Weblog 12: Need a body cry?

J.D Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, if not one of the most controversial books ever written, was definitely one of the best books ever written. His timeless tale of Houlden Caulfield and Houlden's unforgettable journey through New York City is a memory that will live in the hearts and minds of a generation forever. However, unexpected of most readers, Salinger's tale did not come through sheer imagination alone. His inspiration for the novel came from a poem, with its own story and meaning as well. The poem is called Comin Thro' the Rye, and it is written by Robert Burns. It tells the tale of "Jenny," as she hopelessly tries to navigate through a rye field in order to meet a special “body” within, while dragging at her petticoat. Like most poems, this poem is deeper than just the initial story it tells. For example, although in the chorus it gives the mere exposition of Jenney’s story, later on in the poem the poem elaborates more on what kind of a person Jenny is, and her possible desires in life. Jenny is described to be “wet,” and only seldom dry. Also, the fact that she is meeting a body within a rye field also reveals more on Jenny’s promiscuous character, and possible melancholy emotional state. Not only that however, but her passage through the rye is not only descriptive, but symbolic as well. The rye in the poem symbolizes an ordeal in Jenny’s life. She is permiscous and wants to find love in her “rye” or world by meeting different men(bodies), yet she is afraid of the heartbreak and pain that ensues from it (need a body cry). The narrator also states whether people should care if Jenny lives a promiscuous life or not by stating “need the warld ken.”