Interpretation+Two

Interpretation Two By Brandon Lin __Go Home__

Matthea Harvey’s “(bottle tower)” gives the view of a dissatisfied modern day person, pointing out some of the flaws of the modern world. By using a blank verse, a first person perspective, and detailed descriptions, Harvey paints a picture in the reader’s mind depicting the author’s feelings about the world, contrasting the good with the bad.

Harvey’s birth into the late 20th century has an obvious effect on this poem. During an interview, she replied to a question about living in the modern world, “… my emotions are all over my work, and the shapeless dread I felt after 9/11…” This leads to her depressing images of the modern world that cover (bottle tower).

Blank verse gives the poem a specific feel, as though it was written in a diary or journal. By doing so, it tells the reader these are the raw, unfiltered emotions of the speaker. Also, by starting off with the words “Dear nine-thirty”, the idea of a diary is further backed up. The powerful realization of discontent is instilled in the reader when they relate to the speaker.

Tar is an image that plays a large part of Harvey’s poem. Tar represents the boring, depressing, and dull parts of the late 20th and 21st centuries. It gives the reader a grim look on the repetitious and industrialized world in which they live. Tar is the cause of the “milky & grey” puddles. Also, through the use of the word puddles, a picture of a cloudy day comes to mind, supporting the dull and grey tar and puddles. The feelings behind these words create a longing for an escape from the modern life, shown in the use of nature in the poem. For example, the first sentence in the poem describes a situation without a name in nature:

…is there any word for the way the peony blossoms bend over & rest their soft faces on the petals piled up in the grass?

This sentence suggests that nature is so awesome and intriguing it inspires feelings that cannot be put into words. The way it is set makes nature much more desirable than the dull life of modern society.

In the 5th line, a series of descriptions begins. These are things in the world that trouble the speaker greatly. They relate more to the mindset of current day society rather than the physical aspects of it. They speak of the immorality of most people in major countries. For example, many people are obsessed with money, getting it, and keeping it. This idea also spans out into the prioritization of material things. The line “men / mute with mistakes” is comparable to a line from the song “gone” by Jack Johnson. And what about those shoes you’re in today They’ll do no good On the bridges you burnt along the way

They both speak of people’s lack of concern for the world and people around them, but rather getting their “cars and phones and diamond rings”. In lines 9-10, the poem makes its point:

Today I want to live without looking. Give me that & I will give up the rest. The speaker begs for an escape. He/she is so discontent as to give up everything good in the world in order to get away from the bad things. Although it may not be forever, suggested by using the word “today”, the speaker is hoping for a vacation of sorts.

(bottle tower) contains the feelings of the speaker pushed into a poem. Praising the pleasant things in life, pointing out the flaws, this diary entry-type poem is depressing and uplifting at the same time with its comparisons of nature and the modern world. With a strong use of imagery, Matthea Harvey paints a picture in the mind of the reader connecting them to her feelings.

__Sources__ Cutter, Weston. An Interview with Matthea Harvey. October, 2007. Retrieved on 12/2/09 from http://www.bookslut.com/features/2007_10_011810.php

Johnson, Jack. Gone. Perf. Jack Johnson. May 6, 2003 Ó The Moonshine Conspiracy Records, 2003.