In Particular

Elena Karina Byrne
2002

Elena Karina Byrne's poem "In Particular" was published in her first poetry collection, The Flammable Bird, in 2002. The poem examines the subconscious, or primitive, mind, a topic that has interested Byrne since childhood when she was exposed to art and visual imagery at an early age through her parents, who were both artists. Through the poem, Byrne tries to convey visually the quality of this primitive mind, which Byrne views as a source of strength for her artistic passions. After establishing the power of this unconscious mind, Byrne examines the effect that this part of the brain has on the conscious mind during a crisis situation when the primitive brain resorts to instinct, reaching a state of awareness before the conscious mind. Through her specific visual imagery, Byrne explores one of these typical emergencies, isolating the "particular" moment that precedes this potential disaster and examining what goes through a person's mind in this moment. Ultimately, Byrne's poem explores the power and resourcefulness of this hidden part of the mind in everyday human experience. A current copy of the poem can be found in The Flammable Bird, which was published in 2002 by Zoo Press.