Michael Hakim Week 6 - “So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye” - Sam Sax

      In, “So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye” by Sam Sax, Sax says goodbye to what the reader assumes is his home city in an interesting, emotional way. The poem perfectly captures the good, the bad, and the ugly about today’s big cities through a unique perspective. Rather than just describing his opinion on the matter, Sax does so by first saying goodbye to the city, and then transitioning into why the city isn’t a good thing to begin with, due to the negative impact of humans on the environment.

     Though his views may be controversial to some, Sax argues his point here very well, and in a way that really sticks with the reader. I really appreciated the sort of ‘all-over-the-place’ nature of the poem. I loved how the poem kept me engaged, as I sometimes have trouble focusing on things that aren’t mentally stimulating. I really related to and loved the language used here.

     I really related to this poem. In the beginning, when Sax was saying goodbye, I truly felt it. I feel that Sax and I are very similar as people - we are both very emotions-based, which is why I think I am so easily able to relate to the language he uses here. My favorite line from the poem was when Sax said, “i’m beguiled by & guided by goodbyes : meaning go ye with god : meaning ghost-flushed & godless : meaning guided by some guy away.”

     Overall, I don’t know whether to agree or disagree with this poem. On one hand, I completely understand Sax’s arguments here, but at the same time, I don’t know what to think because all I know is modern-day life in modern-day cities, most of which are, unfortunately, not environmentally friendly. However, I think that this poem can inspire change, which, if enacted, can allow cities to exist and not be environmentally taxing.

Poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/148391/so-long-farewell-auf-wiedersehen-goodbye



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