Lyn Hejinian

Two of the main things that stuck with me throughout reading Lyn Hejinian’s poems and essays was the use of doubleness, as well as opposites. These two things combined, create the emotion and meat of her works. While reading, I often felt confused and frustrated, but when looking back on her writings as a whole I saw the truth in her writing, as well as, a very true representation on life. I think that Hejinian sums up these feelings and life with her quote, “Rarely one follows a thought to its conclusion” (504). This idea not only emphasizes her style of writing but also the lives that we all live.

Although life may be death bound, such an ultimate “conclusion” is hardly ever seen mirrored in any conversation or activity in everyday life. The same is true for the verse of Hejinian. When one finishes reading one of her poems or essays they are perhaps more confused than when they started and questioning if it all really makes sense. I think that this is a proper representation of life, in that life is a conglomeration of all sorts of interactions, reflections and experiences that somehow all fit together, but yet do not make sense, thus keeping life interesting and everyday as an unknown.

Hejinian also stays true to this style and concept of life in her frequent admissions of uncertainty. This allows readers to take and understand her works as opinions rather than facts. In doing so readers not only appreciate the beauty of literature, but also understand that there are very few hard facts in life. Life and literature is open to many different interpretations and no one person contains all of the answers. It is the never ending interactions we have that instead allow us make our own individual decisions.