poetry

[Barb]

Heres a poem, does anyone know what it means? I need to write about it for English homework

Its by Kurt Cobain and was broken up and used in his songs on the album Nevermind.

Spring is here again, tender age in bloom, he knows not what it means, sell the kids for food, we can have some more • The water is so yellow, I'm a healthy student, you're my vitamins • Take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours, don't be late • And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard but I'm not sure, I'm so excited I can't wait to meet you there but I don't care • I don't care if it's old, I don't mind if I don't have a mind, get away from your home • Have to have poison skin, give an inch take a smile • Never met a wise man, if so it's a woman, gotta find a way to find a way, I had better wait • One more special message to go, as defense I'm neutered and spayed, what the hell am I trying to say? I got so high that I scratched till I bled • The second coming came in last and out of the closet • At the end of the rainbow and your rope • Don't hurt yourself, I want some help to help myself, she's just as bored as me • I've got this friend you see, who makes me feel, I don't regret a thing • And the animals I've trapped have all become my pets • Our little group has always been and always will until the end, with the lights out it's less dangerous, here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now entertain us, a mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido, yay, yay, a denial, I'm worse at what I do best and for this gift I feel blessed, I found it hard, it was hard to find, oh well, whatever, nevermind •

[Megabot]

Sorry dude i dont knove what it means! I try to read it but dont get the point.

[K T Ong]

There actually used to be a thread on poetry earlier, but I suppose it can be interesting starting a fresh thread on it.

One's impression of the 'poem' is that the poet found reality so unbearable he could no longer think coherently, and was exhibiting the early symptoms of schizophrenia. I don't blame him for that -- such is the sorry state of contemporary society.

[AliCat]

I agree with the above assessments of the poem, if one can really call it that.

I think your signature picture/file, while pretty, is rather oversized. Please check the TOS or rules and regulations above, as it makes pages take too long to load up, as well as making readability decline, when enormous sig pictures are posted. Thanks!

[Leonis]

It looks like he is expressing his frustration and dissolusionment with his experience of, or place in, the world/society. In particular, feeling the impotence of his masculinity and themes of isolation, loneliness and being an outsider or misfit.

It is written in an apparent 'stream of consciousness'. Not a very well put together verse...

You probably know enough about his public persona to disect this a lot more intimately. Just think - this guy was talented enough in some way to become successful in an exceptionally difficult and fickle industry, and troubled enough to kil himself at the same time...

[The Hierophant]

I don't think that actually is a poem. It's printed on the inside cover of the Nevermind album right? Well, I think that it's just a collection of snippets of lyrics from each of the songs on that album. That's why it doesn't really make sense, each line is an incomplete excerpt. The song lyrics came first and then they were condensed into that poem (most likely by the record printing company. You know how most bands provide lyrics on the inside covers of their albums? Well I guess they were saving space here) as opposed to the poem coming first and being broken up and used fragmentally in the songs.
Did your teacher/lecturer set this piece for you as study material or did you choose it yourself? If it's one of those free-choice assignments then maybe you might want to try analysing a different piece as it's doubtful as to whether this one was designed to be seen as a stand-alone work.

[Barb]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: I don't think that actually is a poem. It's printed on the inside cover of the Nevermind album right? Well, I think that it's just a collection of snippets of lyrics from each of the songs on that album. That's why it doesn't really make sense, each line is an incomplete excerpt. The song lyrics came first and then they were condensed into that poem (most likely by the record printing company. You know how most bands provide lyrics on the inside covers of their albums? Well I guess they were saving space here) as opposed to the poem coming first and being broken up and used fragmentally in the songs. Did your teacher/lecturer set this piece for you as study material or did you choose it yourself? If it's one of those free-choice assignments then maybe you might want to try analysing a different piece as it's doubtful as to whether this one was designed to be seen as a stand-alone work.

Thanks man! We were sitting in a library lesson at school and and said the last line when she had a go at me for being good at English but getting a low SATs result *mph ramble complain* About Im worst at what I do best etc and she said whats that from and I said a nirvana case and she told me to do a PEE paragraph about it for homework .

[Leonis]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: I don't think that actually is a poem. It's printed on the inside cover of the Nevermind album right? Well, I think that it's just a collection of snippets of lyrics from each of the songs on that album. That's why it doesn't really make sense, each line is an incomplete excerpt. The song lyrics came first and then they were condensed into that poem (most likely by the record printing company. You know how most bands provide lyrics on the inside covers of their albums? Well I guess they were saving space here) as opposed to the poem coming first and being broken up and used fragmentally in the songs. Did your teacher/lecturer set this piece for you as study material or did you choose it yourself? If it's one of those free-choice assignments then maybe you might want to try analysing a different piece as it's doubtful as to whether this one was designed to be seen as a stand-alone work.

That makes more sense. I took the first post at face value...