"Beware: Do Not Read This Poem" By: Ishmael Reed

Walking down a dark, empty hallway in the middle of the night, a noise sounds and you jump. You spin around, looking for the sound, all the while backing down the hall toward your destination. Out of nowhere, your feet fall from under you and you plung into a dark, bottomless pit. Passages such as this mirror the suspense felt while reading the poem “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem”. Vivid imagery fills every line, causing the reader to feel as though they are watching a movie. It’s full of open-ended ideas thst will keep you guessing its true meaning for weeks.

First of all, suspense plays a huge part in this poem. From the title onward, a creeping sense of dread begins to grow. Readers are sucked into the drama by such lines as “the hunger of this poem is legendary; it has taken my victims”. “Beware” tells a sad story about families who lose loved ones to this power. Mysterious disappearances, which have occurred since the publishing of this poem, appear in the final line. So far, over 100,000 people have disappeared in the past ten years.

Also, astonishing imagery capture us from the first line. One line reads “an ol woman…surrounded herself w/ many mirrors”. Lines such as this allow readers to easily visualize what’s happening. Line after line, the we can see ourselves becoming a part of the tale as we read “this poem has your eyes…your fingertips…this poem has you up to here”. Piece by piece, one can see oneself being dragged in until the reader is the poem. Ultimately, “Beware” does say “the poem is the reader and the reader this poem”.

Various meanings, based on the perspective of the one reading it, constitute as the greatest aspect of Ishmael Reed’s work. Symbolism of the mirrors and the disappearances capture the mind and force one to think. When reading the line “she disappeared into a mirror”, it makes the reader stop to read between the lines. What does Reed mean she disappeared? Another line reading “ each tenant who bought the house after that, lost a loved on to…the mirror” give the same sort of questions. Does the writer mean it literally of figuratively? Physically or mentally? Have they died or lost themselves? Too many questions are asked with no definite answer in sight.

In conclusion, superior poetry such as this comes along only once in a while. Building a sense of fear, combined with crystal clear pictures and multiple meanings, leave this poem high above the rest. Never could there have been a more perfect read for any horror/sci-fi lover. Dare to take a look?