This article delves into Jacob Shores-Argüello’s poignant poem, “Make Believe,” exploring its themes of grief, childhood imagination, and the power of companionship. We’ll analyze the poem’s structure, imagery, and emotional resonance, focusing on how it uses the metaphor of “Believe Poems Poetry” to navigate the complex landscape of loss.
Contents
Childhood, Grief, and the Power of Imagination
Shores-Argüello’s “Make Believe,” from his collection Paraíso, opens with a stark image of childhood grief. Two young cousins confront the death of one’s mother, a profound experience rendered even more impactful as “our first death.” The poem immediately establishes a tension between the harsh reality of mortality and the imaginative escape the children seek.
This escape manifests in their transformation into bears, digging a cave into the mountainside. This act, initially described by the adult narrator as “a terrible brown work,” becomes a powerful symbol of their attempt to process their grief. The mountain, a recurring image in Paraíso, represents both the permanence of nature and the children’s connection to their Costa Rican heritage. Within the mountain’s embrace, they create a space of refuge, a place where they can “roar, and shake off our human bones.”
The Language of Believe Poems Poetry
The language of “Make Believe” is deceptively simple, mirroring the perspective of the children. Yet, within this simplicity lies a profound exploration of grief. The image of the mother “unchained from her machines, shrinking into ordinary” is both heartbreaking and deeply insightful. It speaks to the vulnerability of the human body and the stark reality of death’s approach.
The poem’s structure, comprised of ten couplets, reinforces the theme of companionship. Each pair of lines, like the two cousins, provides support and connection. This structural choice emphasizes the importance of shared experience in navigating grief. The repeated use of “our” – our mountain, our cave, our first death – further underscores this sense of shared ownership and collective experience.
Escapism and the Search for Solace
“Make Believe” challenges the negative connotations often associated with escapism. The cousins’ transformation into bears, their digging into the mountain, is not a denial of reality but a way of coping with its overwhelming weight. As J.R.R. Tolkien, quoted by Pádraig Ó Tuama in his reflection on the poem, suggests, escapism can be a vital tool for survival in times of confinement and distress.
The poem’s final image, “angels howled like dogs in the valley below,” offers a powerful juxtaposition. The angels, typically associated with comfort and solace, are here depicted as howling, their cries mirroring the children’s own unarticulated grief. This image suggests that even in their imaginative escape, the pain of loss remains present, a constant hum beneath the surface of their play.
The Enduring Power of Believe Poems Poetry
“Make Believe” ultimately celebrates the power of imagination, particularly within the context of grief. It reminds us that “believe poems poetry,” the ability to create alternative realities, can be a source of strength and solace, a way to process complex emotions and find connection in the face of loss. The poem’s tender exploration of childhood grief encourages us to reconsider the value of play and imagination, recognizing their potential to help us navigate life’s most challenging experiences. It affirms the importance of human connection, demonstrating how shared experiences, both real and imagined, can offer comfort and support during times of profound sorrow.