Essay on "Beware: Do Not Read This Poem"

“Statistic: the us bureau of missing persons reports that in 1968 over 100,000 people disappeared leaving no solid clues nor trace only a space in the lives of their friends.” This comprises only part of a very interesting poem called “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem”. One reason why I really like this poem would be the death. Death permeates the poem, Ishmael Reed talks about it in a different way. Reed also uses good metaphors giving the poem human traits. Fantasy in this poem also makes it great. People get sucked into a mirror, and people go missing.

The first reason why I like “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem”, it talks about death in a different way. Poet Ishmael Reed, talks about who the mirrors took, for example in one section he writes, “It has taken many victims back off from this poem it has drawn in yr feet…” At first it seems like the mirrors suck people in but as we read on we find out other wise, he starts blaming the poem.

In addition to reason one, I like this poem because of the use metaphors. Within the poem Ishmael Reed gives the poem human traits. One section state, “the hunger of this poem is legendary… it is a greedy mirror”. Reed says the poem hungers, that’s way people keep disappearing. He also says the poem’s greedy because it keeps taking people no matter who they are or how many it already has.

Finally, I like “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem” because of fantasy. Ishmael Reed talks about how the lady gets sucked in, and how she sucks people in. He says who gets sucked in, “each tenant who bought the house after that lost a loved one to the ol women first a little girl than a young women then the young woman/s husband…” . Questions are raised when reading it, like why the old sucks people in. Just like that your interested and can not stop reading, just like the poem wants.

As you can see I like this poem for multiple reasons. “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem” has great fantasy with the why it uses mirrors and suck people in. Poet Ishmael Reed deals with death in a different way, with the way they die. Metaphors in this poem would be the last reason why I like this poem. So, when your in the mood to question a poem, or something a little different read “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem” by Ishmael Reed.