It Could Have Been Differently: An Analysis of “Otherwise” by Jane KenyonJane Kenyon, the author of “Otherwise,” once said: “The work of the poet it's to put into words those feelings we all feel that are so deep, so important, yet so difficult to name, to tell the truth in such a beautiful way, that people can't live without them. Jane died a few years after writing this poem, which was published after her death. “Otherwise” is a significant poem that depicts the tender truth about death in a definite yet beautiful way; it also highlights the pleasant normality of life and how everything will change. This poem is basically about being grateful for having the simple and dear things in life and how it could be different. It is in two short verses that underlines how short life is. Jane talks about her “perfect” day throughout the poem by making everyday objects seem special. He repeatedly uses the word “otherwise” to exaggerate the fact that anything could have happened. In her first verse, Jane seems to be describing the beginning of her life. In his second verse, he described his last years of life. First, Jane begins to describe the beginning of her life in the first stanza of the poem. She used the word strong to give a positive connotation to the beginning of her life: “I got out of bed with two strong legs” (1-2). That sentence also shows how the speaker is lucky to have gotten out of bed with strong legs; instead, he could get out of bed without legs. Jane uses these lines to represent her pleasant early years: “I ate/ cereal, sweet/ milk, ripe, flawless/ peach” (5-7). The words “sweet” (5), “mature” (6), and “flawless” (6) give a positive connotation to Jane's early years and a pleasant tone to the poem. Jane uses… half of the paper… This poem has a greater meaning to me as I had a personal connection. Someone close to me was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and it affected me incredibly. The fact that someone I care about could die unexpectedly seems so surreal. Before, I didn't even recognize the fact that anything could happen at any moment in life; I took everything for granted, never savoring the simple pleasures in life that came so easily. After that incident, I began to realize that I might one day be diagnosed with cancer. One day I won't be able to wake up. Anything could happen that day, and it will. But for now I've decided to be happy with what I have, to be happy to have a sense of normality in my life. It may not seem like enough to most people, but to me it is. Works cited Kenyon, Jane. "Otherwise". Poetry 180. 2000. Web. 29 October. 2013.