Small Comfort by Katha Pollitt

Small Comfort is written by Katha Pollitt. I chose this poem because the title caught my eye. I wanted to know what this “small comfort” was. While reading this poem, I thought it was cute and nicely written. It brought my senses to my attention. For example, I could smell the “laundry cool and crisp and folded away” (Pollitt 4). This is one of my favorite lines because it paints a picture in one’s mind. You can smell and feel the clean clothes.
I think the author wanted to send a message about the small comforts in one’s everyday life. Life is very short and seems to be rushed. One should take his or her time, enjoy life, and notice the small things. This can make a difference in one’s happiness.
The author uses imagery in the poem to evoke pictures in one’s mind. For example, 14-15, Pollitt writes: “dog turn the corner and lope suddenly / miraculously, down its own street, home.” One can see this dog trotting down the street. The wordsmith also uses similes. For instance, Pollitt writes: “forsythia lit like a damp match” (2). Pollitt also uses personification to bring the sky to life: “a thundery sky drunk on its own ozone” (3). The “thundery sky” is “drunk;” this is an example of human characteristics being applied to inanimate things.
I think this poem holds some truth about life. It is “too late to find / comfort enough in such small daily moments” (Pollitt 5-6). However, one should definitely take the time to look around them and feel lucky for what they have. I would recommend this poem to others, and I would like to read more literature by this author.