House By The Railroad- Edward Hirsch

I found this poem to be elegant in its simplicity. Hirsch uses a distinct clarity and forwardness that allows the reader to imagine the scenario with a vivid understanding. However, this poem also seems to lack direction. It tells less of a story and more of a setting. There is no real climax or definitive ending of a narrative. It seems to take a small piece out of a seemingly endless story. Perhaps this was the intention. It is interesting because it is written as if it was what we could pick up if we were walking by the scene. Rather than understanding everything about what might have happened in this environment, we were supposed to focus on the unknowable series of events that had happened up until our part in the story. This poem, in some ways, lacks insight. However, I believe that is its purpose. It uses a great deal of detailed imagery to paint a word picture that that we are supposed to find our own value for. Ultimately, we are supposed to gather insight the same way we gather it during any given moment in our lives: without a storyline or narrator.