David Kirby is very clearly an expert in his field of poetry. While his reading did not differ in structure to other poetry readings, the experience of David Kirby was distinct and informative.
Kirby certainly made an impression by beginning his reading with a poem without giving any context or acknowledgment to the audience. This method of introduction created an atmosphere of brief confusion in which members of the audience slowly realized he wasn’t just speaking and was actually reading a poem. There was an energy, speed and enthusiasm Kirby exuded while reading his first poem which sounded almost manic. It wasn’t until he concluded his opening poem that he discussed the structure the reading would take.
As with most poets, David Kirby has a style which is distinctively his and not particularly common in the poetry field. While there were lyrical aspects to Kirby’s poems which incited emotional reactions, the main focus was to deliver a narrative. As such, his poems were on the longer end of the poetic spectrum.
Kirby also utilizes an aspect of writing not especially common of poetry. Kirby’s use of dialogue contributes strongly to the prevalence of voice and “plot” development in his poems. This narrative style as well as the length of the poems provided Kirby with the opportunity to implement humor and a strong sense of voice throughout — he frequently made audience members laugh. This is not to say Kirby exclusively writes happy or funny poems, as there were certainly dark notes over the course of his reading. A prime example of this darkness was a poem written about the unsolved murder of someone he cared about as a child titled “The Juniper Tree.”
The question and answer section of Kirby’s poetry reading was as excellent as the poems. In his various responses, Kirby spoke on the poetics of narrative and humorous poetry as well as his general process of writing a poem. He also spoke about methods to improve oneself as a poet and addressed common concerns and difficulties that early poets face.
David Kirby is a skilled poet and his work is only exemplified when read in person. Kirby is extremely knowledgeable about his craft and his performance during the reading proved that.
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