Robert Morgan’s poem, “Skipping”, bounces around the idea that pleasure can be derived from glossing over a few steps. The poem moves from a quirky examination of the word “skip” to an analysis of “pleasure” (lines 14, 9).
Poetic Movement in “Skipping”
The poem’s motion mimics its conceptual analysis of movement. From a “carburetor” to a “rock” to a “fugitive” to a “crook”, the poem jumps from one usage of the word “skip” to another quickly. As quickly as the poem’s first 5 lines zip by, the poem suddenly jumps from a whimsical examination of language to a close inspection of the act of skipping. Despite the parallel that the poem is illustrating in its motion and analysis, the flow is interrupted and the effect is jarring for the audience. Stop. Go. Turn around. The reader is running “with joy across a summer field”, and then suddenly, the speaker of the poem inserts itself. There is nowhere to run, and the reading becomes dangerous. Thankfully, and a bit ironically, the poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which provides a steady rhythm.
One More Time, Please
Maybe a second reading would do the poem justice? If the movement of the piece doesn’t digest well, maybe it should be chewed over twice? After a second reading, the poem’s pieces aren’t as shaky and the transition from the speaker, as an outside observer to an inside commentator, is easier on the palate. The “gap and shift” of the poem becomes more effective after the second reading (line 10).
Believe or Not
Unfortunately, the speaker’s stream of consciousness does not lend itself to believability. The speaker questions “why omitting steps is such / a sign of pleasure”, but then forces the answer down the reader’s throat (lines 8-9). Fortunately, the answer the speaker provides for the reader is chewy, sweet, and just mysterious enough that the reader will want to ingest it again and again:
if the gap and shift, the quick
eliding interruption of
a stride, reflects the shiver jolt,
releasing dance; accentuates,
as heart is said to skip a beat,
the lift, arrhythmic, breathless gasp (lines 10-15).
It seems as if the poem was skipping from frame to frame without painting a clear picture, but the piece finally comes full circle with the explanation provided by the above extended metaphor.
Poetic Cognizance
The poem’s crux is its self-awareness. The diction is slippery, especially towards the end, with words like “eliding” and “arrhythmic”. Furthermore, the poem is unafraid to dash down the page unimpeded by a clear logical current. By jumping perspectives and shifting errantly, the poem explores its own demise, while simultaneously relishing in it. The poem is refreshingly human, although maybe not the type of person one would invite to join their debate team.
A Call to Skip?
The poem’s final image dances in the mind of the reader, and it just might stir up action. The poem’s journey culminates with a physical journey
of crossing first
one threshold then another in
the vivid hop from foot to foot,
the hurrying toward and with delight. (lines 16-19)
The poem effectively transports its readers to a time and place where they were high enough to discard social convention, dismiss embarrassment, and ride the cloud at their feet “with delight”. Even though the piece lacks a rigid, logical coherence, it still rewards readers with uninhibited advice that just might take them to cloud 9. “Skip, skip, skip to my Lou.”
Source:
- Dvorak, Mark. "Songnotes." Old Town School of Folk Music. Old Town School of Folk Music. Web. 05 Jan. 2012.
- Morgan, Robert. "Skipping." Terroir. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print.
Matthew Birdsall - Matt is a reader, writer, teacher, lover, and liver, not necessarily in that order. He is eager to read your comments and hopes you enjoy ...
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