Re Happiness in Pursuit thereof By C D

Re: Happiness in Pursuit thereof By: C. D. Wright

C. D Wright Also know as Carolyn D. Wright, was an American poet with a Masters in Fine Arts, several poetry compilation books and awards including the Griffin Poetry Prize. She was born in 1949 and recently passed in 2016. Her style is said to be experimental and to be constantly evolving. Other awards include: • Mac. Arthur Fellowship • Whiting Award • Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada award • Lannan Literary Award for Poetry, • National Book Award • National Book Critics Circle Award “Poetry is a necessity of life, It is a function of poetry to locate those zones inside us that would be free, and declare them so. ”

Title Re: Happiness, in pursuit thereof Meaning about or concerning The fundamental right to enjoy life; The search for joy The title tells that the poem will be about finding happiness or what it takes

Paraphrase The poem talks about what makes us happy and the qualities we must posses to find true happiness. …we must first be ice. Be nails. Be teeth. Be lightning. (Lines 19 -20)

Metaphors are abundant in the last 8 lines of the poem …We should be concrete, glass, and spandex. We should be digital or, at least, early. Be ivory-billed. Invisible except to the most prepared observer. We will be stardust. Ancient tailings of nothing. Elapsed breath. No, we must first be ice. Be nails. Be teeth. Be lightning.

The tone is very reflective and thoughtful, shifting from line 2 (Here I am, a labyrinth and I am a mess) a very matter of fact line, I AM this, to a more we SHOULD be (Line 13 and 14) to a we WILL be (line 17) to finally we MUST BE (Lines 19 and 20) The theme being happiness (or the pursuit thereof)

"C. D. Wright. " Poetry Foundation, n. d. Web. 01 Mar. 2016 Poetry In Voice. N. p. , 2011. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.