Jeff Gundy, a Mennonite poet originally from Flanagan, Illinois, is a prolific writer and an English professor at Bluffton University (Hostetler 85). In his article “Notes for the Heretical Sublime,” he writes “The aim of poetry, then, is not to render or describe or narrate—but to discover a language adequate to being, to bring into this world things made of words that draw us toward the full consciousness of which we can yet only dream” (Gundy 27). Gundy has a handful of poems published in the anthology A Cappella: Mennonite Voices in Poetry, which was edited by Ann Hostetler. Although these poems deal with subjects that range from childhood memories to abstract metaphors, each of them addresses the theme of crossing borders by emphasizing the importance of perspectives.
In “How to Write the New Mennonite Poem,” Gundy writes with the voice of an insider to the Mennonite world as he references traditional stories, food, and habits. Taking this insider perspective, he begins by packing in eight separate images: old Bibles, quilts, the Martyr’s Mirror, zwiebach, vareniki, borscht, and farms. These references would be completely lost on anyone not familiar with Mennonite tradition. However, even as these allusions to traditional Mennonite elements continue, Gundy writes them with a voice that is steeped in irony. “You, of course, are a backslidden, / overlearned, doubtridden, egodriven / quasibeliever...” The use of second-person references makes the reader feel as if Gundy is referencing them directly. Although he is very familiar with the subject about which he is writing, Gundy’s almost satirical tone suggests that he has taken a step back and is able to look at his heritage from a completely new perspective; one that sees things very differently. By taking on this new perspective, he crossed the border between the insider group and the outsider group and created a new connection.
The second poem “Where I grew Up”, is a descriptive poem that characterizes Jeff Gundy’s own hometown. He writes with a very nostalgic tone, such as in lines 5-7: “I used to slow down in the summer / and coast through at thirtyfive or forty / only a little afraid of God and the police.” It is apparent that he has very fond memories of his Midwest hometown and feels very connected there. The point of contention that arises in the poem is introduced in the third stanza, where he writes “Flat means something to us here,” which implies that “they” do not appreciate flatlands the way that they should be appreciated. He continues to stress the point that, “we hate people telling us / how bad we’ve got it, how deprived,” until it finally escalates to “its grand slow roll that only idiots / and easterners could call flat.” In this case, the language that Gundy uses to make his position clear is slightly inflammatory, but is simply a reflection of his particular perspective. He seems to be making the point that judgements based on differences in perspective are arbitrary, and in order to connect fully with people we must try to see things from their perspective as well.
Finally, “The Cookie Poem” takes the theme of different perspectives and attempts to break them down through humor and a the use of a list. The poem is, for all intents and purposes, a list of all of the categories that people use to separate themselves. For example, some of these categories are “sad, faithful, brilliant, salty Atlantic, black hearted, heroic, flawed, and homeless.” However, Gundy uses the image of different types of cookies to represent these different groups of people and their perspectives. At first, the reader is consciously aware of the metaphor and tries to reconcile the image of a cookie with a person, but as the repetition continues the word begins to lose its distinct meaning and become more of an abstract image. As the poem reaches its conclusion Gundy writes that “God’s mouth is full / of cookies. God chews and swallows and flings / hands wide in jog, the crumbs fly / everywhere, oh God loves us all.” In this poem Gundy outright states that although there are all of these differences between people (or cookies), it is important to maintain perspective and realize that God loves all people across all borders.
Jeff Gundy’s poetry reminds his audience that there is always more than one way to approach a situation. By recognizing that someone else has their own perspective and attempting to see through their eyes, we can break down the barriers that separate us and learn to appreciate, if not agree with, the way that they see the world.
Works Cited
Gundy, Jeff. "Notes Toward The Heretical Sublime." Cross Currents 60.1 (2010): 24-44. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.
Hostetler, Ann Elizabeth. "Jeff Gundy." A Cappella: Mennonite Voices in Poetry. Iowa City: University of Iowa, 2003. 85+. Print.
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