In reading the chapter entitled “Tale, Teller, and Tone” in Writing Poems, I read and very much enjoyed reading the poem named Minor Miracle. This poem is a narrative, telling a story about a conflict between two black boys and a white boy. Minor Miracle made for a good narrative for several reasons. First of all, the writer chose to begin the poem right before the main action occurs. Starting the same poem with the same exact story at any other time would have drastically changed the poem. That is why I have learned that, as a writer, it is important to analyze the “time” aspect of a poem. That is, knowing exactly when and where in a sequence of events to begin telling the story.
Minor Miracle was written in three verb tenses: simple past tense, past progressive, and the present tense. The past progressive verb tense can be used in a narrative to tell the reader that something is about to happen. Using different verb tenses in a narrative will help readers know what has happened, what is happening, and what may happen in the future of the story. Additionally, multiple verb tenses simply keep the story moving.
Another aspect of Minor Miracle that I liked was the way in which the writer created suspense. The writer would stray away from the action and concentrate on minor little details for a few lines. Reading these details, the reader know something is about to happen because the descriptions give clues as to what may happen. For example, describing a young white guy in “greasy jeans, homemade finger tattoos,” leads the reader to believe something bad may happen.
Therefore overall, I liked the poem and learned a lot from it. As a writer, I should pay attention to where I begin the story, I should be aware of the verb tense, and that adding details for suspense is a very good strategy.
