Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Beach in August" by Weldon Kees presents a stark meditation on the transient nature of life and the inevitability of death. Through a series of vivid and repetitive images, Kees draws a parallel between the cyclical movements of the tide and the ephemeral human existence. The poem’s seemingly mundane setting on a beach becomes a stage for profound reflections on mortality.

The poem begins with a striking and abrupt event: "The day the fat woman / In the bright blue bathing suit / Walked into the water and died." This sudden death sets the tone for the poem, introducing themes of fragility and the unexpectedness of mortality. The speaker's immediate reaction to this event is to ponder the "human / Condition." This abstract contemplation is contrasted with the concrete image of "pieces of old fruit / Came in and were left by the tide." The fruit, left to dry and decay, serves as a metaphor for the human condition—subject to the relentless and indifferent forces of nature.

Kees emphasizes this metaphor by repeating it: "What I thought about the human / Condition was this: old fruit / Comes in and is left, and dries / In the sun." The cyclical process of the fruit coming in with the tide, drying in the sun, and being left behind mirrors the human life cycle. This repetition reinforces the inevitability and repetitiveness of life and death.

The poem continues with another death: "Another fat woman / In a dull green bathing suit / Dives into the water and dies." The mention of the "pulmotors glisten" at noon highlights the mechanical and perhaps futile attempts to revive the dead, underscoring the inevitability of death despite human efforts. The image of the glistening pulmotors at noon suggests a bright, glaring confrontation with mortality in the middle of the day, a time associated with life and activity.

Kees further develops the theme of transience with the line, "We dry and die in the sun / While the seascape arranges old fruit." This image of drying and dying in the sun aligns human life with the natural process of decay, emphasizing the transient and impermanent nature of existence. The seascape, an ever-changing yet constant presence, arranges and re-arranges the fruit, indifferent to the individual fates of those who come to the beach.

The poem concludes with the image of various women at the beach, each engaging with the sea in different ways: "A woman, moderately stout, / In a nondescript bathing suit, / Swims to a pier. A tall woman / Steps toward the sea." These women, each described in terms of their physicality and actions, represent the diversity of human experience. Yet, their presence is fleeting, as they, too, are subject to the tide's relentless rhythm.

The final lines of the poem, "One thinks about the human / Condition. The tide goes in and goes out," bring the reflection full circle. The repetitive motion of the tide, going in and out, serves as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life and death. Despite individual actions and moments, the overarching pattern remains the same—life moves inexorably towards its end.

"The Beach in August" by Weldon Kees uses the beach setting and the repetitive imagery of the tide and old fruit to explore profound themes of mortality and the human condition. The poem’s stark, almost clinical observations highlight the transient nature of life, emphasizing the inevitability of death and the indifferent passage of time. Through its vivid imagery and contemplative tone, the poem invites readers to reflect on their own place within the larger cycle of existence.

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