Mosier 1
Laurie
Mrs. W
English 1213
28 March 2014
Journal Critique
As an instructor of creative writing and literature, David Kelly emphasizes that the true
greatness of a poem is not the words alone, but the use of them. More specifically, he explores
the verb choices and tenses in “Incident” that strengthen the overall message of the poem.
According to Kelly, it takes disciplined writing skills to select the correct verb tense in order to
portray the poem’s effectiveness. “Incident,” written by Countee Cullen in the early 1900’s,
invites the reader into the speaker’s typical day of an eight-year-old boy. However, due to the
empathetic nature of this poem that has a “potent combination of youthful vulnerability and
hostility”, Kelly feels the “artist’s style is ignored” (127). When the narrator says the other boy
“keep looking straight at me”, it emphasizes it is in the present tense (Cullen 24). Kelly then
assesses the narrator then spins the action by using the “most important verb in the poem” (129)
“poked” (Cullen 24) describing the other boy’s offensive action. Kelly observes that Cullen
withdrawals back into the passive tense to dismiss the narrator’s only memory in a very casual
manner. Kelly’s critique is extremely insightful and brings about the message that there is more
to Countee Cullen’s poem, “Incident”, than the words themselves.
By dissecting the verbs in the poem, Kelly provides a new perception that is often
unnoticed while reading this poem. He gives the reader another way to interpret the poem by
analyzing the verb tenses and shifts. Thinking of the poem in this way pulls readers into the
poem and lets us feel the raw emotion and devastation the speaker feels. This critique keeps us
Mosier 2
questioning and examining the verbs and interpreting their true meaning. Kelly makes the reader
realize that using all action verbs can allow the critical events to occur and quickly fade away.
Cullen transitions the action and gently brings the reader into the present tense again. For
example, once the shock of the main event occurs, the vulnerable, young child is forever left
with the devastation that leaves a lasting effect as he states, “That’s all that I remember” (Cullen
24). Cullen brings us back into the present tense and allows the reader to feel the boy’s emotions
as if it were happening right now.
Reading and deciphering the verb tenses brings the reader to appreciate a deeper meaning
of this poem. Reading with emotion keeps the reader caught up in the tragic event the young,
impressionable child experienced which becomes the only memory of his six months in
Baltimore. Before reading Kelly’s critique, the power and structure of the verb tenses in the
poem were lost in the emotional aspect alone. Kelly’s analysis concludes, “‘Incident’ shows its
author’s skills in several different ways, but none of them is more powerful than the poem’s use
of verbs” (130). Reading this poem without examining the impact and power of the verb tenses
causes reader to miss the true impact of the overall message.
Mosier 3
Works Cited
Cullen, Countee. “Incident.” “Exploring Literature.” Fifth Ed. Frank Madden. Boston: Pearson,
2012. Print.
Kelly, David. “Critical Essay on ‘Incident.’” Poetry for Students 42 (2013): 119-136. Gale. Web.
24 Mar. 2014.