Negative Space
A poem by Ron Koertge
(analysis by Joy ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔ っ♡ )
- Written by Ron Koertge
- Published in 2014
- Inspired the production of a short film with the same name (later earned an
oscar nomination in 2018)
Definition of Negative space:
Negative space in art, is the space around and between the subject of an image.
Poem :
My dad taught me to pack: lay out everything. Put back half. Roll things
that roll. Wrinkle-prone things on top of cotton things. Then pants, waist-
to-hem. Nooks and crannies for socks. Belts around the sides like snakes.
Plastic over that. Add shoes. Wear heavy stuff on the plane.
We started when I was little. I’d roll up socks. Then he’d pretend to put me
in the suitcase, and we’d laugh. Some guys bond with their dads shooting
hoops or talking about Chevrolets. We did it over luggage.
By the time I was twelve, if he was busy, I’d pack for him. Mom tried
but didn’t have the knack. He’d get somewhere, open his suitcase and text
me—”Perfect.” That one word from him meant a lot.
The funeral was terrible—him laid out in that big carton and me crying
and thinking, Look at all that wasted space.
General meaning:
- A reflection of the poet’s relationship with his father
- Reminiscing over his father
Characters :
1) “I”
- Poem is written in first person perspective : gives credibility to the story ( reader’s would
believe in the story thus try to relate to the story + builds relationship with the poet and the reader)
- Only bond with dad is packing luggage with him
1) Dad
- Busy; travelled frequently (at least during “I” ‘s childhood )
- Systematic, organised
- Has influence over and connection with “I”
1) Mom
- Mentioned only once
- Distant
Highlighted words :
1) Wrinkle-prone
2) Nooks and crannies
3) Chervolets
4) Knack
First stanza :
My dad taught me to pack: lay out everything. Put back half. Roll things
that roll. Wrinkle-prone things on top of cotton things. Then pants, waist-
to-hem. Nooks and crannies for socks. Belts around the sides like snakes.
Plastic over that. Add shoes. Wear heavy stuff on the plane.
Wrinkle-prone: easily wrinkled
Nooks and crannies: every crack and every corner
Techniques, vocabulary used, interpretations :
1) Sentences are short and straight to the point :
- created with full stops after a few words, creates a rhythm. Feels like a list of instructions, an
instruction manual the poet memorised by heart.
- Reiterated with use of punctuation “:” (A colon often precedes an explanation, a list)
1) Dad is teaching “I” how to pack the luggage effectively, to fill in every space.
- “ belts around the sides like snakes “ (metaphor) highlighted the belts’ flexibility used to advantage
here to use up every space possible
- “ roll things that roll “ roll is being repeated here (repetition) - could lead to better memory of the
material. Dad is imparting a skill to “I” , hopes for “I” to not forget about it ; it is emphasised as well
- “Nooks and crannies” (idiom) emphasis on how no space is left unused, luggage is packed to the
brim and fully utilised
- “Wrinkle- proof”
Significance: shows some kind of prioritising of clothes to fit as many as possible effectively, it’s systematic and
practical which can imply the dad’s way of doing things, his character or his level of knowledge, experience ( might
imply age as well ) etc. ; also might signify the father in the coffin, because he’s considered wrinkle-prone (implies
age)he is at the top
Second stanza :
We started when I was little. I’d roll up socks. Then he’d pretend to put me
in the suitcase, and we’d laugh. Some guys bond with their dads shooting
hoops or talking about Chevrolets. We did it over luggage.
Techniques, vocabulary used, interpretations :
1) “I” is aware of his unique way of bonding with his father
- Sentence separated using full stop (punctuation)
- Used noun “luggage” unlike other forms of bonding mentioned
which used verbs like “shooting” and “ talking”
1) Highlighted words :
- Chevrolet : an automobile division that sells vehicles ranging from cars to
vans > brand was being used instead of the noun car. Popular, widely
known, reiterates on the common things other people did while
emphasising on how unique “I” and dad’s way of bonding is
- “ Men develop personal relationships with their cars because they
perceive their car as an extension of the self. They also see power
and freedom and adventure in their vehicles, so in a way, every car or
truck has the potential to be a life-changing part of a guy's world.”
- “Men have always been naturally competitive. When men watch others play,
it acts as a way for men to scout potential competitors. Physical activities have
played a major part in preparing for warfare as well. In this day and age, sports
are equivalent to the last man standing from ancient times.”
Third stanza :
By the time I was twelve, if he was busy, I’d pack for him. Mom tried
but didn’t have the knack. He’d get somewhere, open his suitcase and text
me—”Perfect.” That one word from him meant a lot.
Techniques, vocabulary used, interpretations :
1) Knack :an acquired or natural skill at doing something
- Significance: implies that the poet had the talent for packing his dad’s
luggage, it makes him feel irreplaceable , makes him feel that his efforts
were appreciated, makes him feel good about himself because it is
something he was good at and he can use that to help his dad
Fourth stanza :
The funeral was terrible—him laid out in that big carton and me crying
and thinking, Look at all that wasted space.
“That big carton”
- Metaphor : big carton replaced coffin. (Could signify grief - not
accepting dad’s death ,denial is a stage of grief or could be a
possible extended metaphor)
- “That” - condescending tone : shows disagreement
“Look at all that wasted space.”
- Font change : thoughts
- “Wasted space” (part of extended metaphor )
Interpretations of the poem in general:
1) The idea of “negative space” could have different definitions
- The time (metaphorically) during the third stanza and the fourth stanza
- In the dad’s coffin (physically) : usually in coffins of the deceased, there would
be flowers added in, but it’s just the father alone in the coffin
- Signify (metaphorically) the emptiness left by dad in “I”’s life/heart when dad
leaves permanently, contrasting to when dad thought him how to pack, filling
all the space (sense of being complete) when he needed to leave only
temporarily
2) the last line of the poem
- When people close to you die, you would think back about the shared memories
you have with that person. Dad and “i” only bonded through packing luggage.
- Packing luggage was the only “legacy” left behind by dad to “i” it was the way he
had a connection with “i”
- Could be that “i” has been influenced by dad to think this way(same way of seeing
the world) / could be how “i” emotionally: personally relates to his dad
- Implies a regret “this could have been done better” - wasted space could be a
metaphor for his relationship with his father, the regrets during their relationship
when dad was still alive (eg. All the memories we could have shared. All the dreams
we could have built.)
Okay, that’s it . thankyou (sorry this was not very well
done and not in depth enough please feel free to add in)
Bye bye °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
