Gertrude Stein vs. Kim Nunez

At this point I’m absolutely, and totally confused. I’m sure I speak for everyone (or at least 75% of you) when I say that Stein’s poems in this book make no sense. I’m sure there is some deep meaning to them that I just don’t get. So, at the moment, Sunday night writing my blog post before class tomorrow, this just doesn’t make sense. Rant over- now I’ll attempt to compare it to another poem that gives me these same feelings, and also explain what I *think* she means.

In Stein’s poems, she uses repetitive words; this is most likely what brings about most of the confusion. However, Nelson explains that Stein’s reason for her repletion is to “let Stein place a variety of words, phrases, and concepts under philosophical and cultural pressure, so that all the components of a statement are shown to be permeated with the assumption of patriarchal poetry.” I’m not completely satisfied with this explanation, as I don’t fully understand what it means, but at least it is an attempted explanation for this writing style.

I struggled to find a poem that gave me the same emotions as this one: confusion, comedic relief, frustration, and possibly pain. {If you count the strain felt on my eyes when trying to make sure I read. Every. Single. Word.} However, I finally came across a poem that had similar repetitive qualities. In a sonnet poem by Kim Nunez, she starts off the beginning of each stanza with the same line. This may be stretching it as far as similarity goes, but I’m telling you, I could not find anything. “To take each day as it comes,” Kim says. Over, and over, again. The simplicity, yet repetitiveness of those words, brings about a since of familiarity within the poem. Maybe this is what Stein was going for? Maybe we will never know…

To Take Each Day As It Comes

To take each day as it comes
To gratefully praise The One
Joyfully face the new dawn’s grace,
That's now my everyday plan.

To take each day as it comes
To guard my thought as it roams
On anything or anyone
That's now my everyday plan.

To take each day as it comes
To be careful with my words
To use the value of my hands
That's now my everyday plan.

To take each day as it comes
To do everything I can
And bring a smile to not just one
That's now my everyday plan.

To take each day as it comes
To celebrate other’s gain
Not consciously cause another's pain
That's now my everyday plan.

To take each day as it comes
Not all the time comes the sun
For sorrow comes to everyone
And that I must understand.

To take each day as it comes
And know that I’m but a man
I will be glad, life’s not that bad
And do my part in God’s plan.



*A resolution during a time of disappointment.

Kim Patrice Nunez
04 August 2015