A Critical examination of the poems, "Footprints" and "A Good Day Made"
Written by John Phillip Townsend for English 102. (Exerpted)
Can mass popularity and respectability coexist in modern poetry?
To examine this question, we will examine two poems which are, beyond a doubt, enormously popular in America today. They are "Footprints" by Margarete Fishback Powers and "A Good Day Made" by Brett Axel. Between the two, there have been literally millions of publications, although not necessarily in college text anthologies. No, these poems are not explicated by scholars, studied by professors or considered for literary awards, but millions of copies have been printed on posters, checkbook covers, placards, t-shirts, and so on. Both poems, by capturing the hearts of the American public, have earned the disdain of the "respectable" poetry community.
Both poems are better known than any poems written by "respectable" modern poets like Robert Hass and Adriane Rich, but does that alone make them unworthy of serious consideration? Let's see.
Before we can determine if these poems, other than by their popularity, are worthy of being called respectable, we must define criteria for what makes a poem respectable with which we can compare against. For the sake of this essay, I will use the five criteria in our text book (15) of what "distinguishes a poem as good."
1. The use of compressed language.
Respectable poems use all aspects of a poem to advance the work. There are no "filler" words, and literary devices are used to say more with less.
2. The use of original language.
Respectable poems do not rely on trite or cliche phrases. Instead, they are fresh
And new.
3. Evocative.
Merely expressing, or "telling" the story or feeling of a work of literature is not sufficient to qualify it as a respectable poem. Respectable poems evoke feelings
from the reader and "show" the story.
4. Sublimity.
Respectable poems say more than the sum of their words. By whatever means,
be it conventional or non, the respectable poem has layers of meaning which can
be examined, but do not necessarily need to be to be appreciated. In many incidences, the sublime elements of a respectable poem need not be "discovered"
In order that they may contribute to the whole of the work. They speak to the reader at an unconscious level.
First, lets look at "Footprints" by Margarete Fishback Powers:
If anything, the language is drawn out rather than compressed. Even the first two sentences could have been condensed into one. There are no devices used to compress meaning at all. Likewise, there is nothing especially original in this stanza, either in content, or in use of language. The lines tell the story expressively rather than show the events unfold evocatively, and there are no sublime elements to examine for deeper meanings. In short, none of the criteria for a respectable poem has been met.
I would quote specific lines and explicate them were there anything there that could be expanded on. "Footprints" has no substance beyond what is directly stated.
This is not to suggest that "Footprints" is not a valid work of literature, only that it does not
fit the criteria of respectable poetry. It is not studied in college and there is no reason to believe
that it should be.
Now let's look at Brett Axel's "A Good Day Made."
Like "Footprints," the poem appears to tell a story with uncomplicated, straight-forward language, yet there is a melodic quality to "A Good Day Made" that "Footprints" doesn't seem to have. As with Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," it isn't directly apparent what gives it that musical quality. It is not a rigidly structured fixed form, yet there are patterns of repeated sounds.
Lines 1 and 2 end on the slant rhymes "sand" and "had," which is followed up with another rhyme of "stands" at the end of line 5. In the third stanza, line 14 also rhymes with 1 in the 5th line position of the stanza, carrying the theme of subtle rhyme through the poem. In no instance do the rhymes draw attention to themselves, yet they provide a unity to the poem which is sensed rather than directly recognized. In short, the delicate sprinkling of rhyme is sublime.
Other examples of sublimity in the poem are in lines 10 through 12, where, again, the imagery of music is conjured;
Every time the masons snapped 10
Their yellow strings we heard a twang 11
Like music singing perfect lines 12
and again in lines 19 & 20 where it is said that the children "will grow up in this house built on a rock." As well as the literal interpretation of the lines, a sense of sacred holiness of the scene is conveyed by the allusion, "house built on a rock" to the Bible.
Originality is also abundant in the poem. The use of rhyme and form for one, is very original. There are alternating seven line stanzas with two line "refrains" which, as well as contribute to its musical quality, is striking in its unconventional methodology. Seven line stanza shouldn't contribute a sense of pattern, and yet as Mr. Axel uses them, they do. The refrains themselves, and the title, once again, shouldn't sound "right" and yet they do. Why is it not, "A day made good?" The answer is that Axel is talking of more than our preconceived notions of making it a good day. When we try to "have a good day" we do not create the day itself, we merely attempt to fill the day with "good" things. Mr. Axel's poem is not talking about just transforming an ordinary day into a good one, but that the day itself has been created. Again, a subtle allusion to Christian religion is implied, as the day is what "the lord has made." Note that both of these allusions to God have popular Christian songs connected to them. Once again, the substance of the poem is carried along in a uniquely original way.
