Tethered By Trisa Suhrr

Tethered Analysis “Tethered” by Trisha Suhr, published in 2013 Voices Literary and Visual Arts Magazine Volume 36. When initially reading this written work it can be easily assumed that this is simply a poem about wanting to travel as you please. Written in a first person point of view, the author takes the reader through a series of emotional highs and lows while speaking of the need to walk down “the road.” Suhr seems to be setting a tone of being trapped and regretting an opportunity not taken. This analysis will be exploring why “the road” symbolizes freedom and why not traveling this road leaves one feeling trapped with no hope for escape. Suhr quickly sets the theme of her work in the human condition when in the first stanza she writes:
“My eyes stray to the horizon. My mind sharpens with curiosity, wondering what lies beyond” this statement does not really leave much room for multiple interpretations. The person sees a distant place that they have not been to and that sparks the need to go and explore. Why is there a need to answer? Why is our curiosity so dear to us? This poem makes a small but what seems to be a very direct comparison of sharpening the mind using curiosity much in same way that you would sharpen a knife with a whetstone. By never stopping asking questions we remain curious and that curiosity lends us to answer which in turn lends to more questions. This never ending cycle keeps the mind “sharp”, which we often associate with being
In the third stanza Suhr uses a great amount of imagery and symbolism to create the tone of being “tethered” in this work. With statements such as: “I strain against the things that hold me here” and refers to those “things” as being responsibilities, commitments, and even love. She also uses imagery like: “coiling its tendrils around my ankles...”, and” rooting me in place” to paint a picture of being held in a single spot, unable to move. Why would responsibility, commitment, and love be seen as a restrain and almost negative force? Since this poem was written within the last few years, we can look at the views of the current culture for answers. Many of this current young adult generation are continuously wired into the internet world. Its in that world that some seek escape using virtual games and stories, while at the same time feeling the need to constantly check and update their Facebook status. If you ask some of these people if they are tired of always keeping others informed and staying informed, they would give some form of yes in response. But at the same time there is a dread that is they do not then their whole life will fall apart. I believe this is part of what Suhr is trying to express through her