Danny: Crank

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                Crank is heavily reliant on its formation to create its story. Without the use of form poetry, this story would quickly fall apart. Through the use of form poetry, Crank is able to easily recreate the thoughts of an adolescent, a conversation between two or more people, and even a poem that holds within its stanza a double meaning.
                A great example of the view into the mindset can be seen in ‘My Mom Will Tell You’ on page 10. The back and forth between the two opposing lines shows a clear definition between a statement and her personal thoughts. She says, “it started with a court-ordered visit./The judge had a God complex” (Lines 1-2). Kristana’s thoughts and knowledge are clearly separated, yet work as one poem. It shows the thought process of someone of her age, how they think multiple things at once, whether it be factual or opinionated.
                An example of a conversation is ‘He Worked in a Bowling Alley’ on page 31. Though Katrina doesn’t speak, she uses her personal thoughts and observations to serve as her dialogue. The other column works as the dialogue as her father. The poem reads, “Under the table,/so I don’t screw/up my disability./Unsticking stuck/balls, fitting stinky/shoes, collecting/cash from the crop…” (Lines 1-7). Her father speaks to her, then she observes and infers based upon what he has told her.
                Finally, the poems allow for ambiguity to come into play. I believe that the best example of this can actually be found within the first poem, ‘Flirtin’ with the Monster,’ on page 1. While the poem, by reading it fully, reads as a foreshadowing, the second poem within it does the same, only stronger. The hidden poem reads, “the monster./was great./for a little while” (Lines 4, 7, & 10). It recaps what the entire poem reads, but in a choppier manner, creating an ominousness about the events to come.

                All in all, Crank was a wonderful book of poem. It is the first prose book that I have subject myself too and I can say that I have enjoyed it. The poems allow for creativity and opens the imagination for the reader, but also allows the author for some unique and different approach to telling a story.

Comments

  1. KeyCNovember 13, 2017 at 9:24 PM

    I think the poems were my favorite interest of this book . I love how they allowed thoughts to just flow and the effect that each poem gave while reading it. I think the use of poetry allowed readers to connect more easily.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 14, 2017 at 10:19 AM

    Danny, I agree with your point about the formation of the book completely. I thought it really added an important element to the story that wouldn't have come across quite the way it needed to without that structure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Taylor SimmonsNovember 29, 2017 at 12:56 PM

    The poems are my favorite part, and it really helps the story develop. In my opinion, if this was written in the traditional way of a novel, I don't think the effect would be the same.

    ReplyDelete

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