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 Publication Number

32284002

ISBN

9798273349773

Download

Share

COinS