Cristina, thank you for this gorgeous poem and the beautiful Ravel’s Bolero. What struck me among other things is that the poet seems to begin in a completely different setting (a kind of pawnshop?) and moves us to an object and then the memory of something entirely different. (What sleigh of hand) and the choice of the Bolero - a kind of elegiac marching band, the end of war and all the pain. Que belleza! I’d never heard of Gerard Stern!
This is such an important exercise, as it allows readers to identify and empathize with our characters. We're better able to understand a character's worldview and sensibilities by inhabiting their perspectives in scenes like the one this prompt is encouraging us to craft. Thank you, Cristina!
Cristina, thank you for this gorgeous poem and the beautiful Ravel’s Bolero. What struck me among other things is that the poet seems to begin in a completely different setting (a kind of pawnshop?) and moves us to an object and then the memory of something entirely different. (What sleigh of hand) and the choice of the Bolero - a kind of elegiac marching band, the end of war and all the pain. Que belleza! I’d never heard of Gerard Stern!
This is such an important exercise, as it allows readers to identify and empathize with our characters. We're better able to understand a character's worldview and sensibilities by inhabiting their perspectives in scenes like the one this prompt is encouraging us to craft. Thank you, Cristina!