Astigmatism: poems exploring the misshapen I

Abstract

This thesis is a book of poems, containing two major sections. The first part is a critical introduction to the creative writing; the second part consists of poetry that I have composed, revised, and revisited during the time I have spent working on my Masters degree. The poems comprise the larger section and is a cohesive collection bound by a progression of theme, style, and mode. In the critical introduction, I discuss many influences on my poetry and I explore how my poetry adheres to various modes and styles as well as how it differs from them. While I remain drawn to the confessional style, my work does not adhere enough to the strictures of that mode, and I find it rather stifling. However, instead of attempting to redefine the confessional/postconfessional mode, or arguing for one specific critical perspective, I attempt to propose different guidelines for my poetry, which seems to fall into a yet unnamed category, that I call the lyric memoir. I hope to suggest a method of reading that considers the confessional poem as representative of neither a completely constructed persona, nor a strictly autobiographical retelling of the poet??????s life. The second section of the thesis consists of thirty-seven poems. Although, I do not subdivide the poetry into labeled chapters, I have organized it so that the reader can identify a movement or progression of theme. The early poems contain reflective pieces that most closely mirror the confessional and/or postconfessional modes, as I explore my psyche, my perceived reality, and my role in the world. The middle poems address relationships??????both my relationships with others and how people interact. The later poetry reflects the world as a whole, although, as suggested by the title, all of the poems respond in some way to the title??????s implication of analyzing identity and add to the cohesion of the collection as they represent a journey from the self outward