Give Me Mo' Po

The "Po River", by E. Zwingle was a charismatically written piece, filled with spirited analogies and colorful, meaningful descriptions for the reader. Right away the lead catches your interest, a man knowing a river better than he knows his wife? This is clearly a serious love affair, and I want to know more of the intimate details. Zwingle describes the "languages" of the Po, using descriptive sensory language that already begins to give me a feel of the curvy, windy body of water they call the Po. Straight from the start Zwingle makes great use of personal quotes, as Mario describes the cost of the Po as costing, "an eye from your head", clearly this love affair comes with a heavy toll. Zwingle goes on to provide an informed and interesting contrast perspective though, telling us what Po has done to man to explain the fear that it instills in many people, but also represents the Po by telling us what man has done to the Po. Zwingle's physical descriptions are full-bodied and make me feel as though I can visualize exactly who she's talking about. When she explains Mario Moretti and his physical appearance, combined with his own quote on the on the rigor of his taxing work on the Po, I'm able to paint a picture for myself.

Zwingle goes on to picturesquely describe Mario's fishing style, combining it again with a personal quote from Moretti, Zwingle not only provides information about the law of the land but also about its' culture. As she moves on to her next portrait of a person, Carolina Marisa Occari, she again combines anecdote with factual information, as she interjects a story about greek mythology as it pertains to the Po. While describing Carolina's work she also gives us a vision of the Po by telling us, "The Po doesn't call for many colors, but it does call for shapes and volumes". I felt that this was incredibly telling about the landscape of the Po, it gives us the sense that its' beauty may not be seen right away, through its shades of grey, but when you look more closely at the winds and bends of the river the true beauty lies beneath.

The article goes on in a similar fashion combining rich personal anecdotes combined with interesting factual information, I for one did not realize that Italy is Europe's leading rice producer. These kinds of facts and the way Zwingle weaves them into the rest of the story like make them equally applicable and interesting to the reader. As the article comes to a close Zwingle gives us her own perspective, describing the sight as, "clean, muscular, intrepid", this type of personification of the river tells us just how intimate the relationship is between the people and the Po, whether you are a lover or a hater of its milky, grey waters its power is undeniable.