Analysis of Mark Strand's "Keeping Things Whole"

A detailed Summary of Analysis of Mark Strand's "Keeping Things Whole"

Although it's not a lengthy poem, the few words and their layout in "Keeping Things Whole" certainly possess great significance. This poem is centered on the idea that the narrator's life is lacking purpose. In exploring the meaning of his existence, he determined that his reason for living was to keep moving so that people's lives were only temporarily interrupted.

Strand's technique of splitting up his sentences helps emphasize certain phrases and ideas. When I read poetry I naturally pause for a brief second at the end of each line to allow the words to sink in, therefore taking an extra moment to realize what the author is saying. With each line in this poem only a few words long, there is a higher pause-to-word ratio, which allows for more thought for each idea the first time you

The last stanza explains the narrator's reason for "moving," or in other words living: "I move / to keep things whole." (ll. 16 & 17) He understands that he must keep moving and going on with his life even though he is interrupting the existence and paths of others. When I read those last two lines I felt a sense of saddened acceptance of life in the narrator's speech. Since he concluded that his existence was unnecessary and bothersome, the only way he can continue in his monotonous life is by continually moving around, so that he disturbs everyone's lives equally and doesn't become too much of a bother in one place. With that mindset, the narrator believes that his absence is what keeps things whole.

The narrator's viewpoint towards life in this poem is quite different from how most

Some common words found in the essay are:
, idea narrator's, / air, poem words,

Approximate Word count = 536
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Analysis of Mark Strand's "Keeping Things Whole"

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