I really need some help interpreting this poem. I have some idea about it but I'm not sure if it is right.

Question

Here's the poem...

A Distinction by Gerson Mallillin

When only the brain has poetry

nothing else has;

the heart is numb with emptiness,

the eyes might as well be shrouded,

the lips yawn with the ghosts of words

buried before they can become speech

the hands are active crosses

But when the heart has poetry

everything else has;

the brain is renewed

and stirred to surpass itself,

the blood becomes a flood

of meanings and images

eyes, lips and hands

can never

perfectly tell

I also don't understand how the hands became "active crosses". Please help me. Thanks.

Answer 1

I'm not sure it means much of anything.

It's the old "Poetry is a feeling" sch-tick.

Answer 2

The hands are a metaphor for death--this time the death of poetry.

The poet is saying that when poetry comes from the intellect (the brain), rather than from the emotions (the heart) it is death of words. Once you can feel the poetry it comes to life with meaning and imagery and other poetic devices.

Answer 3

Poetry should come from the heart and

not the head.

Answer 4

Here is my interpretation paragraph for paragrapgh:

When only the brain has poetry

nothing else has;

the heart is numb with emptiness,

the eyes might as well be shrouded,

the lips yawn with the ghosts of words

buried before they can become speech

the hands are active crosses

Means, when your thinking of how to write a poem, there is no emotion, The eyes may as well be blind so you cannot see beauty, lips cannot speak only muffled words can escape. The hands are crosses with no way to write only tools, not your own.

But when the heart has poetry

everything else has;

the brain is renewed

and stirred to surpass itself,

the blood becomes a flood

of meanings and images

eyes, lips and hands

can never

perfectly tell

Means:

But when the heart has put emotion and there is a meaning behind your poem you feel renewed, you feel more rejuvenated, more images and words come to you. Your lips and hands are able to express this fully.

That is what I gathered from this poem. Hope I have helped.