Sharon Olds P.381: Economics
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Sharon Olds P.381: Economics
Sharon Olds p.381: Economics
In the poem “From Seven Floors Up,” poet Sharon Olds compares two very different characters; one of a homeless man and the other of a successful poet. By comparing and contrasting the two, throughout her work, the reader finds himself pondering not only the nature of poverty but also how monetary success and failure can coexist with so little separating them. Moreover, the piece seems to beg the question; what determines the victor in the economic game of life? In this work, as in many others, Olds utilizes both “concrete imagery and stunning figurative comparisons” to create greatly thought provoking images in the mind of the reader (Parras). Furthermore, this poem is in keeping with Olds’ style of “unblinkingly facing the unfaceable and speaking the unspeakable” (Parras). Olds uses this style of poetry to probe the most intimate aspects of the human experience (Parras).
After reading Olds’ work several times one is left with several very powerful images of wealth and poverty. “Building up imagery in layers can be a very effective way to increase the power of [a] piece” (Rose). In collaboration with my group we discussed which particular image was most moving to each of us. For me, it was that of the rich poet kneeling and rapping his arms around the cool white porcelain of his hotel room’s toilet after returning from a trip in the wilderness. The image was very powerful to me because the image of a grown man kneeling and hugging an inanimate object with his entire mite seems to exude weakness of character. I found this particularly disturbing because wealth is linked to power while weakness is incongruous with power.
Equally as important, each member chose a unique image that moved them in a unique way. The image of not having basic amenities such as a sink, running water, or heat made Rachel step back and take stock of all that she has and all that she is grateful for. Conversely, the image of living in a park caused Brit to in...
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