The Line Break

Ordinary language slips so easily into figurative language–or language that is not literal, but something else, like metaphor. For example, if you write about a spider in your kitchen, it can easily represent something else in your life: an unpleasant present, a bother, a challenge you are facing. Or, perhaps the spider stands in as a friendly presence, a listening presence. Figurative language hovers always near our everyday language.

Then again we have W.S. Merwin’s poem “Presidents,” a poem that is not at all about literal presidents, despite its literal-sounding title. Instead, Merwin does something quite dramatic with Allegory, which is when abstract concepts become characters, like Truth climbing out of her well, or Victory has wings. In Merwin’s poem, we have a President of Shame, a President of Lies, the Kingdom of Grief, Silence the Messenger, and Silence the Climber.

The dictionary definition of Allegory is “the expression of truths or generalizations about human existence by means of symbolic fictional figures and their actions” (Merriam-Webster).

Read the following poem and then try your hand at this week’s writing prompt!

Presidents by W.S. Merwin

The president of shame has his own flag
the president of lies quotes the voice
of God
at last counted
the president of loyalty recommends
blindness to the blind
oh oh
applause like the heels of the hanged
he walks on eyes
until they break
then he rides
there is no president of grief
it is a kingdom
ancient absolute with no colors
its rule is never seen
prayers look for him
also empty flags like skins
silence the messenger runs through the vast lands
with a black mouth
open
silence the climber falls from the cliffs
with a black mouth like
a call
there is only one subject
but he is repeated
tirelessly

Writing Prompt:

Write your own allegory, beginning either with a “The president of ___” line as Merwin does, or choosing your own kingdom “the kingdom of ___” to write about, or completely inventing your own allegory.

An allegory can be about anything, which is the best part…

• The President of Worry [About My Midterm Math Grade/Essay Grade]
• The Kingdom of the Missing Pepsi Vending Machines
• The President of the Far Parking Lot
• The Kingdom of the Campus Library
• The President of Sadness