Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Exile's Return" by Robert Lowell vividly portrays a war-torn European city, possibly symbolizing the aftermath of World War II. The poem explores themes of destruction, loss, and the slow process of recovery, using rich imagery and reflective tone.

The poem opens with a description of a desolate scene, where "a sort of rusty mire" mounts in squalls, neither ice nor snow, but a grim substance that "leaguers" the Hôtel de Ville. The use of "leaguer" suggests a siege, emphasizing the city's battered state. The "braced pig-iron dragons," likely ornamental figures on the building, are depicted as gripping the blizzard in a death-like rigidity, described as "rigor mortis." This metaphor underscores the lifelessness that has settled over the city.

The scene is further set with the sound of a "bell / Grumbles when the reverberations strip / The thatching from its spire." This auditory imagery conveys a sense of decay and the loss of structural integrity, reflecting the broader devastation. The mention of "search-guns" clicking, spitting, and splitting up timber, alongside the damage to the "slate roofs on the Holstenwall," evokes the violence of war that has scarred the city. The "torn-up tilestones" crowning the victor hint at the destruction left in the wake of conflict, regardless of the winner.

The poem then moves to a more personal note, describing an "ancestral house" that stands gray and sorry. The image of a "dynamited walnut tree" casting a shadow over a "squat, old, wind-torn gate" creates a powerful visual of destruction and the passage of time. The "Yankee commandant" suggests an occupying force, possibly American, overseeing the defeated area. The absence of "strutting children" and familiar figures, such as the "peg-leg and reproachful chancellor," indicates a significant disruption to daily life and the absence of former authorities or recognizable societal figures.

As the poem progresses, it shifts from the desolate present to signs of renewal. While the "unseasoned liberators" enter the Market Square, the narrative acknowledges the budding signs of rebirth: "already lily-stands / Burgeon the risen Rhineland." The emergence of lilies symbolizes hope and new beginnings amidst the ruins. Similarly, a "rough Cathedral lifts its eye," suggesting the resurgence of spiritual and communal life. The phrase "Pleasant enough, / Voi ch’entrate, and your life is in your hands" serves as a poignant conclusion, referencing Dante's "Inferno" ("Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"), but with a twist. Here, it implies that despite the challenges and destruction, there is a choice and responsibility to shape one's destiny.

"The Exile's Return" captures the duality of post-war recovery—the persistent scars of violence and the hopeful signs of renewal. Through its detailed and evocative language, the poem reflects on the deep impact of war on both the physical environment and the social fabric of a community. It highlights the resilience required to rebuild and the cautious optimism that accompanies the first signs of regeneration.

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