Outside Reading 5-3

Date: Mar 21st

Title: Oprah Magazine's Adventures in Poetry

Author: David Orr

Type of reading: Reflective essay

The author of the article has adopted a tone that is informal and natural but at the same time pretty sarcastic and witty. And by using different dictions, syntax and details the author indicates his sarcasm towards the Oprah magazine’s celebration of National Poetry Month.

In the first paragraph, there is a line like this: ““Spring Fashion Modeled by Rising Young Poets.” Yes. Spring Fashion. Modeled. By rising young poets.” The unique and grammatically incorrect syntax shows the sarcasm of the writer. Even though the sentence says “yes,” which is usually used to show an agreement, the line is delivering more of disbelief and doubt. And the gap between the actual meaning of the word and the author’s intended use of it created the sarcastic and comic effect.

Also some diction makes the author sound sarcastic. There are some lines like these: “……including interviews with “all-star readers” like Bono, Ashton Kutcher, the gossip columnist Liz Smith and someone named James Franco, who is apparently an actor……,” and ““Spring Fashion Modeled by Rising Young Poets.” The words are heart-sinking.” In the first line, it was the ironic contrast between “all-star readers” and “someone” made the author sound slightly sarcastic and in the second line, it was the use of the term “heart-sinking” evidenced that the author does not like the idea of Oprah magazine’s idea.

By the end of the essay, the author has quoted the ending part of Anna Moschovakis’ poem “Untitled.” And the author has put somethings in brackets from time to time like this: “All poets and their readers can do is stare half-longingly, half-fearfully across that great divide at the golden palace of mass culture(portcullis, Fendi, $4,500)and sigh. Oh, Oprah. Oh, poetry.” These two details have amplified the effect of sarcasm and also have made the essay for witty.

As I said in the beginning, the tone of voice of the writer is too informal and too witty. Therefore it does not seem very appropriate for an AP essay because AP essays are required to be academic and concise.