On Poetry and Nowak - Emily

Coal Mountain Elementary by Mark Nowak not only challenges the idle acceptance of the risks of coal mining by the general, uninformed population, but also challenges the very definitions of poetry and prose. While commended as a work of poetry, it does not follow the conventional forms that we have come to know. The book is not filled with rhyming lines of verse or individual poems. In fact, there is not a single page that can be said to contain a poem. The book as a whole is considered poetry, not it’s individual components.

Poetry is a concept that can take many forms, depending on the individual. Not every person considers the same thing poetry; it doesn’t hold the same concrete definition that one might apply to other types of literature. Coal Mountain Elementary contains many elements of poetry. The themes of death, tragedy, and the price of coal mining are interwoven between the pages of stories, personal accounts, news clippings, and images. The start juxtaposition between these tragedies and the plainly stated, thoughtfully composed lesson plan on coal mining comes off as startlingly provocative. The use of images to compliment the horrors drawn out on the page lends the work a depth it might have otherwise failed to achieve. Coal Mountain Elementary is not purely a book or a novel. It is infused with poetic elements which combine to make it a powerful, moving piece of art.
In “Alarums and Excursions” Waldrop’s tenth thesis states: “The poem will not work through its content, through a message which in any case would speak only to the already converted, but through its form.” This thesis can be related to Nowak’s work. Through its unconventional form, the message of Coal Mountain Elementary works to convert those who are not aware of the price associated with the coal mining industry. Poetry is that which reaches out and grabs the reader, shaking him from his habitual beliefs and inspiring further consideration. Coal Mountain reaches out in just that way, alerting the reader to that which he may have never considered.

Poetry defies strict definition. It is a complex idea, embodied by many forms and formats. It is the expression behind the words, the individual idea that becomes perceptible through the composition of phrases, which is of importance. That is not to say other types of literature are not driven by these same concepts. Emotion, depth, and awareness can be found in some of the best novels of the age. They can be just as moving and just as provocative. Yet these other forms of literature lack a certain essence that necessarily classifies poetry.

It is as much the reception of the reader as the intent to the author which classifies a work. This is especially true in regards to the ever expansive and malleable concept of poetry. Though Nowak may have set out to write a book of poetry- or not- his success or lack thereof is dependent upon the individual reader and the way in which the work is received.