Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Galway Kinnell's "The Poem" is an intricate meditation on the nature of poetry, memory, and the passage of time. Through a series of vivid images and reflective musings, Kinnell explores how poems serve as palimpsests—layers upon layers of history, emotion, and meaning etched onto the canvas of human experience.

The opening lines place the reader on a hill where "the last birds" cross, symbolizing the end of a cycle and the onset of reflection. The image of soil covering rocks with green parallels the idea of poems covering the rawness of life with meaning. Just as a face can "drift on the skull scratched with glaciers," a poem overlays the harsh realities of existence with the softer touches of language and interpretation. The poem, described as "a kind of palimpsest, streaked with erasures, smelling of departure and burnt stone," encapsulates the sense of something ancient and weathered, marked by the passage of time and the accumulation of human experiences.

In the second stanza, Kinnell introduces a gust of wind blowing through oaks that "don't give up their dead leaves." This resistance to letting go echoes the themes of memory and persistence. The sudden appearance of the full moon illuminates the scene, revealing the "trees' graves" at their feet, a poignant reminder of the cyclical nature of life and death. The "leaf-shaped tongue of the newborn and the dying rattles / and no one interprets it," suggesting the ineffable nature of certain experiences and the limitations of language.

The third stanza raises questions about lost texts and forgotten stories, from the "Apocalypse of Lamech" to Li Po's small poems folded into boats and launched on the river. This litany of lost works underscores the transitory nature of human creations and the perpetual search for meaning and connection. The question "Where are all the snows that sank in these graves?" evokes the fleeting nature of existence and the layers of history that lie buried, often overlooked.

As daybreak arrives in the fourth stanza, the tone shifts to one of resigned acceptance. The imagery of a bonfire kindled on a "hill of despair" that lights the sky, even as people throw themselves into it, highlights the paradox of self-destruction in the pursuit of illumination and meaning. The light of the bonfire, both destructive and enlightening, mirrors the dual nature of human endeavors.

The fifth stanza is a somber reflection on violence and loss, with fields littered with bones—fistbones, funnybones, wishbones, and more—each symbolizing different aspects of human conflict and aspiration. Despite the desolation, there is a glimmer of hope as the search for the "wild hummingbird" continues, representing the enduring quest for beauty and transcendence amid the ruins.

In the sixth stanza, Kinnell introduces the letter C, appearing on a branch at the tip of an icicle. This image of a letter trembling between dropping and clinging encapsulates the precarious nature of creation and meaning. The "roman carapace" that glitters on the icicle suggests the historical weight and fragility of cultural artifacts.

The seventh stanza juxtaposes the industrial with the spiritual, as pine logs are chainsawed for pulp in the snowfields, while beneath the screams, the "gold smile of the Buddha spills itself out again." This contrast highlights the persistent presence of enlightenment and serenity even amid destruction and chaos.

Kinnell continues to weave together disparate images in the eighth stanza, creating a tapestry of language and symbols. From the fern-leaf binding "utter" to "illume" to the hound pursuing his mate in trochaic dimeter, the stanza captures the fluid and dynamic nature of poetic creation. The image of "last-year's-snows" serves as a metaphor for the remnants of past experiences and emotions, still present and influential.

The poem concludes with a reflection on the weight of memory and the passage of time. In the ninth stanza, the "babybirds closed in dark wings" and the objects on the page growing heavy suggest a moment of stillness and contemplation. The hand performing the "surgery of the funeral" symbolizes the poet's role in shaping and preserving memory through language.

The final lines return to a personal memory, asking where "The Onions" seen on a grocery shelf in 1948 have gone, blending the mundane with the profound. The onomatopoeic "brong ding plang ching" of a spike knocked on a locust post evokes the sounds of the past, linking them to the present moment of reflection.

"The Poem" by Galway Kinnell is a richly layered exploration of poetry, memory, and the human condition. Through its intricate imagery and contemplative tone, the poem invites readers to consider the enduring impact of language and the ways in which poems serve as repositories of human experience, bridging the past and the present.

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