Reflection English

Margaret Avison’s poem ‘crowd corralling’ is an interesting piece set in an imaginary context. The sense of imagination visible in the poem fundamentally aims at making the passive reader become essentially aware of the hidden meaning.

In order to achieve this, the poet explores the concept of defamiliarization through careful choice of words as seen in, “Hard rain the bean-mash smell…cotton people in go-holes” (Avison, 1989, p.101). The choice of words is unambiguous with the formation of unfamiliar word combinations as seen in ‘sheepdogging’ and ‘tin-brim spill’ (Avison, 1989, p.

101). By doing this, the reader becomes lost in the words and seeks to establish the poem’s bearing by establishing its deeper meaning.Moreover, the words used are in essence ‘non action’ words, which strive less in reaching out to the poem’s title. There is significant evident showing the use of active personification in the poem, which can be seen in “Cotton people in go-holes” (Avison, 1989, p.101). There is also an evident rhyme, which consequently creates a definite rhyme scheme in the poem as seen in “smell.

..spill…

trees…holes” (Avison, 1989, p.101). In essence, these elements further serve to strengthen the fiction element present in the poem as a unique literary approach.