400-Meter Freestyle by Maxine Kumin

   I would like to preface this post by stating that I am a varsity swimmer, so it's generally hard for me to appreciate books, poems, or shows about swimming, as they are generally riddled with misconceptions. As a distance freestyler, I could recognize my own race in this piece, not just in the physical arrangement of the writing, which flows the path of a 400M, but in the way it describes movement through the water. Due to the length constraints of using this form, the author was forced to be very thrifty with her words, but that only served to enhance the breathless, fast-paced quality of the race. The downwards lines were a forced pause, slowing the otherwise rapid quality, perfectly capturing the feeling of a flip-turn. For so many of the descriptions, I could actively see what was taking place, both as the one racing and as a spectator looking on. Some examples include "[throwing] scoop after scoop cunningly moving water back to move him forward," and "his mobile mouth that siphons in the air." By the end of the poem, I was feeling as breathless as the racer, pounding down the lines towards the final word, mentally read by the metallic, echoing announcer's voice: "TIME: 4:25.9." While I don't know men's times, especially in meters, it sounds like his hard work and practice have paid off, a feeling I wish I knew better. Overall, this piece is a fantastic use of shape poetry that actually uses the shape to convey a feeling, not just to make apparent what is being described. I can honestly say I have a favorite swimming-related poem now-- my coach will be thrilled.