![]() Ammons, was moved to write a book of poetry entitled Garbage while driving down I-95 in Florida, where he spotted a smoldering pile of the stuff. While some poets are inspired by roads, others are inspired by the sights they see while traveling on them. The poems by Reg Saner, Stephen Dobyns, and Tony Hoagland mentioned above can be found in this work. The book is comprised of poetry written by various American poets. In fact, an entire book of poetry entitled Drive, They Said - edited by Kurt Brown and published by Milkweed Editions in 1994 - contains poems about Americans, their cars, and the roads they drive. Highways and roads have become the subject of many a modern day poem. Yet, one can still see the sense of discovery. These unrequited distances hold a sense of mystery and even fear of the unknown. This idea can be seen in the Tony Hoagland poem, "Perpetual Motion": As American cities developed, roads became less of a mystery and a path of discovery and more of a representation of escaping the hassles of modern day living. The development of the interstate system and other highways made it even easier to "wander." The whole basis of American life has been to "move on" and "discover." Interstate highways made it possible for us to get from here to there even faster by taking away the restrictions - stop signs, traffic lights, and intersecting traffic. In "Traffic," Stephen Dobyns describes being stuck in traffic as being "jammed together with my enemies, people no better than chunks of wood, impediments to my dinner, as I was an impediment to theirs." These lines reflect the feelings of many Americans, who are often rushed to get things done and don't like anything to get in their way.Īs roads became more and more important to the American way of life, the need for a limited-access highway system became more necessary. Sometimes, however, so many cars choke our roads that it is impossible to get anywhere. While early Americans explored roads on foot and on horseback, modern Americans are equipped with the automobile, which is meant to help us get from here to there even faster. How do you love them, these touches only the road could imagine!īecause the road still tells a good story about small figures pretty much like yours charging against the horizon.Īnd tells how, against astonishing odds often including themselves, most people get where they're going.Įven in the hurtle and chinook of the vast swashbuckling diesels you hear it.Īnd, during hushes between, in these small secrets traded by birds. This, he contends, has made his life better: In the poem "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost compares choosing the road less traveled with choosing the path in life less traveled. Because of this, following a road is like following someone else's way, not one that you have chosen. Some poets portray roads as the conventional path followed by everyone. They make us think of our lives and how we have lived them. Often, the references to roads in poetry are metaphorical. Poets have long recognized the parallels between roads and life. ![]() Because roads are everywhere, we often forget them. Yet, often roads are minor details in our memories of important moments. There is almost always a road associated with every place we go and every important event in our lives. They symbolize rites of passage - birth of a child, first date, senior prom, wedding, and even death. They take us to visit friends and relatives. They take us to and from work and school. ![]() In a mobile society, roads have a special meaning to us. You express me better than I express myself." ![]()
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