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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained


Tony Hoagland's "Reasons to Survive November" is a compelling exploration of resilience, defiance, and the pursuit of joy amidst the bleakness of life's challenges. Through vivid imagery and raw emotion, Hoagland crafts a narrative that celebrates the act of living with determination and a fierce sense of survival.

The poem opens with a powerful simile: "November like a train wreck— / as if a locomotive made of cold / had hurtled out of Canada / and crashed into a million trees." This image sets the tone for November, a month characterized by harshness and destruction, where the coldness of the season seems to violently disrupt the natural world. The description of the aftermath—"flaming the leaves, setting the woods on fire"—conveys both the physical impact and the emotional turmoil that accompanies this time of year.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere—"The sky is a thick, cold gauze"—the speaker finds solace in small pleasures and distractions. The mention of a "soup special at the Waffle House downtown" and the "Jack Parsons show... full of luminous red barns" illustrates how mundane yet comforting activities and art can provide respite from the gloom. These details ground the speaker in the present, offering tangible reasons to keep moving forward.

The speaker's consideration of visiting "beautiful Donna, / the kickboxing queen from Santa Fe," and "roll[ing] around in her foldout bed" introduces a sense of vitality and intimacy. This potential encounter symbolizes a personal connection that counters the isolation and despair that November might otherwise bring.

Hoagland then addresses the expectations of others: "I know there are some people out there / who think I am supposed to end up / in a room by myself / with a gun and a bottle full of hate." This stark imagery of self-destruction highlights the weight of societal and personal pressures that push individuals toward despair. However, the speaker's response is one of defiance: "But I hate those people back / from the core of my donkey soul / and the hatred makes me strong." The metaphor of a "donkey soul" suggests stubbornness and tenacity, reinforcing the speaker's determination to survive.

The speaker's hatred becomes a source of strength, transforming into a will to live and find happiness. "My survival is their failure, / and my happiness would kill them" encapsulates the idea that thriving in the face of adversity is a form of resistance. This defiance is vividly expressed in the lines, "I shove joy like a knife / into my own heart over and over / and I force myself toward pleasure." Here, joy and pleasure are not passive experiences but active pursuits, weapons against despair.

The final stanza brings the poem full circle, returning to the metaphor of a train: "I love this November life / where I run like a train / deeper and deeper / into the land of my enemies." The speaker's journey through November is portrayed as an unstoppable force, a determined push forward into the challenges and adversities that lie ahead. This image of relentless movement underscores the speaker's resilience and refusal to be defeated by the bleakness of the season or the expectations of others.

In "Reasons to Survive November," Tony Hoagland masterfully blends vivid imagery with emotional depth, creating a powerful narrative of survival and defiance. The poem celebrates the act of living with purpose and joy, even in the face of overwhelming challenges. Through the speaker's determination to find pleasure and resist despair, Hoagland offers a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring pursuit of happiness.


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