The frustration of having a word on the tip of one’s tongue, the mental marathon went through for retrieval seems to take eons. Until, alas, the heaven’s open up, it is a near-religious experience, and the word has been said! The happiness one can receive from an intangible object is difficult to comprehend, though, Kinnell’s ‘Blackberry Eating’, through sensory imagery, draws a parallel between the tangible experience of consuming blackberries, and the intangible experience of finding the perfect word. Kinnell often focused on the claims of nature and society on the individual, and his poems explore psychological states (www.poetryfoundation.org) which is exemplified in this poem as he describes his infatuation with nature, namely blackberries
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In these, he relishes in pronouncing these “many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps” (Kinnell 11) as they pop into his head at the perfect time, without needing a second thought. The diction used to describe speaking interesting words gives language a whole new level. It exhibits how the speaker believes words can do more than just communicate, but truly encompass perfectly what he has to articulate. Kinnell also writes how he manipulates the words in his mouth by [squeezing], [squinching] open, and [splurging] well / in the silent, startled, icy, black language” (Kinnell 12-13). The way he treats the words in his mouth is similar to how he tasted the blackberries, filling his mouth with them, letting his tongue dance around the item. In this line, the idea of “black art” (Kinnell 5) is restated in the more specific “black language” (13) illuminating how, like the blackberries, language and words, are mystical and magical, and experiencing them should be cherished as it is otherworldly. After the way Kinnell describes his love of words, the reader is able to connect the feeling of both the speaker’s blackberry eating and vocalizing of the perfect …show more content…
The blackberries serve as the vehicle, while the words are the tenor. The metaphor is effectively used so we attribute the delightful, tangible qualities of blackberries, to that of the intangible utterance of a word. The way “the ripest berries / fall almost unbidden to [his] tongue, / as words sometimes do” (Kinnell 7-8) indicates the clear relation the speaker is making between the two sensations. He needs not think about the word he wishes to use, as he becomes cognizant of it while it is leaving his mouth. The involuntary action of saying the word is not careless, as the word in question is as sweet and majestic as the blackberries that he consumes rather than articulating. This instance does not happen often, much like the harvest of blackberries, but it is a moment that should be savoured, as the inexplicable happiness the speaker receives from the occurrence is rare. Kinnell also seems to have an insatiable appetite for the fruit; as he wishes “to eat blackberries for breakfast” (3), this alludes to his insatiable appetite for words. Considering the fact that solely blackberries are sufficient enough for one meal, simply words are enough to keep him intellectually stimulated. It shows how both the subjects intensify each other’s significance to the
In these, he relishes in pronouncing these “many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps” (Kinnell 11) as they pop into his head at the perfect time, without needing a second thought. The diction used to describe speaking interesting words gives language a whole new level. It exhibits how the speaker believes words can do more than just communicate, but truly encompass perfectly what he has to articulate. Kinnell also writes how he manipulates the words in his mouth by [squeezing], [squinching] open, and [splurging] well / in the silent, startled, icy, black language” (Kinnell 12-13). The way he treats the words in his mouth is similar to how he tasted the blackberries, filling his mouth with them, letting his tongue dance around the item. In this line, the idea of “black art” (Kinnell 5) is restated in the more specific “black language” (13) illuminating how, like the blackberries, language and words, are mystical and magical, and experiencing them should be cherished as it is otherworldly. After the way Kinnell describes his love of words, the reader is able to connect the feeling of both the speaker’s blackberry eating and vocalizing of the perfect …show more content…
The blackberries serve as the vehicle, while the words are the tenor. The metaphor is effectively used so we attribute the delightful, tangible qualities of blackberries, to that of the intangible utterance of a word. The way “the ripest berries / fall almost unbidden to [his] tongue, / as words sometimes do” (Kinnell 7-8) indicates the clear relation the speaker is making between the two sensations. He needs not think about the word he wishes to use, as he becomes cognizant of it while it is leaving his mouth. The involuntary action of saying the word is not careless, as the word in question is as sweet and majestic as the blackberries that he consumes rather than articulating. This instance does not happen often, much like the harvest of blackberries, but it is a moment that should be savoured, as the inexplicable happiness the speaker receives from the occurrence is rare. Kinnell also seems to have an insatiable appetite for the fruit; as he wishes “to eat blackberries for breakfast” (3), this alludes to his insatiable appetite for words. Considering the fact that solely blackberries are sufficient enough for one meal, simply words are enough to keep him intellectually stimulated. It shows how both the subjects intensify each other’s significance to the