I decided to pursue a critical read of Recyclopedia because I was interested in what others had to say about the collection. In attempt to understand the reasoning behind each collection, I found interpretations of these poems that incorporate Mullen’s own explanation for what the poems communicate. Both readings touch on the ideas discussed in class.
Harryette Mullen offers an explanation for her poetics in the preface of Recyclopedia to give the reader an idea of how she meant for the poems to be interpreted. Mullen admits the her poetry stems from interaction with reader, writers, scholars, editors and publishers whose work helped establish writing the communities she took part in. She shares that the Trimmings and S*PeRM**K*T sections consist of prose poems that “use playful, punning, fragmented language to explore sexuality, femininity, and domesticity”, inspired by Gertrude Stein. Muse & Drudge was inspired by the thought of a chorus of women singing gloomy and humorous music all at one time. According to Mullen this text is sync between blues and lyrical poetry that “unite audiences often divided by racial and cultural differences.”
In her critique, Catherine Wagner echoes Mullen’s preface when she says that Trimmings evaluates objects and S*PeRM**K*T assess food and the supermarket, the content of both addressing the topic of various cultures. She describes these sections as sexually seductive and militaristic, drawing an example from Trimmings with language to support her argument. Wagner goes into more detail about Muse & Drudge, asserting that the title refers to “poetic inspiration and physical labor,” the Muse being a woman and drudge is everyday toil. Wagner again echoes Mullen when she recognizes Muse & Drudge to be a collection of women’s voices, “reminiscent of Sapphic and the blues.” She offers this critique of Muse & Drudge, “These layered punnings challenge the traditional image of lyric inspiration by illuminating its complicity with traditional silencing of women, laboring, people of color.”
Wagner’s assessment along with Mullen’s preface gives me a more clear understanding of the collection and what it aims to accomplish, I personally like the ideas behind the content, I think they accurately reflect the ideas Mullen sought to address in the way that she wanted to express these ideas.
