And the Ghost by Graham Faust, a celebrated American poet and writer, is a mysterious poem. Surprisingly, the poem contains only one line that opens up vistas for various interpretations. The writer has purposefully kept this poetic piece open-ended so that the readers could dig the best possible meanings by themselves.
The poem’s title hints that the poem will be about a mysterious or horrific creature. To our surprise, the poem does not present us with any bad or terrific experience. It rather contains only a straight line that they own everything. The word they in this poem holds a symbolic value. If we look at the title, it refers to the ghosts that own everything. However, if we dig deeper, they can be ancestors, traditions, desires, and relationships. This one work struck many ideas. The writer allows us to find our own possible definition of this word.
Possible Interpretations of the Poem
From the above-stated discussion, it is clear that there are many ways to interpret the poem. One direction we could catch is ghosts, which refer to ancestors, leaving a set of rules, customs, and traditions for generations to follow. We respect the people who led exemplary lives in the past. We owe them for what they did for us; therefore, they own everything.
Another possible interpretation of the poem is that ghosts refer to our dearest relations, who mark the center of life. Every human being shares significant friends and a family circle without which he cannot imagine his life. So, the ghosts in this poem may refer to them as they own everything because no one can imagine losing the dearest one. It will break his heart and leave him in the middle of chaos.
The third interpretation of the poem is that ghosts may refer to our desires and wishes. Man’s nature is to design his life according to a set of desires. Almost every man in the universe desires to get many things in life. Some lucky souls get chances to live an expected life, while others run after unfulfilled goals. Keeping this phenomenon in mind, the ghosts refer to those desires that enslave man and own his life.
And the Ghost by Graham Faust: Themes
Mystery and power are the major themes of the poem. Although the text contains only a few words, these words speak the language of mystery and infinite power that holds almost everything. The poem’s title hints about a mysterious creature, and the text leaves numerous questions to answer.
The writer did not give any clue or hint about the Ghosts. He did not mention their physical attributes and their appearance. But he talks about the power they possess. To him, they are mighty enough to own almost everything. The word everything aging is profound and controversial. It is hard to believe that a man completely surrenders to something not physically present. However, in the poet’s words, they can own everything.
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be rightly stated that And the Ghost by Graham Faust is a mouthpiece of poetic intelligence that allows the readers to go in any direction while interpreting it. The writer has not used any literary or poetic device in the poem. Also, he has not loaded this poem with many ideas. Instead, he has conveyed a lot in just a single line. One may feel odd while reading a one-line poem, but once he starts unwrapping the idea behind these few words, he may reach the writer’s intention for making this poem unique and different.
Suggested Article: https://literarywonders.com/making-a-fist-analysis/