"Jazz Chick " By Bob Kaufman

In the Bob Kaufman’s, “Jazz Chick,” we are introduced to the poet whom is intrigued by a woman’s “ jazzy,“ presence. Kaufman’s poem is very sensual. His use of language is very rich and alive. The poem has it’s own cool, sweet jazzy rhythm to it as you read it. Kaufman is captivated by this woman’s essence .

For example, Kaufman uses many descriptive words to paint the imagery in our minds. “Music from her breast, vibrating ,Sound seared into burnished velvet. Silent hips deceiving fools,” is how the poem starts out. Automatically you get the image of a woman with a presence so strong that emanates through everyone in the room. As the reader, I also get the image of a woman so beautiful that not one person can miss how beautiful she is. From the line about her silent hips deceiving fools, I get that from her body structure the men are turned into fools. They probably can’t help but stare at such beauty and don’t know how to behave themselves.

“Rivulets of trickling ecstasy ,From the alabaster pools of Jazz ,Where music cools
hot souls. Eyes more articulately silent, Than Medusa's thousand tongues.” From these lines I get the image of beautiful soulful jazz music fills the nightclub where everyone is and the music cools down the hormones that are raging throughout the club. Eyes throughout the nightclub are “articulately silent, than medusas thousand tongues.” Here I feel Kaufman is saying that all the eyes in the nightclub are finding the ways to flirt or talk seductively without using words. The comparison to Medusa’s thousand tongues means that the eyes in their “silence,” are louder than any verbalizing could try to accomplish. “A bridge of eyes, consenting smiles reveal her presence singing Of cool remembrance, happy balls Wrapped in swinging Jazz Her music...Jazz.” I feel here the speaker is saying a connection of eyes and approving stares, like men liking what they see in this woman he speaks about reminds them of something comfortable or common, something sweet or close to home. The woman which he speaks about has a jubilant, wholesome, happy spirit and he describes her spirit or her essence as her music, ”Jazz.” therefore being the “ Jazz Chick.”