The piece I have chosen to read is of the poetic form called a golden shovel, whose construction begins by choosing a quoted line from another poem and making each word from that quotation the last word in each of your own lines, thus the number of words in the quote you use for inspiration becomes the number of lines in your poem. This form allows for a framework that constrains the piece to the will of the words chosen but simultaneously allows many liberties in the expression and integration of said words. This piece’s largest constraint became its inclusion of a figure from Greek Mythology, Orpheus, as context for his inclusion would need to be weaved into the greater piece surrounding it. As a result, the poem took form into a type of dream sequence, in which I created a lush garden-like world with a touch of mystique and utilized the twist of a more concrete, familiar figure such as Orpheus for a crux of the work, allowing his presence to hold a lot of the representative meaning.
My goal in creating this piece was to try to simply get the landscape of my mind on paper. I wanted to develop a land that felt mystical and dreamlike, one that felt like a flower-ridden paradise but could also quickly shift to something else entirely. I wanted to incorporate things about life that spoke to me, like deep pools of water, mysterious ghouls, and foxgloves (also known as Digitalis, the namesake of this work, which has come to denote the flower, as well as the drugs and poisons derived from it); yet, most of all I wanted to highlight the confusion I feel like I, like many others as of late, have been feeling about the world around us. Orpheus’ story does not end well in any of the myths he is incorporated into, all he seems to do is lose. While the ending of this piece is not exactly uplifting, with Orpheus’ head rolling into the river to sit like a rock at the bottom with no satisfaction in the life he lived, I think there is a certain beauty in us all returning to dust in the end. Certainly not everyone will feel the same, but I feel it is important to hold onto a few certainties in this world to anchor us. Allowing oneself an avenue to travel to reach peace of mind is invaluable during those days when you feel shrouded in uncertainty.
Lauren is a Junior at Lewis University majoring in Psychology and English with a concentration in Literature and Language. When not in class, she can be found working at the university library or engaging in her various hobbies, such as reading, drawing, or knitting. Some of her favorite authors include Leigh Bardugo, Charles Dickens, and Neil Gaiman. She hopes to improve upon her writing skills and knowledge of literature during her time at Lewis in order to apply it to her future endeavors.