Review for Parra's After-Dinner Declarations

After Dinner Declarations
Poetry by Nicanor Parra / Translated by Dave Oliphant
Available: December 2008
Host Publications

"What is Poetry?" begins a Nicanor Parra poem that sets the stage for an experience in poetry I never knew I wanted. All right, so you have to get halfway through the book before you read this snippet of thought I'm beginning with, but sometimes we have to be in the middle to realize the value of what came before. Parra describes himself as an anti-poet and I could, at best, be described as anti-poetry. Don't get me wrong, I like some of it, and my generalized opinions haven't miraculously changed due to this reading, but I do believe a gem has been found. I think most critics can agree it's difficult to find good poetry saying something remotely interesting. What was appealing about Parra's style is that he's not pretentious, nor is he cliché.

Parra writes many of his poems in succession to each other offering you to read as if he were thinking aloud and letting his mind wander. Readers might not be familiar with many of the other authors Parra frequently mentions, but think of it as a chance to depart from the formulaic writings that are thrust into our Hollywood society and jump into new ideas for your next booklist. It doesn't take away from the experience. Parra's unique way with words, if not somewhat cryptic, creates a sense of humility (sometimes self deprecating) while simultaneously pompous. And he certainly knows how to serve up a bowl of irony that's palatable while still being thought-provoking.

In one particular poem, Parra utilizes Hamlet's most famous soliloquy, commentary sprinkled throughout for a modern context, in a blatantly honest and humorously somber look into the human condition. The genius that is "After Dinner Declarations" could only come from someone who has lived long enough to know or was born with more wisdom than he deserves. He has seen the pain of politics, life, and ignorance. And yet he maintains the outrage and innocence of a youth who has not yet seen the remainder of his poems. That sort of passion dies with "I've lived long enough to understand," "I've seen things over the course of my life," and the ever so slightly bitter and accepting; "The world is going to hell in a hand basket." He sees idealism as a requirement for young people and insanity for old, but you can't help but see sparks of optimism in his own ideas. Maybe as you reach a certain age, you're able to suppress it and by the time you pass age 70, you can afford to think like a young man/woman, provided the excuse "eccentricity" is readily available.

There are few poets (and for that matter, authors) who can illuminate a problem with such calm and normalcy to be effective in inspiring voluntary brainwork. Parra's "Remarks by the Minister in Charge" relates a social dilemma as if it were the fault of the victims, not unlike the style of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal." The creativity of this reverse psychology tickles the poetic ivories until you hear the sound of truth ringing in your ears.

The book, on the whole, is very enjoyable. In fact, I quite enjoyed this work for its honesty, complexity, irony, and entertainment, (not to be confused with modern entertainment which lacks the essential effort it takes to realize your being entertained). Parra without a doubt has a way with words, and more importantly, ideas, which explains why he has been nominated several times for a Nobel Prize. But his work speaks for itself, so, to return to the question and poem that I began with, "What is Poetry?" I step down from my podium and ask someone better than me to answer. Mr. Parra, would you mind taking the floor?