IB English A1 HL December 14, 2010 Pinnapa

Phetcharatana

Poetry Commentary: The Secret Life of Books by

Stephen Edgar

The Secret Life of Books by Stephen Edgar is a poem that

personifies books, making them appear to be alive and human-like, as
if they hold a deeper purpose in this world rather than just to give
accounts or be a source of leisure. Interesting aspects of this poem
include Edgar’s portrayal of the books as a magical force which allows
readers to focus on its essence of introducing new ideas rather than
just plain material existences of ink and paper; the irony of the comical
tone of the speaker contrasted against the philosophical content in his
words; and lastly, the idea of how books hold a silent power with the
capability of luring and having influence upon its readers to the extent
where they may lose their identity.

This poem is written in six stanzas, each containing five lines.

The lines in each stanza are alternated between short- and long-
lengths in order to create a unique and playful shape. Some stanzas
are linked together through the same sentence; sentences are
incomplete at the end of the stanza, (e.g. stanza two to three and
three to four). This technique could be linked to how the speaker
wishes to evoke a feeling of suspense from his readers- in the same
way that in the ending of a book’s chapter, the author leaves out
certain words and facts, causing his readers to anticipate outcomes
and become tempted to turn over to a new page. Because of this,
there is an unusual mood and tone created by the speaker. Yet,
however, it is ironic that the speaker has decided to employ a light and
comical tone when he presents ideas that hold a more serious content
and are highly thought-provoking.

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Phetcharatana

In the opening stanza, the speaker opens with “They have their
strategems too, though they can’t move.” The speaker may be aware
of the world’s common materialistic view of books, and he feels that it
is important to not underestimate their power (“…though they can’t
move, they know their parts.”). In this stanza the speaker creates a
rhyme between the words “parts” and “hearts” in order to add a sense
of grandness to the opening, given that this pair of words are the only
rhymes found in the poem. The fact that this poem is written in free
verse (hence lack of proper rhyme scheme) suggests that the speaker
may be lost in contemplation or an overly-driven passion or influence,
perhaps by the great power of books as he suggests.

The speaker portrays the books as divine but cunning elements.

The personification causes readers to forget that books are immovable
objects; instead it brings to mind that they may serve a larger purpose,
perhaps to reflect on ideas and explore new perspectives. By
mentioning that books “do their work through others,” there is a
suggestion that they were not written to directly persuade or
propagandize readers; but rather its contents invites readers into the
scenes, allowing them the opportunity to see, for themselves, from an
entirely different viewpoint- and as a result the books turn “the world
to their account by the twisting of hearts.” There is an emphasis placed
upon the stealth power of books. Initially readers may have regarded
books as simple immovable objects, but the speaker’s effective use of
personification has opened up a new idea that these ‘objects’ hold the
power to shift minds.

There is a tone of youthful enthusiasm in the second stanza as

the speaker asks readers: “What do they have to say and how do they

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Phetcharatana

say it?” It is interesting how the speaker may view his audience as
young children, hence the sudden shift from the deep and thoughtful
tone in the first stanza to a now playful tone. However the speaker
does not answer the question he has posed, but rather he proceeds to
explore different settings, “in the library, at night, or the sun room…”
which all appear to be insignificant details. Perhaps the speaker
mentions this to suggest that no matter where the books are, their
ideas and purposes follow along with them. A sense of mystery is
added as the speaker mentions the “curled thriller by the window” and
that “something is going on [...] that you don’t know of…” yet he does
not explicitly state what. This evokes anticipation among readers as
there is a rapid transition into the next stanza.

The playful and eager attitude is continuously present in the

third stanza. It appears that the speaker may be absorbed in
fascination while he is speaking as well. He begins to directly address
the reader: “Yet they [the books] need you.” There is a change of
mood as the books are suddenly portrayed as dependent upon its
readers, contrasted with its mighty power suggested earlier in the
opening stanza. The focus is then shifted towards the “you” that the
speaker is addressing. Assuming that the speaker means to address
the reader of the book, he claims that readers often “scoff at
determinism,” perhaps meaning that often readers are selective of
books (mocking humans- “Why this one?”), judging them by their
covers or the content that they have quickly skimmed over. The
interesting part is that the speaker mentions “the selfish gene,”
attempting to reduce humans into scientific, materialistic terms-
whereas he portrays the books to be spiritual and human-like. The
speaker again places an emphasis on the alluring power of the books:
“Look already the blurb is drawing in,” as if it were a contagious force.

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Phetcharatana

Thus the speaker’s use of an informal and humorous tone could be

seen as a unique method of persuasion to illustrate the common
relationship between books and readers.

Several horrifying notions are presented in the last couple

stanzas. First the speaker presents a simile where he compares a
poem to be as “spare as a dead leaf’s skeleton,” perhaps meaning that
its great ambiguity and vagueness often causes readers to become
uncertain of what they are reading, plunging them into doubt.
However, the speaker portrays this positively, to be a challenge, for it
“coaxes with your lexicon.” Certain books or poems that seem obscure
may inspire or stimulate the reader’s mind. “Through you they speak
as through the sexes... a script is passed that lovers never hear.” No
matter how unclear a book may seem, its ideas are always conveyed
to readers, if not directly, then implicitly through their subconscious.
This reminds readers again of the books’ roles of the “twisting of
hearts” in the opening stanza.

Finally, in the last stanza the speaker’s tone shifts suddenly from
light and whimsical to dark and somber. “They have you. In the end
they have written you.” This underlines the powerful, influential force
of books. A horrifying idea is presented: that readers may lose their
identities to books. The world inside the books occupies the reader,
and this becomes his/her world. Readers become absorbed by the
contents of a book to the extent that every word the reader speaks
could be just quotes: their words are “caught between quotation
marks” and their “heart’s beat an allusion,” where the readers’ lives
become defined by the ideas of the books as they are reduced into
simple characters living through life’s plot.

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Phetcharatana

Overall, The Secret Life of Books, as a poem, reflects the purpose

of books that Edgar attempts to convey through his work. Similar to
books, as the speaker suggests, the poem invites readers to enter into
an unseen realm of the books that goes deep beyond the surface of
paper and ink. The speaker’s casual and humorous tone contribute to
the idea that the poem is not an attempt to directly persuade readers
into seeing the larger purpose of books, but rather it gives a ‘teasing’
effect that automatically provokes readers to rethink for themselves.
Through a highly effective use of personification, the poem highlights
the spirituality of books and its ability to capture readers and engulf
them into a new undiscovered world.

Word count: 1,329