More (or Less) than
the Sum of its Parts
Iridescently black like the shaggy feathers of a raven
crowing in the tree,
Smooth as the desolate fleshy terrain atop a baldhead of an
aging man,
Curved like the frown of a wallowing lost child wandering
the streets,
Unused, unopened, undamaged,
Genuine Frigidaire Handle.
$47.99
Thin wires branched apart like diverging stems on a branch,
Screw cap spirals like winding wooden stairways embracing
mountains,
Tungsten filament looped like roller coaster tracks,
New customers get $10 back on 1st purchase,
Genuine OEM Whirlpool Light Bulb.
$4.88
Shiny like the twinkling jewels scattered across the night
sky,
Rectangular like crispy graham crackers in an unopened box,
Metal strands run parallel like the bars of the prisoner’s
window.
Unused but missing the original packaging,
Wire racks.
$15
Bumpy like the country road that is settled by countless rocks
and pebbles,
Porous like dutiful and moist sponges sitting atop kitchen
countertops,
Silver like the bloated trashcan waiting patiently at the
end of the driveway,
Brand-new, in original packaging,
Grease filter.
$11.98
Metal surface covered with long crimson streaks like a dried
river caked with blood,
Red and white wires spread like slithering snakes enchanted
by a charmer,
Plastic ends are white like the filling of doughnuts
promising health complications,
Used previously; may have some signs of cosmetic wears,
High voltage HV transformer.
$29.99
Round like the gaping hole left behind on the wall by a
flying bullet,
Glass is clear like the windshield before birds drop their
dinner down in mid-flight,
Symmetrical like a freshly toasted roast beef sandwich
folded in half,
Packaged by the manufacturer in non-retail packaging.
Glass Tray Dish Plate.
$9.95
Gray as the energy-saving Kohl’s bags that tumble through vacant
parking lots,
Plastic wings spread 120 degrees as boron hydride boasting
its molecular geometry,
Lightweight like the fallen eyelash that rests unnoticed on
your rosy cheek,
For returns 14 days money back and buyer pays return
shipping,
Turntable ring.
$17.88
Holes in the thin metal like hollowed cavities in molding
American Swiss cheese,
Four metal parts extend like the armrests of welcoming
leather chairs,
Bright yellow circle in the center like small round yellow
pills,
Item is handmade, packaged by manufacturer in non-retail
packaging,
Magnetron with genetic diode.
$47.95
Gears pack together like buzzing bees in a busy hive,
Two prongs boasting bronze like the statue of the Thinker,
Metal part with holes like a toy mouse’s gear that is
twisted before it springs to life,
Fully operational and functions as intended,
Turntable Motor.
$9.95
A thin strip that emulates the form of a ruler slapped onto
a sleeping student’s desk,
Holes line each side like stiff soldiers standing at the
front-line in battle,
The four corners rounded like nice little buttons on laptop
keyboards,
SquareTrajshange 3 year warranty,
Mounting Plate
$44.00
Assembled expertly by robotic arms like a champion
congregating puzzle piece,
Boxed carefully like festive Christmas decorations stowed
away in the garage,
Gears ready to spring to life with a jolt of electricity
like frog legs in lightning storms,
Available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S,
Microwave Oven.
$56.99
I really enjoyed reading this nonsense poem called More (or Less) than the Sum of its Parts. Throughout the piece the characteristics of each objects such as color, shape, and texture are illustrated in terms of other objects or even a living creature. For example, the color of Genuine Frigidaire handle is described as the shaggy black feathers of a raven, and the yellow circle in the center of magnetron with genetic diode is compared with yellow pills. I really like the way she put her vivid descriptions of various objects into a form of poetry (even though I could not find any elements of poem such as rhyme). Also I thought it was very interesting that she mentions sensical description rather than literal illustration of the object’s characteristic such as ‘brand-new’, ‘may have some sings of cosmetic wears,’ and the price at the end of each paragraph.
ReplyDeleteThe kind of nonsense she uses in her piece seems to be a different perspective or way to see and feel an object. Normally when people describe an object they might just examine the superficial characteristics of an object such as dark, bright, big, and small. On the other hand, Shang examines the object from different angles. For example, when she looks at the holes of genetic diode she describes them as hollow cavities in molding American Swiss cheese rather than just saying there are different size of holes in the diode.
Furthermore, it was nonsense that she first lists descriptions of random objects including genuine Frigidaire handle, wire rack, grease filter and so forth, since those do not have any relationship or similarities to each other. However, at the end when she illustrates microwave, I finally figured out that each description of the objects could be gathered and assembled into a microwave. Overall it is a very surprising and clever piece.
ReplyDeleteI thought that what you did for this assignment was really clever. I looked at what you had posted before class and was really confused by it, but once you explained it in class, I remember thinking that it was really clever. You clearly did a lot of research in order to create your nonsense, which seems almost counter-intuitive. I honestly never would have thought to write nonsense this way and I really commend you on coming up with the idea.
What interests me so much about this nonsense is that in parts it makes sense, though it confused me based on the assignment. However, when one compares all of the parts you put with the final product, specifically their prices, it’s total nonsense, which I remember was the point you made in class. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your piece and understanding it.
Hi Joan, I really liked your blog on nonsense. What I thought was particularly interesting was that yours has a pattern. Patterns are often associated with clarity and concision. Yet even though yours has a precise pattern it creates almost a paradoxical effect, as it jolts around with metrical pattern and the descriptions of the microwave. I also felt the insertions of the cost of each part emphasizes the bluntness and repetition within the poem. The repetition of the cost also provides a paradox; instead of providing clarity at the end of each line it creates nonsensical aspect to the poem itself.
ReplyDeleteThis post was very interesting to read, as it was so extremely different from all of the other posts I saw. When we were given this assignment I interpreted it as we have to turn in a piece of writing that makes absolutely no sense, which, in other words meant gibberish. But you took an entirely different approach to this assignment and wrote a piece that makes perfect sense and is written beautifully but it means absolutely nothing to the reader unless they have a strange obsession with microwaves of course.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really interesting that you chose one universal theme of a microwave and stuck with that throughout your entire piece whereas other posts I read including my own really had no central idea which tied it all together. Your interpretation really surprised me, as I would have never thought to write a poem that makes complete sense but is literally nonsense to everyone that would read it because microwaves generally do not hold any special significance in people’s lives.
In the context of this class we were given the example of Alice in Wonderland as an example of what nonsense writing looks like where animals are having tea parties and a deck of cards is playing croquet but you took nonsense into a completely different direction which made this post a really interesting and enjoyable read. It was definitely not what I was expecting to find but I really liked your interpretation of nonsense.