The Forge

The Forge

1. Creative Process

2. Analogy for writing poems - different aspects of forge work as metaphors

   • blacksmith- scraps of metal into beautiful shapes, poetry impose order to ideas and words

3. Celebration of the blacksmiths work. Drawn to the physicality of the work

4. Interior of forge depicted as a place of wonder and marvel - anvil as a writers desk - 'unicorn' 'magical'

5. childs perspective - fascinated, in awe, childlike sense of wonder, childhood mentality

6. Changing world - blacksmith watches the cars passing - horseshoes he makes are hardly needed in modern world of mass produced cars

7. Pertrarkan sonet

8. First 8 lines - craft. End 6 lines - blacksmith at work

9. Forge as a poets mind/ imagination

10. 'unpredictable fantail of sparks'

11. refers to the sound of the blacksmiths work as creating 'music'

12. full of sounds- 'hiss' of the hot horseshoe, 'grunts' of blacksmith, 'short pitched ring' of anvil

13. defiance - determination to preserve his craft in changing world

14. manliness - 'expends himself in shape and music' (at the anvil- writers desk)