Poetry Response #7

Holly Patton

AP English-IV

Mrs. Jernigan

8 March 2011

“My Hometown”

Donal Heffernan

            Poet Donal Heffernan chooses a topic dear to many hearts, poets and non-poets alike. A hometown is a place that shapes character, forms memories, provides relationships. Heffernan’s admiration for his own hometown hides in his straightforward description of the town’s characteristics. Although it sounds quaint and quiet with its “two stories, as flat as the surrounding prairie,” Heffernan emphasizes its bravery when it “outlasted the fields of the Depression, and/ Bravely swam against the raging Omaha Creek floods.” With a slightly comical tone, Heffernan adds that this beloved hometown provided places to “launch [its] next generation.” His recollection of these memories display his fondness for his town, Homer, and his jocularly nostalgic approach to this sentimental subject shows his ability to reminisce on his past lightheartedly.

            In my own experience, I have found many people that I meet to be eager to talk about their hometown and their past. Speaking of such familiarity seems comforting to them. A hometown can be a defining structure of childhood, because it influences your view of the world as a whole. Children that grow up in Gatlinburg have a completely different perspective than those that grow up in New York City. For some, home evokes discomfort and unpleasant memories; but for others, like Heffernan and myself, it evokes a sense of safety and happiness.