Advisor(s)
Adam Vines
Committee Member(s)
Danny Siegel
Kerry Madden-Lunsford
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
1-27-2026
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Arts & Humanities
Abstract
This collection explores ordinary moments. A couple on a park bench. A man cleaning a horse stall. A citizen scientist wandering a field. When you peer into these scenes closely, though, you can move beyond the seemingly mundane and discover universal truths, as well as images that evoke shared emotional landscapes. Two primary themes bring greater clarity to these moments and images: people imposing on the world and the world imposing on people. Each piece in the collection touches on these themes in some way. Hence the title, Impositions. I hope readers will feel a sense of empathy for the archetypes who experience social isolation in many of the poems and, at the same time, reflect on the frequent transference between these characters and the natural world. Whether it’s a farmer seeking connection with a barn cat or a homeowner projecting their anxiety onto a sick oak tree, the subjects in these post-modern pastoral poems are imposing on others in subtle yet significant ways. Sadly, their desires often go unresolved, although a few glimmers of optimism emerge. At least I hope they do.
Keywords
poetry;southern poetry
ProQuest ID
ISBN
9798273349773
Recommended Citation
McCauley, Christopher Michael, "Impositions" (2026). ETDs from 2020-2029. 113.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-2020s/113
