layered and interesting history.

            When considering that Stanton often uses nature metaphors and looks at how people interact with one another, as shown in her other books and in many of the poems in this book, this poem, “Ode to Pokeweed” could very well be talking about human nature itself. When it comes to humans, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Neither are things so simple with the pokeweed plant. Everyone has some sort of usefulness in the world, and everyone has a history with many twists and turns that are almost unimaginable. Even the use of apostrophe helps to make the plant seem more human – perhaps Stanton’s attempt to show the reader that humans are not useless or boring, but beautiful and many-layered, like the pokeweed plant.