Quote: "I'm fixin' to wear boots to the dance/ and make my hair bigger, because no smarty-pants, just easy rhymes,/ perfect love, because I'm lost deep within myself and the sad songs call me out,/ because even you with your superior aesthetic cried/ when Tammy Wynette died,"
From "A Wife Explains Why She Likes Country"
Found in the last 1/3 of the poem
I decided to use this quote for today's blog post because, quite frankly, it really confused me. As I was reading the poem I understood that the author, Barbara Ras, was describing the country,a rural lifestyle and the scenery, activities and ideals that come with it. What I didn't understand was who Tammy Wynette was. Was she a real person? If so what did she do? Who was she? Maybe she was a myth or urban legend? If that was the case, what did she represent. I knew the line and the meaning of the poem as a whole would make more sense and have more meaning to it if I understood this allusion.
I immediately looked up Tammy Wynette and found out she was one of the most influential female country singers who not only had a successful career during the 1970s (and really up until her death in 1998), but also paved the way for other country female artists.
After reading this (and much more) about Tammy Wynette, I understood the meaning of the poem much more. Barbara Ras was trying to depict why she is so influenced by the country and why it means so much to her. To make a reference to one of the most influential female country starts packs a lot of punch.
I couldn't help but add a comment after re-reading your comments now that we've thought about Pocahontas. I'm glad that you followed your instinct to find out who Tammy Wynette was. She was a real person, but like most media stars the real person (Virginia Wynette Pugh) was actually not the mythic "Tammy Wynette". I was impressed by how the poem subtly takes us on that edge between reality and our hopes and dreams as they revolve around what we know are mythic perceptions. -- Matt
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