Willard! It's been a long time since we've ever talked, much less since I've ever reviewed anything of yours. But, with this being RevMo, I thought I might as well go and review some of my favorite authors and poets, so here I am.
I remember I read this about the time it came out, but I doubt that it resonated with me as strongly as it has now. A good part of that is my growing depression and anxiety issues, but the poem could stand its ground no matter how I feel. As the narrator says at the end, "I've never been a man of hate,/just one of regret and impatience." It's a brilliant summary of the overlying impressions the narrator has of Martha, and which you masterfully convey to the audience. The narrator seems regretful of what might be a wasted life, wallowing in depression while trying to suffocate his mind and senses. Only the death of Martha, in its tragedy, can give him some kind of purpose to his life, as he can then dedicate himself to her legacy; regarding this, he has a heavy impatience. It's definitely not a healthy mentality, but there is some irony in the sense that only a suicide would stop his suicide. The awareness of mortality would cripple his own efforts to hurt himself, as it reminds him how easily he can be destroyed by the world. The way that you demonstrate all of this is magnificent, and that sense of irony brings an almost comical bleakness into this poem. True to your style, I'd say, and what I've always liked about it.
As for any criticisms, I don't have much. I was originally going to point out an almost weird contradiction where the narrator mentions trying to drown the albatross, but that he always doubted its ability to float. In retrospect, I realize that it's actually a clever way to state, as supported by the next stanza, his growing awareness that the world can stomp on him without his own efforts involved. I could suggest adding a comma at the end of "every letter I will ever write", just because the next line is sharply different. Otherwise, this is fantastic. Everything is well-written, the flow is amazing, and you've demonstrated your great skills as a poet. So, with that, I tip my hat (well, baseball cap, but you get the idea) to you. Well done!
Points: 24185
Reviews: 299
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