exactly they do. With the aid of Schmitt s poem, organizations such as brokerage firm,

Transcription

1 Oswald 1 Bridget Oswald Dr. Swender ENG 240 November 18, , 2, 3, 4, 5 Through its unique subject matter and structure, poetry brings depth and a fresh understanding to everyday situations. Often audiences do not always take into consideration these common tasks or way of life, until they are the subject of a poem. This is because ordinary practices transform spontaneously when expressed through poetic language. Poets hold the ability to concentrate on a small (but significant) aspect of life and magnify it, causing the audience to view a common occurrence in a completely renovated manner. Because poetry holds this gift of transformation, a poem can be used to promote, explain, or express an organization s or even an individual s ideals as much more than just surface goals and values. Peter Schmitt s poem, Friends With Numbers gives new meaning to an often- unappreciated aspect of life, numbers. Society sees numbers values in only a few ways: their monetary value, measurement value, and organization value. However, Schmitt utilizes poetic language and structure to express to his audience that numbers exceed just their numerical value. He argues if one tries hard enough, numbers can be friends. When applied to companies such as investment firms, banks, and brokerage firms Schmitt s poem can promote their service and change society s viewpoint on what exactly they do. With the aid of Schmitt s poem, organizations such as brokerage firm, Stern Agee, can be valued for more than just their financial success. They will be seen as an

2 Oswald 2 organization that values numbers first and foremost, but also be seen as more than just employees and clients. Before applying Friends With Numbers to Stern Agee, it is important to reveal what message Schmitt tries to convey to his audience. Schmitt begins his poem with a quote: If you make friends with numbers, You don t need any other friends. -Shakuntala Devi, math genius By opening his poem with a quote, Schmitt offers the audience an immediate explanation for what the subject of his poem is all about. Structurally, this method differs from most poems, because poets usually disguise the goal of their poem within the poem itself. However, Schmitt s premise of numbers being friends is so drastically unexpected, that the quote is helpful. When looking at the remainder of the poem, there are a series of sentences, but they lie so close together and contain no visible breaks, they seem to blend as one. There is no clear reason why Schmitt chooses to do this but Friends With Numbers begins to look like a sequence of numbers in itself. The content of the poem begins at numbers 6 and 9, continuing in a basically decreasing order until Schmitt reaches 1 and 2. As mentioned earlier, there is no clear grammatical break in the poem; however, it can be separated into two distinct sections. The first section of the poem occurs as Schmitt characterizes numbers nine through three with imagery, allusions, and irony. However, when Schmitt reaches numbers one there is little figurative language or explanation at all and when number two is characterized, it is the only one referred to as a she.

3 Oswald 3 Through the use of imagery, personification, and irony, Schmitt s first set of numbers complete the task of showing the audience they are worth more than just their surface value. Numbers nine and six receive a short and simple, but highly informative explanation for their personality. Schmitt simply points out they constantly change their minds by utilizing and exploiting their physical form. Because they are the same shape, they continuously change and their value remains dependent upon which direction they face. Now six and nine are no longer numerical values, but personified numbers with flippant tendencies. After nine follows eight, which Schmitt characterizes as graceful but in a never- ending sleep. To come to this conclusion literal imagery is utilized and applied. Schmitt says eight sleeps for an eternity because its shape has no beginning nor end, a continuous and smooth flow. Though eight is not as explicitly personified, it becomes more than just a number; it becomes a being of grace. Through a societal allusion and irony seven receives one of the most in depth personifications and truly transforms into a higher meaning. Though seven s description is only one line, when Schmitt states, and 7, lucky 7 takes/an arrow to his heart always, the audience is quickly impacted. First, Schmitt includes an allusion to success at a slot machine, because three sevens in a row means winning the jackpot. Then as quickly as the allusion is stated, irony follows and the audience must reconsider the meaning. If seven is truly lucky then why is there always an arrow to his heart? Numbers five, four, and three are characterized in a similar manner as the first four, in that Schmitt utilizes poetic language and devices to transform each number into a being of substance. Schmitt directly exploits five s physical appearance as he compares it to a unicycle with a popped tire, while simultaneously and seamlessly creating a metaphor. The

