Matt Comments

“The Anti Utopian Experience” Summary:

“The Anti Utopian Experience” is written in a way that addresses another person. It talks about purpose and the here and now, though it’s unclear to me what is exactly being addressed.

“The Anti Utopian Experience” Response:

This is a great poem. I love the first line, “Stare at me, don’t lose focus, this is of the utmost importance.” It’s a very strong sentence, and it draws the reader in as if he were personally being addressed and told to focus. For some reason the next line, “your eyes are the only thing still evolving, everything else has ceased production” gives it a sort of mechanical feel. It’s kind of like the feeling you get when you listen to Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine.” I love the line “here and now – hear me now.” I think those words sound cool together. I was a little confused as to what the poem was actually addressing. I would love it if you included an explanation of the line, “Back away from Hollywood, it is a deadly weapon.” It seems to me that this line is very important, but its meaning isn’t very clear.

“Madmans Lullabye” Summary:

“Madmans Lullabye,” in my opinion, is about a crazy person. He talks about his twisted thoughts, his nightmares, and a few of his societal beliefs.

“Madmans Lullabye” Response:

Out of all the poems I’ve read this week, “Madmans Lullabye” is by far my favorite. It gives you such a strong feeling of both unrest and intrigue. The first line, “How many sheep have you counted? Mine are all caught on the fence,” is worded very eloquently. It lets the reader know exactly how twisted the mind of the person is. When I read the line “How many sheep have you slaughtered? It still never helps with the silence,” I immediately thought of “Silence of the Lambs.” I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but it’s a good reference to make in such a poem. The rhyming words such as “passé” and “day,” “cringe” and “binge,” really help the poem to flow. The poem is very very deep, for example, the line “And if I died in a world like this I could never rest my soul.” My favorite line is “how many sheep have you counted? Child, you will never be free.” That line sends chills down my spine. I think it’s most effective word is “child” because it gives the madman a feeling of superiority and wisdom. I can honestly say that I would not change a thing.