Formal Elegy (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: John Allyn Smith
- First Published: 1964
- Type of Work: Elegy
- Genres: Poetry, Elegy
- Subjects: 1960’s, United States or Americans, Politics, Murder or homicide, Death or dying, Assassination, Presidents
The Poem
“Formal Elegy” is written in what one would generally call free verse. It incorporates occasional rhymes but does not follow any strict form. Its ten stanzas range in length from two to twenty lines. The title suggests a closure to the confusion surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination; yet, characteristic of John Berryman’s work, the poem indicates an inability to settle upon any conclusion. Written primarily in the first person, the poem occasionally lapses into third person and first person plural. It consists of scattered images of Kennedy;...
[The entire page is 1508 words long]
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