Blog Entry 11: Quote-Resonse

Quote:
Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)

"The Hippopotamus"

I shoot the Hippopotamus
with bullets made of platinum,
Because if I use leaden ones
his hide is sure to flatten ‘em.

(Kennedy Pg.567)

Response:
I found this poem made me smile. I could picture a hunter sighted in on a hippo ready to shoot. He had a slight smile across his lips because he knew something that hippo did not. He knew that he had loaded his gun with platinum bullets that would penetrate the tough hippo’s hide. I can also see him taking the shot with the leaden bullets. Hearing the sound in my ears as it hits the hippos hide and falls effortlessly to the ground unable to penetrate the hippo.

We have read quite a few poems in this class so far and to be honest most of them have frustrated me. I am not a big poem person to start with so reading them is difficult. To add to that I second guess everything in my life so when I think I know what the writer is trying to say I start second guessing myself. I feel bad writing about poems because it make me feel like I am stealing their work. Being able to write good poetry I am sure takes a lot of talent and I don’t want to ruin that. I believe that poetry is to be interpreted by the reader but being the person that I am I still feel bad for doing just that. I hope you all enjoy this poem as I did. There has not been many of these poems that made me smile and this one sure did.

~Carmen~