4 Oswald 4 metaphor generates a strong image in the reader s mind, completely altering any previous views. Schmitt also alludes to the idea five is halfway to somewhere, which could mean numerically, halfway to ten, or figuratively, since the tire popped he could not reach his final destination (6). Four is subject to physical abuse from Schmitt as well when he says, and 4, who d like to stand for/ something solid, has never had/ two feet on the ground (7-10). Through this literal imagery, it is clear to the audience how Schmitt views the shape of number four as well as its character. However, when Schmitt then describes four as a flag in the following line, irony is used and the characterization of four is complete. Schmitt justifies four s lack of one leg when he compares it to a flag, because ironically flags do stand for something. Three is the final number to be characterized within the first section of the poem and Schmitt offers an interesting insight to its personality. Schmitt begins by mocking the number and then hinting that it is, still/(i can tell you) not half the man/8 is asleep or awake (15-17). This observation reveals much about three because regardless of how hard three works it is still one less than four, which is not quite half the graceful eight. Up until numbers one and two, each number is characterized with allusions, irony, metaphors, and personification; however, when Schmitt begins to characterize one and two, the poem shifts. One is introduced simply, 1/little 1. I know him better/ than all the others (17-18). There is little use of poetic devices unlike the others, but still Schmitt instills a feeling in the reader that one means more to the speaker; it is not just a number. Within Schmitt s description it seems there is a personal connection between one and the speaker, as if the speaker is too familiar with the number one, with being alone. This notion becomes clear when number two enters the poem and is characterized in more depth and

5 Oswald 5 description than the rest. First, two is the only number described as a female, Divisible by only 1/ and herself, she seems on the verge (23-24). This shows the reader that two should be set apart from the previous numbers and she is of great importance to the speaker. Described as swanlike and seen as mysterious, shows the audience the speaker sees two as a symbol for a woman he desires. The descriptions of one and two give a sudden, personal sense to the poem, because the speaker s hidden emotions come forth with more force. He is exposed in his loneliness and his desire to know number two a symbol for the woman he admires. However, he lets the audience know that in the end he remains content, because he still has his friends, the other numbers. After analyzing the meaning and message behind Schmitt s, Friends With Numbers it becomes clear that regardless of the speaker s personal life, Schmitt hopes the reader sees everyday objects, tasks, or organizations for more than their surface value. Schmitt possesses the talent to transform a reader s view on numbers and it is for this reason that Friends With Numbers could effectively be used as a promotional tool for companies such as Stern Agee. Stern Agee is a private brokerage firm that places the inherent value of their clients and employees above and beyond their business. They hold close to them the beliefs within their Core 4. One of the Core 4 beliefs states, No one achieves greatness alone; we are all dependent on one another. Every member of our company, from sales to operations to research, plays a role without which we could not succeed. Though not explicitly stated within Friends With Numbers, this value of Stern Agee aligns with Schmitt s message that all numbers, all of his friends, work together as one unit. Each number in the poem had its own strengths and weakness, just like the employees of Stern Agee. A second belief of the firm s Core 4 says, When used properly, our ears are our most effective technology. This

6 Oswald 6 means not simply hearing what someone has to say, but what they really mean. Again this belief held by Stern Agee is found within Schmitt s poem, because like the firm he wants his audience to see and hear what numbers have the potential to be. Stern Agee want to hear their clients and understand them as people and this poem is a perfectly creative way to show that ideal to their clients or investors. On the surface Friends With Numbers is a casual poem characterizing numbers with human qualities. The vast majority of clients trust Stern Agee with their finances, because the clients find managing the money and dealing with all the numbers on their own is too intimidating. For this reason, Friends With Numbers can and will show clients numbers are not as intimidating as they seem and Stern Agee are essentially friends with numbers themselves. Not only would the surface meaning of the poem benefit Stern and Agee, but so would the underlying meaning, because the values behind the company and the values embedded within the poem are in sync with one another. Based off of their Core 4, Stern Agee want to be respected as more than just professional adults and they want to also respect and see their clients as more than simply clients. This concept works well with Friends With Numbers, because Schmitt wants his audience to understand and see that numbers are more than numbers if you take the time to discover them. Therefore, using Friends With Numbers as a promotional tool either in commercials, on flyers, or on brochures, would benefit Stern Agee greatly.

7 Oswald 7 Works Cited "Core Four." Sternagee.com. Stern Agee Group, Inc, Web. 16 Nov < four.php>. Schmitt, Peter. Friends With Numbers. Poetry an introduction. Ed. Stephen A. Scipione. Ellen Thibault. Christina Gerogiannis. Annette Pagliaro Sweeney. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, Print