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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Shore Leave" by Lynda Hull is a poignant narrative poem that captures a fleeting moment between a father and daughter, weaving together themes of youth, adventure, and the elusive pursuit of happiness against the backdrop of post-war America. Through vivid imagery and detailed scenes, Hull paints a portrait of a complex relationship, imbued with the excitement of a day's escapade and the undercurrents of longing and impermanence. The poem begins with the daughter dressed in a sailor suit, a symbol of innocence and connection to her father's maritime life. The image of the "Cadillac's fabulous fins" and the father as a "mirage" reflected in the showroom window introduces a theme of illusion and desire—the allure of the American dream as symbolized by the luxury automobile, and the father's elusive presence, obscured behind the camera. This scene sets the stage for an adventure that is as much about the pursuit of joy as it is about the attempt to capture and preserve a moment of connection. The test-drive in the Cadillac Coupe de Ville becomes a metaphor for the father's attempt to escape the confines of ordinary life, with the "fishtailing down dump-truck paths" and the "Jersey Meadows smoldering with trash fires" contrasting sharply with the initial glamor of the car showroom. The father's shout of "Maybelline why can't you be true" echoes Chuck Berry's music, blending pop culture with personal narrative, and further underscoring the theme of seeking truth and authenticity in a world of facades. As they speed through the landscape, the daughter is caught up in the thrill of the moment, her "heart's relentless tide" mirroring the natural and emotional landscapes they navigate. The father's promises of future adventures and the invocation of exotic locales underscore his role as the purveyor of dreams and stories, even as the reality of their lives—marked by the "gaping Frigidaires" and "rusted hulks of cranes"—suggests a more grounded and perhaps grim existence. The poem subtly shifts to a darker tone as the day progresses. The scene in the cocktail bar, where the father dances with the barmaid, leaving the daughter to her fantasies and paper umbrella, highlights the growing distance between them. The father's absorption in the moment, his forgetting of the daughter, and the barmaid's slow dance become symbols of adult desires and disappointments, contrasting with the daughter's youthful innocence and her dreams of "roses" and light. "Shore Leave" ultimately reflects on the complexities of parent-child relationships, the bittersweet nature of growing up, and the human longing for connection and escapade. Hull masterfully uses the narrative to explore the intersections of personal and cultural narratives, the tension between reality and aspiration, and the moments of beauty and disillusionment that mark the passage from childhood to adulthood. The poem closes on a note of defiance and resilience, with the daughter spinning in light, a symbol of her own emerging identity and desire to transcend the limitations of her circumstances.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AFTER DISAPPOINTMENT by MARK JARMAN DRESSING MY DAUGHTERS by MARK JARMAN READING ALOUD TO MY FATHER by JANE KENYON NOT BAD, DAD, NOT BAD' by JAN HELLER LEVI A WOMAN WAKING by PHILIP LEVINE MYRRHA TO THE SOURCE by HEATHER MCHUGH MY FATHER'S DIARY (2) by SHARON OLDS THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 71. THE CHOICE (1) by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI |
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