Microtheme Mohammad's Poems- File Attached a Microtheme

¶ … microtheme Mohammad's poems- file attached A microtheme analysis paper focuses a K. Silem Mohammad's poem "Breathalyzer" is fairly obtuse, and much more than a little bit confusing. The source of this confusion, however, stems from the fact that it is a poor example of poetry, and reflective of many of the traits of modern or postmodern poetry that nearly make it unworthy of the name poetry. Still, the source of the meaninglessness of this poem is the desultory nature of it.

There are numerous words, which are portioned in lines that make neat, geometric shapes on the paper. Yet there is no true connection between them, which renders them all but devoid of meaning. The random and disjointed nature of the words in Mohammad's poem are evinced relatively early on in this work. In the second stanza of the poem (further testament to the random nature of this work is the fact that there five stanzas, three with two lines, and one with eight and four lines, respectively.

This structure does not appear to have any significance whatsoever. The author writes, "the thing so desired / does not exist nor then / we continue breathing" (Mohammad, 2008, p. 11). This type of passage, which is typical of the work as a whole, is not linear. The author beings by lamenting the fact that something desirable does "not exist nor then." It is one thing for something desirable not to exist. But the reference to "nor then" makes absolutely no sense, and pertains not to the subsequent line.

Such choices of diction are actually faultily constructed syntax errors, which are one of the key reasons this poem is devoid of meaning. Moreover, the title of the poem certainly adds to the disjointed, dysfunctional nature of this work. It is entitled "Breathalyzer," which is an instrument law enforcement officers use to determine the state of inebriation or sobriety of drivers of motorized vehicles.

The point of confusion with this title is that there are seemingly no references to intoxication, sobriety, drugs, law enforcement officers, or any of the typical connotations of this word that inform the poem. There is a general reference to "dust," which has connotations of cocaine. There are also references to "crystal" and a "pipe" (Mohammad, 2008, p. 11), which could possibly refer to the smoking of cocaine, maybe in the form of crack or rock cocaine.

However, if this poem is a sophisticated metaphor about drug use or paraphernalia, it is woefully undeveloped and hindered by too many desultory syntactical errors. Another excellent example of the sort of random jumbling of words that Mohammad is guilty of is found in the transition between the second and third stanzas.

The author writes, "we continue breathing on top of the animal house there it was not henhouse or high kennel in the shape of a flat apple pushed out through an ancient space and made our measure…" (Mohammad, 2008, p. 11),. The imagery in this passage is adequate. However, it is joined by a series of disconnected references, pronouns without antecedents, and.