Wallflower by Donna Vorreyer

Wallflowers by Donna Vorreyer creates the idea that every word we know should be able to “belong” or at least be loved by someone. Words such as, “gegenshein” and “zoanthropy” which before looking up I had no knowledge even existed, can have a place in someone’s vocabulary. What I enjoyed about these words was not the fact that they sounded different but instead that the author had no clue what they meant either until placing them in her poem which added to the overall effect that any word no matter how ridiculous sounding can be a part of society. After finishing the poem I returned to the second stanza where Vorryer writes, “They say if you use a word three times, it’s yours. What happens to the ones that no one speaks?” Continuing on she suggests that those words are lost entirely until a brave soul finds them however there’s the possibility that they have to simply wait as the more common words are used frequently throughout the day.

I particularly enjoyed the end of the third stanza where she writes, “yes, you . . . you’re the one.” It finally gives all these random, unused words a shape through personification which later becomes clear as they are described as, “shy shadows at the high school dance”. The personification gives the words a deeper meaning, making them more appealing to the reader with words like “poor” and “tired” which I thought was funny because words aren’t usually made out as people. They’re just ideas that get a point across but in this poem they’re actual people waiting to be chosen, to be given the chance to bloom into something greater.  

However, at the very end of her poem she writes, “all those words without a home, come out and play --- live in my poem.” I particularly enjoyed this line because in the end, all of those misfit words were given a place to stay. Vorreyer becomes a foster parent to the English language and shows her respect to a language that was once beautiful but has been reduced to using vulgar and simple minded words. Vorreyer still has respect for words over two syllables that may sound different but have a beautiful meaning. I enjoyed her admiration for English and the fact that she made the language sound awe-inspiring and not just another language in modern society. She treats every individual word as something special and she did so in a beautiful poem.

Definitions:

Dickensian: Of or like the novels of Charles Dickens (especially with regard to the poor social and economical conditions.

Ellis Island: Symbol of American immigrants, an island just off Manhattan that allows immigrants to stay.

Gegenshein: A faint spot of light in the night ski that appears directly opposite the position of the sun.

Zoanthropy: A delusion that you have assumed the form of an animal.