Wow. Just wow. After reading only the fourth page of Carson’s prose, that was all I could think. I am amazed by the way in which she paints such a clear picture of how Geryon experiences childhood, as it is so visceral I feel as though I am going through it myself. From the soft question for his mother “What does each mean?” (Carson 11, l. 11), to “he spelled it at school on the blackboard” (l. 16), she builds a child’s world that almost anyone can easily imagine. And yet, there is room for difference, even divergence in this passage, as the lyric poetry so often focuses on.
In the first half of the page, Carson describes the fact that Geryon does not only read or hear the word “each” but he actually sees and feels it. As we discussed in class, this condition, which is called synesthesia, allows a person to hear colors. Carson beautifully puts this neurodivergent aspect of Geryon to work here, by writing “the word each blew towards him and came apart on the wind” (l. 5). I especially love this passage because while I was reading it I felt a chill run up my own spine, as if I was experiencing the word along with Geryon. and THAT is why I find Carson’s poetry even more visceral than any of the others that I have read. She not only paints the picture but paints it so vividly that I can feel it in my very being.
When she writes, further down the page, about the situation by which Geryon came to live in his brother’s room, she describes it exactly the way a child might, if that child saw through images rather than mere description. This intersection of simplicity and difference is what makes her language here so impactful. “The doctors put her together again with a big pin” (L 21-22). She shows so much, and tells so little. And that, my friends, is the beauty of Carson.
Dear horsegirl59,
I love the wonder with which you speak about Anne Carson and it’s a wonder that I share without a shadow of a doubt.
As I discussed with you earlier Anne Carson does what the best artists do, show don’t tell.
At various points in the novel, I feel so deeply that Geryon is a real person. The details of his feelings are so clear and real.
When Ancash “ran his fingers slowly down the red struts that articulated each wing base” (128) I could feel my own body recoiling as if they were my wings and someone had violated my very sense of being. I felt myself almost as if I were about to faint.
Anne Carson truly is a beautiful poet.
Sincerely yours until the cows come home,
Carmine “Red” Zingiber
I agree with you that Anne Carson’s prose is very poetic and beautiful, and I also enjoyed reading it a lot. Especially her use of many metaphors as well as connections to science, psychology etc (e.g., when she mentioned physics such as distance, or volcanoes, or Freud and his psychology), and, as you mentioned, Geryon’s experienced synesthesia stuck out to me. Another page where I noticed Geryon’s strong connection to colors was on page 118, where it says “the hard pressure of Herakles’ arm under the leather sent a wave of longing as strong as a color through Geryon.” Colors seem to be very strong for Geryon and he can feel them/ understand them on a much deeper level than most people, maybe because he is “the red little monster”.
I love how you describe Anne Carson’s writing. It is so beautiful and unique. It is unlike anything I have read which I think is why I enjoy it so much. I cannot only see her writing and envision it, but I can feel it too. She writes as if she is Geryon. Like she knows the exact feelings in the novel. Ann Carson is a visual writer. You do not get the same experience if someone read it to you. You have to read the physical book to understand all of her beautiful writing.