Music is a motif that stands out to me in this poem. Even the title, I believe, is a play on the musical terminology of movement. The syntax reminds me of stream of consciousness writing, how it just comes out like vomit. For example, in lines 10 and 11, “Wherever always we are/ Crowds the sea upon us/” The word order in these lines is a bit strange to me. How is the author using words and themes in this poem? What kinds of figurative language are used? Upon first glance, it looks like a jumble of words. Is there order in this chaos?

Wagner says space is one of the six S’s of poetry. What I find very interesting in this poem, is Oppen’s literal use of space on the page. For example, the first line has two words: “This room,/” Which is followed by a very large blank space on the page. In what ways do you think Oppen’s use of space serves the poem. Is there a feeling he might be trying to capture, or is he using space to imitate, for example, the way snow falls in lines 11 and 12?

"A-- Second Movement" Louis Zukofsky. April, 1932

"Discreet Series" George Oppen. January, 1932