THESIS:
Todd Davis mainly connects with his audience by writing about scenes that many people could relate to. He generally sticks to three main concepts he uses are love, memories, and nature as bridges to connect with
his audience.
BIOGRAPHY: Todd Davis was born in Elkhart, Indiana on March 29, 1965. In 1987, he earned a B.A. from Grace College and M.A. and Ph. D. degrees in English from Northern Illinois University in 1991 and 1995. He is currently a Professor of English and Environmental Studies at Penn Sate University's Altoona College.
He is the author of four books: Ripe (2002), Some Heaven (2007), The Last of These (2010) and Household of Water, Moon, and Snow: The Thoreau Poems (2010).
Wife
Imitation: Husband
This
evening
you
came home from the lumberyard.
I
smelled sweet wood
and
perspiration
as
you kissed me gently
ticking
me with your beard.
Where
the sunset cast
its
shadow, like a streetlamp,
you
kicked off your boots
and
hung your hat.
Splinters
fell out of your pockets
onto
the beige tile.
Now,
as I prepare
your
dinner,
the
smell of you
fills
the room.
When
I wrote this poem, I had a scene in my mind, almost like something
from a painting or a paused moment in a movie. By crossing borders
using the idea of love is a powerful one. This certain poem
emphasized the love of a husband and wife; a marital poem. Setting
the scene while describing it was something that I enjoyed as well.
Crossing borders fluently and smoothly is something that I
appreciate.
Beginning
of The Eighteenth Year of Marriage Imitation: Grandfather
Yes,
your wrinkles are
more
visible, but that
shows
how much you
laughed,
and yes, your
skin
has discoloration
from
the sun, but that
only
shows how much time
you've
spent building houses.
But
I love you more than
gold,
I treasure your hugs
and
kisses more than I
love
eating your chocolate
pudding,
and I value your
Godly
wisdom more than
this
poem can express.
This
poem made me visualize my grandfather in an observant way that I
haven't done before. Connecting physical characteristics of him to
his past life is definitely a bridge! Writing the second part of my
poem was something that was at a level past physical traits and his
past. It was a way for me to bridge my feelings for him and
communicate things that I've never said before.
Summer
Storm: Gary, Indiana Imitation: Snow Storm: Goshen, Indiana
Wind
howls,
a
gray cloud
stretches
as far as
the
eye can see,
blunt
as a scream
of
a woman being raped.
A
soft medium plummets
from
the sky with one mission:
to
provide the beasts of the
world
with an overstayed
sense
of warm chestnuts,
mistletoe,
and gingerbread men.
This
poem was very easy for me to write since this expresses my feelings
about the weather! Using similar emotions and feelings is a bridge
that many people can relate to. Especially when the weather should be
different than the way it is now. I think a lot of people in Goshen
could relate to this poem too. This poem may even relate to other
parts of the world other than Goshen, IN.
Bibliography:
Davis,
Todd. Some Heaven. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press,
2007. Print.
Davis,
Todd F.. Ripe: poems. Huron, Ohio: Bottom Dog Press, 2002. Print.
"Goshen
College | Healing the world, peace by peace." Goshen College |
Healing the world, peace by peace. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.goshen.edu>.
Hostetler,
Ann Elizabeth. A cappella: Mennonite voices in poetry. Iowa City:
University of Iowa Press, 2003. Print.
Mennonite
Quarterly Review. Goshen: The Mennonite Historical Society, Goshen
College, and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 2003. Print.
"Todd
Davis." www.personal.psu.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.personal.psu.edu/tfd3/>.
Davis,
Todd. "Tweetspeak Poetry - The Best in Poetry and Poetic
Things." Tweetspeak Poetry - The Best in Poetry and Poetic
Things. Todd Davis, 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com>.
