"Swan and Shadow"

by John Hollander, p. 333

This poem caught my eye because of its shape on the page. I was looking for a poem with images and this poem is an image. The words form an image of a swan and its reflection on the water--its "shadow." You have to turn the book on its side to read it, which gives you a different perspective. (I'm assuming it's always published on its side like this, but it may just be for this collection, of course.) Reading this poem is unique also because of the way it is shaped. You get down to the bottom of the swan's neck and there is a gap between some of the words. It echoes the idea of reflection that is in the poem. It also makes you think about what you're doing in the process of reading. You are reading about reflection and reflecting at the same time. There are also many images in the poem to talk about: "loud flies" hang above the water, the "shadow fades," "pool of opened eye," "scattered bits of light." They are fresh and vivid images that make you visualize the scene as well as reflect on your life outside the poem.