Finding the Poetic in the Mundane

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the poem "Singapore" by Mary Oliver. The paper reports that on a superficial level, the poem is about a woman that the author spots scrubbing toilets in an airport in Singapore. However, deeper analysis reveals that the poem is also about writing poetry. It considers the ways in which poets must look beyond the mundane reality of the world to find poetic inspiration in the most ordinary of situations.

From the Paper:

"On the surface, Mary Oliver's "Singapore" is just a poem about an incident in which the author comes across a woman scrubbing a toilet in an airport in Singapore. In fact, for many, that is probably as complex as this poem will ever be. However, there is much more to "Singapore" than a custodian on her knees, arms wrapped around a porcelain bowl. A closer, critical analysis of the poem reveals that this poem is, interestingly enough, a poem about writing poetry. Oliver expertly examines the tension that exists for poets in resolving the supposed beauty that should make up a poem and the reality of the world upon which all poetry must be constructed."

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