Language as a Slippery Vehicle

Language is a slippery vehicle. It's hard to steer, yet once mastered, can be very powerful. Language is composed of words, and words have definitions. Frequently, writers juxtapose words together that simply sound nice or evoke a meaning that the author wishes were the case in the actual context he or she is using. Overcome with eloquence, some writers rarely say what they mean or have difficulty describing what they are observing in an accurate manner because they are too caught up in using pretty words.

I think this is what Hass is getting at in his poem. It is good sometimes for poetry to disenchant us. Writing, and poetry, does not always have to be over-the-top in terms of word usage and imagery. Poems can be plain and still engage the reader. Writing is not a competition, and language is a gift. When putting the pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, it is important to say what you mean. Don't over-embellish because then no one will know what you're saying. In this way, meaning can be assigned to every word written, and the words chosen are important when deciding what to put on the paper because it will portray different pictures depending on what words are chosen.

In Jones' poem, it is very clear that he is addressing language as one of the most prevalent forms of illustration. No image like the image of language. He encourages the reader to unleash all inhibitions when writing. People should use their vocabulary to the most of their abilities because it is a beautiful vehicle of communication. Through the coconut shell full of rum and coconut milk on the ocean and let it wash over you. Let the words envelop you and use them to the utmost potential because through their usage, meaning is derived.