In “catalog of unabashed gratitude,” poet Ross Gay predominantly uses the second-person point of view to acknowledge and express his thanks directly to his readers, as well as the people, objects, life experiences, emotions, and elements of nature for which he is grateful. But what is the effect of this artistic choice on the message of the poem? What is its effect on the reader’s consumption of the poem? In repeatedly addressing his readers as “you,” Gay positions them not only as objects of his gratitude, but also as his friends; he ultimately creates a reading experience defined by intimacy and vulnerability by drawing members of his audience into direct conversation with him and establishing a relationship with them.
Gay defines the readers as his companions in the very first line of his poem in writing, “Friends, will you bear with me today” (82). This line communicates a level of humility on Gay’s part in that he asks his readers for a favor, creating the potential for a reciprocal relationship in the later pages of the poem. In other words, Gay’s choice to begin with this meek request of his readers creates a situation in which they can, in a sense, become worthy of the message of gratitude he wants to express to them. Knowing that Gay considers them “friends,” the readers likely feel encouraged to continue reading as a way to follow through on the favor he asks of them.
Gay emphasizes the value of his readers by interrupting his litany of thanks to address them directly on three separate occasions. The first stanza in which this interruption occurs begins with, “And thank you, too. And thanks/for the corduroy couch I have put you on./Put your feet up. Here’s a light blanket,/a pillow, dear one” (86). In this moment, it is as if Gay steps outside of his poem to care for his “dear reader[s]” (86), and he does so in a way that emphasizes his message of gratitude. This address acts as an acknowledgement that poetry can be “long” (86) and difficult to read, so he wants to make the experience as pleasant as possible for his friends, the readers. Thus, using warm and comforting imagery, he writes into existence a physical space with pillows, blankets, and even “a cup of tea” (86) as tokens of his thanks. This physical space that Gay conjures in his readers’ minds anchors them more firmly in the poem and engages them in a way that reinforces the poem’s intimate tone. Later in this stanza, he writes, “I can’t stop/my gratitude, which includes, dear reader,/you, for staying here with me” (86). His use of the pronouns “you” and “me” in such close succession emphasizes the feelings of physical and emotional closeness he carefully creates between his readers and him. It acknowledges and thanks his readers for performing the favor he asks of them at the beginning of his poem to “bear with [him]” (82). His use of the second person in this stanza emphasizes his desire to serve his readers because of their generous service to him.
In the second stanza in which this interruption occurs, Gay emphasizes his readers’ active participation in their consumption of his poem. He thanks them for “remain[ing] awake/with [him] like this, nodding time to time/and making that noise which I take to mean/yes, or, I understand, or, please go on” (88). These lines demonstrate the reciprocal relationship between speaker and readers, and they transform the readers from passive recipients of Gay’s poetry into active participants; they provide feedback to Gay’s words, and they enter into conversation with him. Thus, they become Gay’s equals. Additionally, much like the first stanza, Gay gives his readers another tangible gift—this time, a “bowl of blackberries from the garden./The sun has made them warm./[He] picked them just for [us]” (89), the readers. This second tangible gift further establishes the readers’ relationship with Gay by providing a physical dimension to it. In writing, “I picked them just for you” (89), Gay defines the reader as special, as worthy of his attention and of his gifts. Thus, he emphasizes the closeness of his relationship with them.
In the third and final stanza in which this interruption occurs, Gay extends beyond physical gifts into physical touch between him and his reader. He expresses desire “to rub the sponge of gratitude/over every last thing, including you” (93). This physical imagery of washing his readers with gratitude combined with his use of “you” cements the intimacy of the relationship Gay has built with them throughout his poem. He informs them that “Soon [his poem] will be over” (93), so this rubbing is his final act of thanks to his friends, his dear readers.
Works Cited
Gay, Ross. “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude.” Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, by Ross Gay, Project Muse, 2015, pp. 82–93.