Jane Kenyon - "Otherwise" (Post by Chris Kotecki)

For my blog post, I chose to write about Jane Kenyon’s poem “Otherwise.” Kenyon, an American poet and translator, was born in 1947 and eventually died of leukemia in 1995. In this particular poem, she depicts her own struggle with cancer towards the end of her life. The poem goes in a chronological order, starting from when she wakes up and ending when she goes to bed. She writes about a typical day in her life, citing all the simple things she notices. She describes herself, the food she eats, the activities she does, and the things surrounding her.
Yet, following each of these events or characteristics of her day, she states that “it might have been otherwise.” Noting her battle with cancer, one can interpret the repetition of this line to mean that life for her could end at any moment. Yet, the main goal of her poem is not to express only her own life, but life in general for all. She conveys the idea that one’s life could end at any moment in time, so society as a whole should learn to appreciate everything in each and every day, and make sure to not take anything for granted.
One of the key features of the poem is its simplicity. This idea of simplicity is expressed in a few different ways. First of all, each event and/or characteristic that she comes across in her day is very simple. Kenyon appreciates these daily occurrences, and cherishes them, no matter how repetitive or mundane they may seem. She talks of everyday events such as waking, eating, working, sleeping, and spending time with her “mate.” She knows that one day, she, or the thing that she is describing, may cease to exist. Kenyon wants everyone to appreciate every little thing in life. She makes sure to remind the reader that one day, everything might be “otherwise,” which is why she does not want anything in life to be undervalued.
Another area in which Kenyon uses the idea of simplicity is through her language and tone throughout the poem. The poem is very conversational and down to earth. She wrote it in a way that is very easy to understand, possibly to make sure that she is able to get her point across. Maybe it is possible that she knew her life was coming to an end, and had some sort of regrets for not living her life to the fullest. Perhaps she wanted to ensure that the rest of society did not make the same mistake she did. Regardless of her intent, it is easy to see that she is completely content with her life at this particular point in time, whether she had regrets or not. Either way, she has a very simple and honest tone throughout the poem that allows the reader to relate very easily.
One may also notice the simplicity in the specific wording and structure of the poem. Kenyon does not use any difficult or long words. In fact, almost none of the words contain more than two syllables. The lines are also very straightforward and short. In merely a few words, she is able to describe an important event in her day that she cherishes, and immediately follows it with the repeated line, “it might have been otherwise.” This sudden interjection shows the reader that at any given time, life can change drastically, and the simple pleasures of life may be disappeared. No matter how small or simple something may seem in a person’s life, it is a part of who they are, which is why it should be greatly appreciated.
Overall, I really liked this poem. After reading it the first time, I was not entirely impressed. I found it to be too simple, and did not completely see the meaning behind it. After discovering that Kenyon was suffering from cancer, the simplicity of the poem took on a whole new meaning, and made me really appreciate it as a whole.