Andrea Gibson: The Left and Right Sides of The Brain

When talking about the relationship of the left and right brain, how the brain thinks in images, and how our experiences shape our reality, I couldn't help but think about my favorite poet, Andrea Gibson. I suddenly realized that what made her so good is how she very skillfully combines the two sides of the brain in her own poetry. (I also had a thought that this is what a lot of my favorite poetry does) I thought I would share my top three favorite poems to illustrate what I mean, and, mostly, I'll just let them speak for themselves:

The first is entitled "Letter To A Playground Bully From Andrea (Age 8)"

 

 

The second is, "How It Ends"





 

I think this one illustrates what makes Andrea Gibson a wonderful poet. It is about soldiers, and civilians, who were tortured and killed by being set of fire because they were gay. Here is, "Ashes:"

 

 



 

 

 

What Gibson manages to accomplish with her word play and metaphors is really quite astounding. She has a wonderful mix of analysis, imagery, and wordplay that mix the two together in her poems that serve her point and tone very well. On a personal note, I love the honesty in her poems. They are presented matter-of-factly, they are not "glittered over" with fluff. However, she also has a wonderful sense of hope that it will all be ok.

  

"Birthday, for Jenn"