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Research & Exhibition
Research & Exhibition Final Presentations 2016
Dec 13th, 11:05 AM
Gatsby as Poetry
Patricia R. Lynch
Loyola Marymount University
Patricia R. Lynch, "Gatsby as Poetry" (December 13, 2016). Research & Exhibition. Paper 1.
http://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/honors-research-and-exhibition/2016/section-02/1
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Gatsby as Poetry
Rainey Lynch
Mentor: Sarah Maclay
The Significance of Literature
Literate does not exist in books, libraries, or even our individual minds. Literature exists in its
discourse, in the discussion among scholars and everyday people. Without discussion of literature, it
would slowly cease to exist. So naturally, anyone who loves literature wants to contribute to this
discussion.
The Analytical Discourse about Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a widely discussed novel. Hundreds of scholarly analytical articles about the novel exist. Here
are some examples:
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W. J. Harvey’s “Theme and Texture in The Great Gatsby”
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Thomas A. Hanzo’s “The Theme and the Narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby’”
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Tom Burnam’s “The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg: A Re-Examination of ‘The Great Gatsby’”
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Robert A. Hauhart’s “Religious Language and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby’s Valley of Ashes”
What’s missing?
But I see something missing in this discussion of the Great Gatsby. Though there is much analytical
work on the novel, there seems to be a lack of published creative writing derived from the novel.
This is where my proposed project comes into play....
http://www.gifbooster.com/pin/845/leonardo-dicaprio-great-gatsby_34#.WCjK3uErInU
My Goal
I want to write a collection of poetry inspired by The Great Gatsby. I want to devote my time to
studying analytical discourse about The Great Gatsby in order to learn as much as I can about the
themes and motifs of the novel as well as the techniques and styles that fitzgerald used in his
writing. I also want to study specific types of poetry, persona poems for example, in order to master
the forms I think would cater to my creative intentions. By studying these articles and poems, I hope
to acquire the skills I need to write a publishable collection of poetry inspired by The Great Gatsby so
that I may participate in this discussion in a creative way. In doing so, I hope to contribute to the
popular revival of classics like The Great Gatsby.
Confidantics
2016
She’s been falling for years,
like the pearls from her chest,
hitting the floor as the true affair began.
He wipes the sweat from his collared neck,
and again, and again, and again, like an echo:
words said, said again. Things done, done again.
He’s been searching for years,
for drinks strong enough to forget (or remember)
and lights bright enough to bring her home.
The ice is melting,
exposing the shirts, the ashes, the gun.
It is so damn hot.
Her heartbeat rattles the beads on her dress.
Her eyes are brighter than the light on the dock,
only when they fall on the elegant young roughneck.
It is so damn hot, but I am frozen.
I’ve folded the shirts, scattered the ashes.
But I’ve yet to pull the trigger.
References
Burnam, Tom. “The Eyes Of Dr. Eckleburg: A Re-Examination of ‘The Great Gatsby’.” College English 14.1 (1952): 7-12.
MLA International Bibliography. Web 14 Oct. 2016.
Hanzo, Thomas A. “The Theme and the Narrator Of ‘The Great Gatsby’.” Modern Fiction Studies 2.(1956): 183-190. MLA
International Bibliography. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Harvey, W. J. “Theme and Texture in The Great Gatsby.” English Studies: A Journal of English Language And Literature
38.(1957): 12-20. MLA International Bibliography, doi: 10.1080/00138385708596990. Web. 14 Oct, 2016.
Hauhart. Robert C. “Religious Language and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby’s Valley of Ashes.” ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of
Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews 26.3 (2013): 200-204. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.