Dennis Johnson

                

  Critique of poem entitled Midnight by Houlden

After reading a poetry work, one of the first things I like to consider is how the poem made me feel. This technique allows honest emotional ties to the piece, in a subjective manner that leaves no room for dispute. It also an open-ended interpretation that permits me to continue in a discourse, be it favorable or unfavorable to the author. When I completed the poem Midnight, and immediately took notice to how I felt, I had problems attaching an emotion. I wouldn’t say that is a bad thing or a good thing. I would say it just is, so I read it again. This time I felt the same lack of an emotional pull as the last time. I wondered why? I like the poem as an overall feel, and I thought it worked in concept, format and structure.  It built up suspense for me. The kind where you read a little faster, just because you want to find out what happens next. That is a very good sign! So maybe it was the content that robbed me identifying an emotion. After a more careful examination, I concluded that was partially true. The language and tone was not complicated and it did build like I stated before. It was written in one of the first person narrative that actually narrates the scene. It did a decent job of description, in various areas. But the reason why I could identify any emotion, finally hit me like a Zuckelberg epiphany to steal: I felt no emotion because it was written without emotion. I think the author did a wonderful in every other aspect and writing a piece that does not grip the edge of emotion may have been an intentional method to convey that vague abstract voice or diction that the piece was portraying. Or it could have been an afterthought that was really worth considering in the first place. Either way I think to add some feeling would it the justice it properly deserves. I did add some notes after listening to the class discussion. I was wrong about the no emotion, it was really the tone you intended to achieve.