In Particular Introduction

Elena Karina Byrne’s poem “In Particular” was published in her first poetry collection, The Flammable Bird, in 2002. The poem examines the subconscious, or primitive, mind, a topic that has interested Byrne since childhood when she was exposed to art and visual imagery at an early age through her parents, who were both artists. Through the poem, Byrne tries to convey visually the quality of this primitive mind, which Byrne views as a source of strength for her artistic passions. After establishing the power of this unconscious mind, Byrne examines the effect that this part of the brain has on the conscious mind during a crisis situation when the primitive brain resorts to instinct, reaching a state of awareness before the conscious mind. Through her specific visual imagery, Byrne explores one of these typical emergencies, isolating the “particular” moment that precedes this potential disaster and examining what goes through a person’s mind in this moment. Ultimately, Byrne’s poem explores the power and resourcefulness of this hidden part of the mind in everyday human experience. A current copy of the poem can be found in The Flammable Bird, which was published in 2002 by Zoo Press.

In Particular Summary

Lines 1–10
“In Particular” begins by introducing the concept of “Recognition in the body.” Byrne notes that this recognition, or consciousness, “moves like a swarm of bees: you know all / over at once.” This language evokes an image that many readers can relate to, the moment when something unclear or unknown becomes instantly clear or known. This feeling of sudden inspiration, or the commonly defined “a-ha” moment, cannot be predicted; it just happens. Byrne begins to explore the effect of this inspirational feeling, beginning in the second half of the third line: “Your place / in history has not been betrayed,” she writes. This may seem an odd use of language to some readers, but it becomes clearer upon further examination. When Byrne says “place / in history,” she is discussing the actual life history of a person, the realistic details that make up one’s daily life. This tangible realism is not “betrayed,” as Byrne notes. It still has its place. But it is contrasted with this sudden feeling of inspiration, which forces a person to find out that “what you really feel follows / no language.” In other words, whereas the everyday details of a person’s life can be adequately described in realistic terms, this sudden inspiration, or revelation, can indicate what a person really feels about something, and this feeling often defies language. Sometimes, people are struck with one of these revelations, and, though powerful, it is something that they cannot express in words. Yet, this is exactly what Byrne is attempting to do, describe an indescribable feeling.

In the second half of line 6, Byrne offers more language to try to describe this feeling of inspiration. As with the “swarm of bees,” she uses similar types of animal imagery when she says “wild stir / of insects, flurry of birds.” Again, these are both attempts by Byrne to express the all-consuming, sudden feeling of inspiration. The words “wild” and “flurry,” just like the word “swarm,” convey the sense of speed. Byrne’s next image slows down the pace of this image: “one bone / of the earth shows through, night root / tightened within its ground.” Whereas the animal imagery evoked images of sudden activity, the “bone / of the earth” image conveys a sense of stability and structure. Byrne is using this image of the bone as a symbol. A symbol is a physical object, action, or gesture that also represents an abstract concept, without losing its original identity. Symbols appear in literature in one of two ways: They can be local symbols, meaning that their symbolism is only relevant within a specific literary work; they can also be universal symbols, meaning that their symbolism is based on traditional associations that are widely recognized, regardless of context. In this poem, the symbol of the bone is a universal symbol. People often refer to bones—and, by inference, skeletons—as a type of support structure. For example, when a new building is being constructed, workers will usually build a steel skeleton, on which to rest... » Complete In Particular Summary