In the poem "Song of Powers," by David Mason is a very interesting poem. I find it very complex eventhough it is only about a game of rock, paper, scissors. In this poem the structure is very interesting because he starts out with describing the rock, and it's from the rocks point of view. Mason makes the rock seem like it is a person with power, the rock has power over the scissors because it can crush the scissors. The way that the rock seems to be a person who is describing the power that is there is very intriguing, why would he give personality traits to a rock? Or to any of the items in the poem?
He gives them all personalities because at the end of the poem in the last stanza Mason this "They all end alone. As you will, you will." He uses personification for the rock paper and scissors because he is talking about humans, humans think that they have so much power but they are nothing more than scissors, rock, or paper, they all die alone, they are all alone. I mean the scissor and paper and rock all bragged about the power that they had over one another, but in the end they end up alone, they all create destructions to eachother but they end alone, that is how it is when it comes to people, no matter how much power you might have over another person there is always a rock that can crush you, scissors that will cut you, and paper that will "snuff" out your supposed power, and you will end alone.
It is simple on first glance, but has a lot to say. I think he is making a comment on power and maybe war.
ReplyDeleteI thought a lot of the same things you did. I really viewed the author's interpretation of the rock, paper and scissor's power as a reflection of the way humans think their power is. We often think we have power over all like the rock, but there is always a ruling force over us as well. I liked your last line "there is always a rock that can crush you, scissors that will cut you, and paper that will 'snuff' out your supposed power," Great ending.
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