Mark Doty

Upon arriving to the Mark Doty reading I wasn't sure what to expect. I am not a fan of poetry so sitting through a reading of it was less than enjoyable for me. However once I entered the room I thought differently. The place was packed; with all the seats taken up people had to resort to standing up against the wall or sitting on the floor. My expectations for Doty were higher than before; surely he must be good if all these people were here. And yes he was.

As I took my seat and waited for Doty to begin, my anticipation grew. As he started his reading I realized that he was different from other poets I have read. His poetry seemed to be more relatable and easier to understand which caught my attention even more. His poetry seemed to be more like little narratives, more like prose. It made it seem like he was more reading short stories than poetry which is why I think I enjoyed it more than I would have thought.

Overall I enjoyed the reading and thought that Doty is an excellent writer. He's one of my more favorite poets for sure and I'll be sure to read more of his work.
I really enjoyed his two poems, "Heaven for Paul" and "House of Beauty". In "House of Beauty" he used a lot of vivid imagery to describe the fire and the scene going on while stating the flames made the house beautiful. I thought it was beautifully written. In "Heaven for Paul" he described being on a plane and preparing to crash, while he usually paranoid friend Paul is acting all calm during the chaos. Paul seen moments and his life through his eyes making peace with everyone. He is content to die, however they do survive.

Doty also made a comment how he likes to write about animals. He likes to see things in their perspective, especially his dog. He read a poem about his dog, however he also explained that they were many more too. He also writes a poem in the perspective of a baby mammoth and how it feels and views the world. Animals are a favorite subject of is, however he is not like most animal poets; he adds his own twist.

Overall I enjoyed the reading and think Doty is an excellent writer. He's one of my favorite poets for sure and I'll be sure to look into more of his work.