Okay, well here it is-after (too) much waiting on your part; my apologies.
The first to strike me was the title. It's almost deceiving, really. I like it; it's active, it calls the reader in because it sounds vivaciously full of life; grand.
Keep in mind that this is simply my own interpretation, and that I occasionally get a little overzealous with interpreting. :D
Onto the piece itself. It's funny that you start by separating yourself from what many might perceive as the true adventurers. Even before you say "But I" we have figured out that you're not part of that bunch, what many might also consider truly living in the foreground. You have set this up in an interesting manner, in layers as a painting that I appreciate greatly. You have relegated the typical fantasies to the background, which is not the focus of a painting or much of anything, despite how pretty it may be. The people off searching are in the background, chasing their dreams. It's usually such a celebrated thing, but you have chosen to point out that horizons are simply the opposite of where you are-to you, they are in the background while you lose yourself in what is immediately at hand, in reality. You have drawn a line in the sand here; your title combined with the layering of the poem show us that.
However, this piece also seems to contain a very stark dichotomous nature, suggesting that not all is beautiful in the foreground, or perhaps that it is not all pleasantries but it is at least all real-here and now. This is shown through some of your diction in the second stanza as well as the last. "Drag" and "Chafe and cling close" as well as "jumbled" and "bruised" and "limped" etc . . . show this quite clearly. These are harsh words to suit what is at times an inhospitable reality that can truly erase your dreams, as you have stated at the end of this poem.
Thankfully you are living in the foreground and that is your delight, your choice. It is perfectly within reach, and you have it.
Even while you have been dragged down by reality, your last sentence contains a sense of romantic peace despite the futility and loss. I think this is definitely my very favorite part. The complaint I have with it though . . . is that you have already made your opinion quite clear in the second stanza. Strictly speaking, the third is clumsy to me because you come right out and state what you've been saying throughout the whole poem with your diction. I appreciate subtle things, and here you get rid of what you worked very hard at through the first two sections. I am glad you included it, though. :) It's solid, despite the initial direct reference. The rest makes up for it.
Onto the technical bits. Your poem is very cohesive. You have chosen to isolate certain phrases purposefully, yet still in keeping with natural speech patterns and tone, for instance "But I-" and "Here,/Now." as well as "to stoop close," etc. Similar sounds and structures hold the lines together very nicely, as in "strive," "dream driven," "horizon," "lies," and "there" and "those". These small things each contribute a little bit without overwhelming the poem or making themselves too obvious, and thereby terribly awkward. This continues throughout the entire poem: "Chafe and cling close," "drag me down," "shifting sands," "erased by every wave," "jumbled underfoot." It's very easy on the reader, and as such makes the entire thing flow very well despite the lack of any distinguishable metric pattern. Alliteration, consonance and assonance are all present in this poem, and it's one of the few poems I've seen on here that use them all very effectively.
Your poem as a whole through the first two stanzas has an almost relentless feel to it. You divide it nicely with ceasura using commas and other punctuation to halt the reader a bit and guide their pace, but after a while it starts to take its toll. You even use ceasura simply through enjambment in the first three to four lines, because you know the reader cannot go back lines that quickly to read straight through, and so instead of rushing the reader through the first lines, you make them halt and emphasize those lines. I think that without this usage, your poem would suffer greatly from too many commas and a very halting, irritating pace.
Your second stanza is especially close to this. I really don't know a better word for it; it's relentless. Perhaps this was your intent. It matches your "again and again" and the suffering. The second stanza is where the imagery and symbolism really come out and make themselves known, as well as your relish for the challenge of reality. My favorite would definitely have to be the "jeweled obstacle." It's the strongest in terms of presence and stands for something definitively solid, makes sure the reader understands exactly what you're talking about. This is not just a walk on the beach. I also love the contradiction; it makes perfect sense given your viewpoint, and it is unique.
All in all, it's tough to critique a poem like this. Nothing in particular stands out immensely. It's not in iambic pentameter, dactyls or trochees. Everything is woven together into one tightly knight poem that depends on every thing used to further itself, but it doesn't blow me away. Everything here is definitely solid, and I congratulate you on making this poem. I apologize if my review was a bit scattered and not quite as thorough as you would have appreciated in regard to techniques used, but it's been a while since I've reviewed. :) Thanks again for entering; we hope you come back with another standout piece. I hope my rating does not disturb you, but I tend to rate a bit lower than most. Just because one has nothing explicitly bad to say does not mean the writer gets a five. :p Sometimes the reviewer themself is just not adequate for the task. I will say that this was one of my favorites because it deals with what we all must deal with: dealing with reality and learning to love it. Once again, thanks for the great submission! :D
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