Joyce Sutphen

How to Listen by Joyce Sutphen

Tilt your head slightly to one side and lift

your eyebrows expectantly. Ask questions.

 Delve into the subject at hand or let

things come randomly. Don't expect answers.

 Forget everything you've ever done.

Make no comparisons. Simply listen.

Listen with your eyes, as if the story

you are hearing is happening right now.

Listen without blinking, as if a move

might frighten the truth away forever.

Don't attempt to copy anything down.

Don't bring a camera or a recorder.

This is your chance to listen carefully.

 Your whole life might depend on what you hear.

            On the surface this poem serves as an instructional manual on how to listen, as clearly shown in the title. Beginning with physical instructions on how one should position oneself when listening, Sutphen makes the poem both accessible and intriguing to the reader. The following six stanzas continue explaining how to properly listen, but Sutphen also creates a commentary on modern day society. Sutphen writes “Don’t attempt to copy anything down. Don’t bring a camera or a recorder”. Personally, I interpret this line as a criticism of human obsession over material possessions. By including this line in her poetry, it seems as though Sutphen desires to emphasize the importance of interpersonal connection. I wholeheartedly agree that as people, we should focus more on our relationships with others and their backgrounds, rather than being concerned about ourselves. The line, “Forget everything you've ever done. Make no comparisons. Simply listen.” alludes to the moment that we have all experienced at one time or another when you or the person talking to you keeps talking about themselves instead of listening to the other has to say. Sutphen successfully illustrates the importance of attentiveness towards others in her final stanza: “This is your chance to listen carefully. Your whole life might depend on what you hear.” It is impossible to know whether you could be hearing a story, a message, anything that could change your life forever, so one must always be listening.