Poem Image Analysis Help

[Slash Dementia]

So, I've been stuck on this single image from a poem entitled "Writer's Block." I'm supposed to write a 5 page essay on the image that my Humanities professor gave me. I understand the basic concept of image's meaning, but breaking that down a lot further isn't something that I can really do right now. I'm not asking for a whole essay outline, just some ideas on what you think it means.

The image is: The Spanish bird sings!

Poem:

Spoiler

the typewriter sits silent, its as if you've
been betrayed, its as if a murder has
occurred.
yet words still run through your brain:
"the spanish bird sings!"
what can
that mean?
at least its a ripple, even if unusable.
when will the keys
beat into the
paper
again?
its so easy to die long before the
fact of it.

I look at the machine resting under its black
cover; an unpaid gas bill sleeps on top of
it.

there is a small refrigerator in the
room, it makes the only audible sound
here.

I open it and look inside:
its empty.
I sit back down in the chair and wait; then I
decide to fool the
typewriter.

I write this
now
with a ballpoint
pen
in a red
notebook;
I am sneaking up on a poem;
there will soon be something for that
frigging
typewriter
to do!

there is a French expression, "without
literature
life is hell."

The glory and power of that!
now let the Spanish bird sing!

Any help at all would be really appreciated.

 

[daveman247]

Le snip

I despise analysis poems (drama or stories are much easier) but i will try and help a bit

So, The poem is literally about writers block. The poet describes the type writer as "betraying him". He is frustrated that he has no idea what to write. He is trying to work out what "the spanish bird sings" means.

He then reminds himself that he writes for a living (unpaid gasbills and empty fridge) And forces himself to write a poem. About writers block and how it is stopping him from living.

He then finds meaning in "the spanish bird sings" A metaphor for himself (perhaps, is the poet spanish?) "singing" because he has finally found inspiration to write something.

Damn poems and their abstract-ness.