Otherwise by Jane Kenyon 1 I got out of bed 2 on two strong legs. 3 ...

1. Poem Synopsis
“<str<strong>on</strong>g>Otherwise</str<strong>on</strong>g>” <str<strong>on</strong>g>by</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Jane</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Keny<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> is a poem ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> appreciating the little things we have in life, and
realizing that those things could’ve turned <str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> differently. Ranging from being able to walk <strong>on</strong> <strong>two</strong>
str<strong>on</strong>g legs to sleeping in a decorated <str<strong>on</strong>g>bed</str<strong>on</strong>g>room, the poem reminds the audience, the readers in
this case, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all sorts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> things worth being grateful for.
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Jane</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Keny<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> (1947 ­ 1995), the poet, was an American writer and translator. She was famous
for being a simple, spare and emoti<strong>on</strong>ally res<strong>on</strong>ant writer. In 1994, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Keny<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> wrote ”<str<strong>on</strong>g>Otherwise</str<strong>on</strong>g>”
after finding <str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> that she has leukemia. In my opini<strong>on</strong>, it’s admirable that instead <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> writing a rage
poem <strong>on</strong> the lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fairness in life, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Keny<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> produced a poem ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> being thankful for everything
in life.
2. Speaker and audience: The readers
* First pers<strong>on</strong>
* Well­punctuated
* Stream <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>sciousness
* Familiarity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the discussed subject matters (physical c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>, food, daily activity,
togetherness, objects)
3. Main Ideas
Humans tend to undervalue the day­to­day things they encounter; they d<strong>on</strong>’t realize that things
could’ve turned <str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> differently.
●
Daily activity
○ Two stanzas
■ The poem is divided into <strong>two</strong> stanzas, each <strong>on</strong>e talks ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> a different part
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the day. The first stanza talks ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> the speaker’s, the poet’s, morning
r<str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g>ine, whilst the sec<strong>on</strong>d <strong>on</strong>e delineates her activities in the evening. The
gap in between the <strong>two</strong> stanzas represents the passing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> time in the
afterno<strong>on</strong>. This structure does not <strong>on</strong>ly improve the overall organizati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>
the poem, but also indicates the period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> time explored <str<strong>on</strong>g>by</str<strong>on</strong>g> the poem,
which in this case is a day in the speaker’s life.
Knowing that the poem covers a single day emphasizes the idea that
there’s something good in every day, in fact, there are numerous
day­to­day things that we can be grateful for.
○
Dicti<strong>on</strong>
■ “All morning I did / the work I love” [line 11 ­ 12]
●
Physical c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>
○ Enjambment
■ “I <str<strong>on</strong>g>got</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>out</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>bed</str<strong>on</strong>g> / <strong>on</strong> <strong>two</strong> str<strong>on</strong>g legs” [line 1 ­ 2]