Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Hollander's "An Old-Fashioned Song" poignantly explores themes of loss, memory, and the passage of time through its simple yet evocative language. The poem captures the sense of irrevocable change and the bittersweet nature of nostalgia.

The opening line, "No more walks in the wood," immediately establishes a tone of finality and mourning. The repetition of this line underscores the permanence of the loss. The trees, which once stood as symbols of nature's enduring beauty and the backdrop to shared moments of intimacy and connection, have been cut down. This act of deforestation is a powerful metaphor for the end of an era, both in the natural world and in the speaker's personal life.

The imagery of "Low brush is taking over" where the trees once stood suggests a kind of natural reclamation, but also a sense of desolation. The familiar paths are gone, replaced by undistinguished growth, erasing the physical traces of past walks and, symbolically, the memories associated with them.

Hollander then shifts to a more personal reflection: "This is the aftermath / Of afternoons in the clover / Fields where we once made love / Then wandered home together." The mention of clover fields and making love evokes a pastoral idyll, a time of happiness and togetherness that contrasts sharply with the present reality. The phrase "we made our own weather" beautifully captures the sense of creating a personal paradise, a unique world shaped by the lovers' presence and emotions.

However, this paradise is now lost. The trees, which once "arched above," providing a natural canopy and a sense of shelter, are gone. The speaker's companion has also left, "for ill," suggesting a separation that may be due to death or a significant personal rift. The speaker is left as "only a passer-by," a transient figure in a place that no longer holds the same meaning or sense of permanence.

The final stanza reinforces the theme of temporal and emotional endurance: "We and the trees and the way / Back from the fields of play / Lasted as long as we could." This acknowledgment of impermanence highlights the inevitability of change and loss. The repetition of the opening line in the conclusion, "No more walks in the wood," brings the poem full circle, emphasizing the irreversible nature of the transformations that have taken place.

Hollander's use of simple, almost song-like language, complements the poem's theme of an "old-fashioned" or bygone time. The regular rhyme scheme and rhythm evoke the structure of a traditional song, enhancing the nostalgic mood.

"An Old-Fashioned Song" is a deeply moving meditation on the passage of time, the loss of cherished moments and places, and the enduring impact of these losses on the human heart. Through its evocative imagery and poignant reflection, the poem captures the universal experience of mourning the past and the inevitable march of time that alters landscapes both external and internal.

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