Dinnertime by Ada Gu
Count: one pill, two pill
I wait for the timer’s ding
Dinner is ready
This is a Senryu (a poem style developed in Japan) that is meant to deal with humans. It has 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second and then five in the third line. It is very simple, but I meant for the poem to portray on a shallow scale, the frustration, depression and the feeling of being trapped of a housewife. This ties in with my theme as the woman preparing dinner has been stuck with a fate that she never chose, and she has no way to escape. The only methods she has to reach out and cope are through living in a stupor, in order to put a smile on her face at dinnertime. In past decades, women were associated with the home and hearth only, rather than being appreciated on an intellectual scale. They were belittled and underestimated, and many a prodigy or genius was stuck in the mundane life of a housewife. On a deeper level, I meant for it to speak for everyone who is trapped in a predetermined destiny, who feels hopeless in changing their life and is unhappy with their current situation.
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I believe, from what I've read, this would be a Senryu because it is in the Haiku style, but it deals with humans rather than nature. Otherwise, I really like the reference to the mundane life of a housewife and by using everyday words you give the reader no reason to think it is interesting. I like the simplicity yet powerfulness of this poem. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI liked your use of the monotonous counting. It demonstrates the boredom of a housewife's life. Though this is perhaps still recognizable by some women today, society is gradually edging away from this stereotype.
ReplyDeleteI like how you were able to set the tone in just three lines and 15 words. And yet, the poem's tone is ambiguous and to me, can be interpreted in a couple of ways. The first two lines are definitely monotonous and lifeless, but the last line could be interpreted as a sarcastic "Dinner is ready" or it could really be the person thinking "Dinner is ready". Either way this poem actually came off as a bit sad for me, but it's good that you were able to invoke so many emotions in just one haiku!
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