The Pantoum Form in Diaz and Trethewey's Poems

Introduction to the Pantoum Form

The poetic form of the pantoum provides the structural foundation for two poems examined in this paper: "My Brother at 3 A.M." by Natalie Diaz and "Incident" by Natasha Trethewey. Each poet uses the pantoum distinctly and with varying levels of effectiveness in order to convey the underlying feeling of her poem. The pantoum is a literary structure that strongly evokes the past and memories of the past through its dreamy, enchanting repetitions. This form of poetic structure originated in France, derived from a form evoked from Malaysia in the 15th century; it first became popular within Europe and North America in the 19th and 20th centuries (Unst, 2013).

One of the more compelling aspects of this poetic and structural device is that "subtle shifts in meaning can occur as repeated phrases are revised with different punctuation and thereby given a new context" (poets.org). This allows a more transformative aspect of the literary piece to unfold: it permits the written word and its connected images to evolve, and by taking on multiple meanings, to transcend the literal.

When it comes to meaning and sound, the repetition and the poem's interlocking pattern of rhyme can create a certain incantatory quality among the lines and stanzas: "as lines reverberate between stanzas, they fill the poem with echoes. This intense repetition also slows the poem down, halting its advancement" (poets.org). This is part of the way in which the pantoum can slow things down and strongly evoke the past in a meaningful and consistent manner.

How Repetition and Sound Shape Meaning

For some readers, the repetition inherent to the form is precisely that — repetitive. This creates a scenario where some view its recurring nature as boring or damaging to the overall flow. Others find the slowness created by repetition and rhyme to be similarly negative to the poem's form and function. Regardless, as the analysis below shows, Diaz's "My Brother at 3 A.M." uses the slowness inherent within the pantoum to create an overwhelming sense of dread.

Diaz uses the opening of the poem as a means of painting a clear picture of chaos and of the darkness to come. The imagery is distinct: it is 3 A.M., the narrator's brother is weeping on the front steps, and there is a strong threat of violence. These elements open the poem and assert a clear sense of dread from the outset:

Natalie Diaz's Use of the Pantoum in 'My Brother at 3 A.M.'

He sat cross-legged, weeping on the steps when Mom
unlocked and opened the front door.
O God, he said, O God.
He wants to kill me, Mom.

The pantoum allows this sense of dread to be furthered and intensified by the repetition inherent within the form:

When Mom unlocked and opened the front door
at 3 a.m., she was in her nightgown, Dad was asleep.
He wants to kill me, he told her,
looking over his shoulder.

The images and suggestions Diaz first uses to convey a world off-balance and in clear and present danger are furthered by the repetition and enhanced by additional information. The father, the adult male of the household, is asleep — suggesting an even more vulnerable family unit. The information that someone wants to kill the brother becomes more dreadful with the added detail that he is looking over his shoulder. This implies that someone is actually and physically present, thereby increasing the sense of immediate threat.

Conclusion

This paper has examined the slow, evocative, and sometimes mysterious form of the pantoum. When used correctly, as in the work of Diaz, the pantoum can make a poem far more powerful than it would otherwise be. However, the work of Trethewey in "Incident" demonstrates how the poetic form can also be quite dull when used poorly or without imagination.