This blackout poem is based on the play “Death of a Salesman”, written by Arthur Miller. This poem follows a dysfunctional family, who are struggling to make ends meet, while dealing with their own personal problems..
“Death of a Salesman” (DOAS) takes place in New York, in the late 1940s. It features Willy Loman as it’s main protagonist. Willy Loman is a failing salesman in his 60s, who’s struggling to make ends meet financially. Willy lives with his wife Linda, who is very supportive and loving of him. Willy’s two sons Happy and Biff are visiting, Willy has high expectations for his sons, which they are not meeting. Happy has a job and his own apartment, but Biff changes jobs often and does not make much money. This creates an unhealthy relationship between Biff and Willy. Willy is also struggling with his mental health, as he talks to himself often and shows signs of Alzheimer’s.
DOAS is a drama, with the sub-category of tragedy, it carries many characteristics of a tragedy. The noble hero (Willy Loman) goes through a great downfall. Willy used to be a successful salesman, with sons who had a promising future. Unfortunately, as he grew older, his sales skills deteriorated, and now he is no longer making enough money to provide for his family.
Willy’s sense of pride limits him from achieving success, when Willy’s neighbour offered him a much-needed job, Willy’s pride forced him to decline the offer.
Also, Willy made a grave mistake of having an affair with another woman. This added to his mental instability, as it constantly haunts him. It also left a lasting negative impact on Biff, who caught him having the affair. In the end, Willy goes through a revelation, when he realizes that Biff really did care for him and love him, after which he commits suicide so his family could get a sum of money from his life insurance. All of these factors make DOAS a tragedy.
The blackout poem describes Willy’s suicide. It is described through the point of view of Linda. It shows that “it was dark” (1). When Linda heard Willy speeding off in his car she knew “something [was] wrong” (4). The blackout poem also utilizes imagery to portray symbols from the play. The first line is in the shape of a 1928 Chevy. This was Willy’s former car, which he reminisces about often. The second line, is in the shape of a suitcase, this is to symbolize Willy’s profession. The third line is in the shape of a tombstone, which is to symbolizes Willy’s death, and the last line is in the shape of a pen. This is to symbolize the pen that Biff stole from his former boss, Bill Oliver. It also more deeply symbolizes Willy raising his sons poorly, as he encouraged them to steal.
This blackout poem, describes the suicide of Willy Loman, from the tragic play, “Death of a Salesman”.