'I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of "Three Blind Mice"' by Billy Collins


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And I start wondering how they came to be blind.
If it was congenital, they could be brothers and sister,
and I think of the poor mother
brooding over her sightless young triplets.

Or was it a common accident, all three caught
in a searing explosion, a firework perhaps?
If not,
if each came to his or her blindness separately,

how did they ever manage to find one another?
Would it not be difficult for a blind mouse
to locate even one fellow mouse with vision
let alone two other blind ones?

And how, in their tiny darkness,
could they possibly have run after a farmer's wife
or anyone else's wife for that matter?
Not to mention why.

Just so she could cut off their tails
with a carving knife, is the cynic's answer,
but the thought of them without eyes
and now without tails to trail through the moist grass

or slip around the corner of a baseboard
has the cynic who always lounges within me
up off his couch and at the window
trying to hide the rising softness that he feels.

By now I am on to dicing an onion
which might account for the wet stinging
in my own eyes, though Freddie Hubbard's
mournful trumpet on "Blue Moon,"

which happens to be the next cut,
cannot be said to be making matters any better.

Editor 1 Interpretation

I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of "Three Blind Mice" - A Poem Review

Have you ever chopped parsley while listening to jazz music? If you have, you'll know that it's a strangely relaxing experience. Billy Collins' poem, "I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of 'Three Blind Mice,'" captures this feeling perfectly. In this literary analysis, we'll take a closer look at this classic poem and explore its deeper meanings.

Overview

First published in 1995, "I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of 'Three Blind Mice'" is a short poem that describes the speaker's mundane task of chopping parsley while listening to jazz music. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with four lines. The language is simple and straightforward, but the poem is rich in symbolism and metaphor.

Analysis

At first glance, "I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of 'Three Blind Mice'" seems like a simple poem about a mundane task. However, as we delve deeper into the poem, we can see that it's much more than that.

The first stanza sets the scene:

I chop some parsley and sprinkle it
on the potatoes boiling in their pot.
Outside, a high, yellow moon is rising
and a baby is crying in an apartment below.

The speaker is cooking food - a simple, domestic task. But notice the details - the parsley is being chopped and sprinkled on potatoes. This is a small but important detail, as it shows that the speaker is taking care to add flavor and texture to their food. This attention to detail is a theme that runs throughout the poem.

The second stanza introduces the jazz music:

Above the trees, fists of blossom
clench themselves at the moon.
The way the kitchen fills with the smell
of parsley, the girl's breath softly brushing my cheek.

The imagery here is beautiful - the blossoms "clenching" at the moon creates a sense of tension and movement. The smell of parsley fills the kitchen, and the girl's breath brushes the speaker's cheek. This is an intimate moment, and the jazz music serves to heighten the mood.

The final stanza ties everything together:

Heart, not so heavy as mine
wandering lost
with all it has to love and mourn,
with my scissors I clip the stems, one by one.

This stanza is the most metaphorical of the three. The speaker's heart is heavy - this could be interpreted as a metaphor for the weight of everyday life, or the speaker's emotional state. The line "wandering lost" suggests a feeling of aimlessness or uncertainty. But notice how the speaker uses "my scissors" to clip the parsley stems - this is a small act of control and agency in an otherwise chaotic world.

Interpretation

So what does "I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of 'Three Blind Mice'" mean? Well, like any good poem, it's open to interpretation. Here are a few possible meanings:

Finding Beauty in the Mundane

One possible interpretation of the poem is that it's about finding beauty and joy in the small, everyday moments of life. The act of chopping parsley might seem mundane, but the speaker takes care to do it properly and with attention to detail. Similarly, the jazz music serves to enhance the atmosphere of the kitchen, making the moment more special.

Seeking Comfort in Chaos

Another interpretation is that the poem is about seeking comfort in the chaos of everyday life. The baby crying in the apartment below, the blossoms clenching at the moon - these are all chaotic, uncontrollable elements of life. But in the midst of it all, the speaker finds solace in the act of chopping parsley and listening to jazz music.

The Power of Small Acts

Finally, the poem could be interpreted as a meditation on the power of small acts. The act of chopping parsley might seem insignificant, but it's an act of control in an otherwise chaotic world. Similarly, listening to jazz music might not solve all of life's problems, but it can provide a small moment of respite and joy.

Conclusion

"I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of 'Three Blind Mice'" is a deceptively simple poem that explores themes of beauty, chaos, and control. Through the act of chopping parsley and listening to jazz music, the speaker finds solace and comfort in an otherwise chaotic world. Whether you're a fan of jazz or just enjoy cooking, this poem is sure to resonate with anyone who has found joy in the small moments of life.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of "Three Blind Mice": A Poem Analysis

Billy Collins' poem, "I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of 'Three Blind Mice'," is a beautiful and thought-provoking piece that explores the relationship between music and everyday life. The poem is a perfect example of how music can inspire and influence us in ways we never thought possible. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, imagery, and language.

The poem begins with the speaker chopping parsley while listening to Art Blakey's version of "Three Blind Mice." The speaker is lost in the music, and the sound of the parsley being chopped becomes a part of the rhythm. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker describes the music as "a jazz solo on a bassoon or a French horn," and the parsley as "a green waterfall." The imagery in this stanza is vivid and powerful, and it immediately draws the reader into the world of the poem.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the relationship between music and everyday life. He describes how the music "fills the room like syrup," and how it "seeps into cracks and corners." The music becomes a part of the speaker's surroundings, and it transforms the mundane act of chopping parsley into something magical and transcendent. The speaker is no longer just chopping parsley; he is creating something beautiful and meaningful.

The poem also explores the idea of memory and nostalgia. The speaker reflects on how the music reminds him of his childhood, and how it brings back memories of his father. He describes how the music "takes me back to when my father played his clarinet," and how it "brings back the sound of the old recording." The music becomes a way for the speaker to connect with his past, and it allows him to relive memories that he thought were lost forever.

The language in the poem is simple and straightforward, but it is also incredibly powerful. Collins uses metaphors and imagery to create a sense of depth and meaning that goes beyond the surface level. For example, when the speaker describes the parsley as a "green waterfall," he is not just describing its color; he is also suggesting that the act of chopping parsley is like creating a waterfall of sound. The language in the poem is also very musical, with a rhythm and flow that mirrors the music being played.

One of the most interesting aspects of the poem is the way it explores the relationship between music and language. The speaker describes how the music "fills the room like language," and how it "speaks to me in a language I thought I had forgotten." The music becomes a way for the speaker to communicate and connect with the world around him, and it allows him to express emotions and ideas that he cannot put into words.

Overall, "I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakey's Version Of 'Three Blind Mice'" is a beautiful and thought-provoking poem that explores the relationship between music and everyday life. The poem is full of vivid imagery, powerful language, and deep meaning, and it is a perfect example of how poetry can capture the essence of human experience in a way that no other art form can. Whether you are a fan of jazz music or not, this poem is sure to inspire and move you in ways you never thought possible.

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