It was a great idea to post this one on the same day as the Masefield—both ostensibly about travel, both doing some “cataloging,” and of course, each allowing the reader to extrapolate for himself or herself, deciding just what kind of escape is being celebrated. But they are quite different poems. This one rambles more widely, and has more people in it—which must make it more appealing to some. I’m drawn more to the tight focus of the Masefield poem, but my preference also has a great deal to do with what I hear as better music in the Masefield poem.
Our appreciator shied away from offering a detailed critique, but his/her comment that the poem initiated an “ambition to travel” speaks volumes about the power of the poem. I especially like the word “ambition”—suggesting a striving for broader horizons that is as important as the actual acquisition of stamps on the passport.
I wasn’t sure under which thread to post this comment! Would love to see further reactions to the pairing of these two poems.
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Threaded Mode
