Robert Hass

When reading Robert Hass's four poems, there was one that stood out in particular. "Measure" is written with few words compared to the others and forces the audience to analyze each stanza as opposed to the brief explanation in "Meditation at Lagunitas,"  "Dragonfies Mating," and "Faint Music." The title  "Measure" gives the reader a foundation of structure and form that the poem is composed in. The stanzas are all equal in length and width. The first lines describing the "Coppery light [hesitating]/ again in the small-leaved/ Japanese plum" and the "Last light/ rims the blue mountain" adds imagery of peace and calmness to the structure sturdy foundation. The combination of structure and serenity create a simple happiness that reflects how he feels during "the habitual peace of writing." The even stanzas form orderly tiles that take out the complexity of  untangling the poets thoughts into understandable literature. How the scene is filled with universally peaceful images also calms the reader, that instinctively questions writing with chaos in the diction or form, making it easier to believe Hass's equal feeling of pleasure and delight while writing and the tranquil images. The way Hass is able to evoke trust and explain a usually complex relationship with writing in a concise and structured poem is a remarkable achievement and proves his rightful place as a poet.