Edward Hirsch The House by the Railroad

I really enjoyed how the house became personified through the visuals of relating it to a shrugging human in this poem. To me the house had more personality then the painter. I wish I could understand the insight more of this poem. It embodies the feeling of loneliness so well. Then I wonder if it is the painter that is portraying the house this way, and projecting his emotions onto the house and thus his canvas.

X.J. Kennedy Nude Descending a Staircase

I thought the use of language and play on words was quite clever in this poem. I like the relationship it has to Duchamp’s painting. It seems to sexualize the very geometric figure he has painted. I don’t think the painting would come off quite as provocative as it does, if it were not for the words accompanying it. The gesture in the painting has a lot of character but I feel the poem gives it even more personality.