Blog---Paul Blackburn “Brooklyn Narcissus”

“Brooklyn Narcissus”, represents a poem with mixed emotions, the author seemed lonely, and unstable.  The author also seems to have a troubled mind because he’s in constant battle with himself.  The introduction of this poem would give you the impression the author is under the influence of alcohol, because he says “Straight rye Whisky, 100 Proof”.  As you continue reading this poem they are more indications of the poet feeling lonely, rather than him being intoxicated because he ended the sentence saying “you need a better friend? Yes, myself.

The second part of the poem elaborates more on the poet’s loneliness because it says “The lights the lights the lonely lovely fucking lights”.  At night, indeed the lights are all alone, which would be the ideal time for someone to have alone time to observed the beauty at night and what we don’t usually see in the day we would see at night.  All the different colors at night, and the scenery seems like it reminds the poet of Christmas because he mentions “Blue/green double-stars…Xmas trees of tugs scream and struggle”, I would assume “Xmas’ because of the blure and green and the bright gleaming on the river.

This poem can relate to Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Facing it”, because both authors used an object or situation to reflect on memories.  For instance Yusef used the Vietnam Veterans memorial to reminisce about his experience in the Vietnamese War, and Paul Blackburn used loneliness and the train and bridge to reminisce on what may appear to be a lost relationship he once had.  Both authors convey a lonely and lost feeling, as if they lost a part of them In the past, and its challenging for them to move on from it.

On the contrary, “Facing It’ has more realism to it as oppose to “Brooklyn Narcissus”, simply because the event that was more realistic.  Thus, ‘Brooklyn Narcissus may be more relatable for many people because of the connection it has with inner loneliness; we constantly battle our minds about being lonely and have some sort of broken pieces that cannot be mend together.  The reason why I made such a strong statement is because the author stated keep hinting ‘loneliness”, and “the flowers died when you went way”.  I know on my behalf I can relate “Brooklyn Narcissus” to relationship hardships, because the same type of loneliness the poet is feeling are the same emotions I carry around when I remember the one I loved.