muttering thunder ...
the bottom of the river
scattered with clams
The Mamba, 5, March 2018
Robert Spiess
Commentary: ... Spiess’s poem, meanwhile, is also about sound (the rolling of thunder, contrasted with clams that seem silent at the river’s bottom—and notice how the river is rolling too). But the poem uses sound as well, as with the similar “tt” sounds of “mutter” and “scatter,” repeated again in “bottom.” Additional sounds repeat in the last syllables of “mutter,” “thunder,” “river,” and “scatter,” and recurring “m,” “r,” and “s” sounds add to the poem’s sonorous tightness. The poem’s pleasing rhythm also contributes to its music. And although the word “clams” finds no sound connection with any other words, this difference gives the word emphasis, sharpening our focus.
Note: You can read the full text here, To the Lighthouse: "Thirteen Ways of Reading Haiku" by Michael Dylan Welch
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