The poem uses the examples I've listed so far of originality and sublimity to evoke a sense of music in the poem. While seemingly simple, it is far from simplistic. Additional examples of evoking are in the first stanza, where we are shown the scene and can essentially feel the day. The father has worked hard, but it is a good sort of tired he feels. When I read the lines, I feel it too.
All of this is done in a mere 27 lines. To tell us about the music, as well as failing to evoke the way that Mr. Axel's poem does, would have taken many more words. Compression is an essential element in this poem, and, as with everything else Mr. Axel uses, it is with a distinct purpose. For example, lines 24 and 25, "They will know their world/ As one where there are no strangers" leaves us with a question to answer, namely, "why?" The answer is in the poem, but it isn't said outright. We have to look at some of the other, not fully explained elements of the poem, like why the block layer's hands are "loving," what is it about building a house that is such a good day making experience, and what sort of construction site has the future owner of the house working on it and the children playing on the sand pile. It isn't even said with words that this is the future home of the family. Yet we are introduced to three children and told later that three children will be growing up in the house. That is sufficient, and the compressed nature of the poem demands that nothing more than what is sufficient is there, not one word.
The answer, of course, is that this is a house built by Habitat For Humanity, a non-profit,
Christian organization that lets low-income, working families put "sweat-equity" into their homes
as down payment. In other words, the future owners work very hard to get a home of their own.
Since Habitat For Humanity is practically a household name, there is no need in the poem to
explain all of the details within the confines of the poem. While it is true that not everyone will
fully "get" that part, the beauty of the captured moment inspires a desire to ask, and that, in my
humble opinion, is the greatest contribution a poem can make to society.
It is clear by close examination of "Footprints" and "A Good Day Made" that, while popularity is no guarantee of respectability, neither is it a guarantee that the poem is not respectable. "Footprints" while popular, is not a respectable poem, where as "A Good Day Made" most certainly is.
In their days, "In Flanders Feilds," (John McCrae) and "Trees" (Joyce Kilmer) were enormously popular, and not well respected. Time has added a level of respect to these poems, which they may not be as deserving of as "A Good Day Made." Neither meet the criteria for respectability as fully as "A Good Day Made" does. Their popularity has drifted away over the years.
In contrast, "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" (Robert Frost) and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" (Dylan Thomas) have held their enormous popularity over the test of time. They are highly respected and fully deserving of that respect according to the above criteria.
While only time will tell which of this decade's poems will be both beloved and respected
in future generations, based on historical patterns, Brett Axel's "A Good Day Made" is far more
likely to join Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening" and Dylan Thomas' "Do
Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" in that honor, and "Footprints" is far more likely to fall
somewhere below John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields" and Joyce Kilmer's "Trees."
A Good Day Made
Two boys play on a pile of sand 1
Leftover after the concrete had 2
Been mixed and poured. 3
A third child in a stroller 4
Gurgles as a tired father stands 5
Wiping a bead of sweat before 6
It trickles to his eye 7
This has been 8
A good day made 9
Every time the masons snapped 10
Their yellow strings we heard a twang 11
Like music singing perfect lines 12
And between each layer of block 13
Mindfully laid with loving hands 14
The bubbles in their wooden levels 15
Stayed between the thin black hairs 16
Just as they should 17
On a good day made. 18
Three children will grow up 19
In this house built on a rock 20
And when the sand is long since gone 21
Accept for some stray grains 22
Embedded deep in rock and dirt, 23
They will know their world 24
As one where there are no strangers 25
As it should be 26
In a good day made 27
Brett Axel
Footprints
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he
was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For
each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in
the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to
the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before
him, he looked back at the footprints in the
sand. He noticed that many times along the
path of his life there was only one set of foot-
prints. He also noticed that it happened at the
very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned
the LORD about it. "LORD, you said that
once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with
me all the way. But I have noticed that during
the most troublesome times in my life, there is
only one set of footprints. I don't understand
why when I needed you most you would leave
me."
The LORD replied, "My precious, precious
child, I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering, when
you see only one set of footprints, it was then
that I carried you."
Margarete Fishback Powers