The analysis of modern literature provides valuable insight into how people see the present, the past, and the future of mankind. As part of this work, the poet Alexander Dimitrov will be investigated under “1969.” At first glance, it may seem that this literary work describes the events of the future, in which people left the Earth to move to the moon. However, this literary work has a more profound message, which is realized by the reader only after several readings. Thus, this analysis will consider the message that the author wanted to convey, and the literary characteristics used by him for this.
The poem is divided into several semantic parts, each of which has its specific message. The author writes, “The number one song/ in America was “In the Year 2525”/ because who has ever lived in the present/ when there’s so much of the future/ to continue without us” (Dimitrov, 2018, para. 1). When reading these lines, an assumption arises that the author is not talking about the direct migration of mankind to the moon. It feels like he is comparing how people are constantly living in the future and only “once on the moon”; that is, in another world, they realize the total value of life. Thus, it seems that Dimitrov is trying to point out that individuals attach too much importance to what awaits them in the future and what happened in the past without focusing on the present, thereby not living the central moments of life. Hence, he talks about “your favorite midnight movie,/ the cigarettes you couldn’t give up,/ wanting to kiss other people you shouldn’t” (Dimitrov, 2018, para. 1). Dimitrov focuses the reader’s attention on the importance of the present and focusing on it.
The poem does not indicate a specific setting, and the omniscient narrator conducts the narration. This type of construction of the poem is characterized by the fact that the narrator knows all the inner experiences of those he is talking about. It describes which song was popular and the moments of life that people are particularly concerned about, such as ex-love and bad habits that they never gave up. At the end of the poem, the author describes one of the most critical events for America, in 1969, the country’s astronauts landed on the moon. However, they returned to continue their activities on Earth. Thus, the author emphasizes that although humanity managed to touch the future, the past pulled it back.
Regarding figurative language, the author uses a relatively limited number of literary tools. The most permanent comparison becomes when the writer writes, “shocked by how bright even our pain is/ running wildly beside us like an underground river” (Dimitrov, 2018, para. 1). This trope emphasizes that the past plays a significant role and is often too alluring for a person to look back on. The language of the poem, which is easy enough to understand, helps increase accessibility in understanding the author’s main idea. The poem’s tone can be called quite tragic and sad while having a hidden positive attitude. This poem is free verse, as it does not have a clear rhythm, and the stanzas vary from short to long. Breaks also don’t end where the stanza ends, which makes the literary work unique.
In conclusion, the modern poem is a special and unique branch of literature. Thus, the work “1969” by Alex Dimitrov is a poem that does not have an apparent rhyme, structure, or arrangement of stanzas, which characterized most of the works of the past centuries. At the same time, it carries a resounding theme that focuses on the fact that the past and future people can often be more important than the present. Therefore, only in the field of death do people realize the value and importance of the moments experienced.
Reference
Dimitrov, A. (2018). 1969. Poetry Out Loud. Web.