Question

1. Katie Ford’s poem “Still-Life” is two sentences long. What is the relationship between those sentences? How would you describe the internal structure of the poem? What is the significance of the final question and the title?

here is the poem.

Down by the pond, addicts sleep

on rocky grass half in water, half out,

and there the moon lights them

out of tawny silhouettes into the rarest

5of amphibious flowers I once heard called striders,

between, but needing, two worlds.

Of what can you accuse them now,

beauty?

Answer 1

The first sentence of the poem sets up the scenario for the subject of the poem. It sets the premise so that the poet can ask the question in the second sentence.

The internal structure of the poem indicates a relationship between the sentences. The poem does not rhyme and has a smooth painting of the scenario in the first sentence. The poem describes the nature and the interaction of various natural elements.

The final question depicts the need to analyze our judgmental thought process. The addicts are lying peacefully near the pond. We often blame the downtrodden and the homeless in our society for various social shortcomings. Thus the question is should we still blame the addicts even now?