UC Riverside

This thesis is a collection of original poetry written by Ashley Mag Gabbert. These poems explore the human experience, both emotional and physical. The cyclical, repetitive nature of the collection as a whole seeks to emulate the primal struggle with grief and obsession that each person must endure, and the axis upon which each piece turns is concept of rest--both literal and figurative. Individually, each poem explores the Confessional mode of poetry, one focused on narrative and the physical body; the language of the speaker is therefore direct and unadorned, and the use of imagery and metaphor is concise. Additionally, these poems exhibit a strong use of association, which allows for both supernatural and transformative movement throughout each singular piece as well as the entire collection.