Advisory Committee Chair
Adam B Vines
Advisory Committee Members
James M Braziel
Margaret J Jessee
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2016
Degree Name by School
Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
The poems comprised within this collection reimagine the Southern culture and identity. As a whole these poems explore themes such as family, craftsmanship, folklore, and the tension between humanity and nature. The overarching narrative revolves around the idea of transformation. Here, the speaker transforms from the mundane to the mythological and natural elements are acted upon to produce a shift in their physical state. These poems examine several inter- and intra- personal relationships typically in a state of recollection or unrest. Memory and a harkening to ancestral roots tend to inform the speaker’s thoughts and actions. While many of these poems do look toward the past, it is in an effort to reshape the present. Craftsmanship plays an important role within these pages as it lends-ear to the undercurrent of the collection. The three main crafts found here revolve around sewing, metal working, and printing. The stress the materials must under-go during these processes is incredible. This gives a backbone to the tension discovered here-in. While the tone of this collection may take on a weathered or abandoned feel, there is also a hope that springs forth both from the speaker and from the land that leads toward a voice of hope and regrowth in the days ahead.
Recommended Citation
Cotton, Halley Marie, "The Spinning Thread" (2016). All ETDs from UAB. 1425.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/1425