"Cousins" by Kevin Young

The style/syntax of the poem is particular in the sense that is in chronological order. It begins in his early childhood, with memories of his cousins learning how to ride a bike and time spent as a family. As the poem progresses though, so does time and the speaker appears to grow up, now looking at girls (only to realize that he’s related to them) and now questioning the nature of everything, feeling sadness for the world. The tone of this poem by Kevin Young is tied to the loving nature of his relationship with his family, his cousins in particular. That connection reveals a loving and caring tone throughout a majority of the poem. The death of his cousin’s suicide is the mark for the shift in tone in the poem. It is a different type of longing, longing for very different things that mark this shift in tone. Words like “aching” and “sunless” make the sadness ring in the reader’s ears as they realize what has happened with his cousin. From this point on, the diction is much more morose in the most subtle of ways with the use of “regret” , “buzzes”, and “pressing.” Even the mistaking a cousin for a hot girl didn’t feel the same anymore. The organization of the poem, too, contributes to this tone. After the first stanza, the last line of each stanza is comprised of a fragment. This shows the hesitation in the speaker’s actions and is even more evident after his cousin’s, Keith’s, suicide. Towards the end of the poem, however, he does state “I am cousin” which I think links back to that connection he felt with his cousins. This is what I took as the theme of the poem. That even though stuff happens, and it will, that family is always there.

I think I chose this poem because of the connection I have with my cousins, particularly on my mom’s side of the family. There’s thirteen of us, the oldest being almost 21 and the youngest being 1. And even though I’ve moved around a lot and haven’t seen most of them for at least a couple of years, I maintain that strong connection with them because they are my family and they are my cousins and am incredibly grateful for them.