Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's poem "The Waking Father" is a poignant exploration of memory, mortality, and the complex relationship between a father and son. The poem interweaves images of a shared fishing experience with deeper, more introspective reflections on life, death, and the legacy left by a father. Through its vivid imagery and contemplative tone, the poem delves into themes of loss, reverence, and the ways in which memories of a father can shape one's understanding of the world.

The poem begins with a simple, almost pastoral scene: "My father and I are catching spricklies / Out of the Oona river." The act of fishing together creates a sense of connection and shared experience between father and son. The word "spricklies," likely a colloquial term for small fish, adds a touch of regional specificity, grounding the poem in a particular place and time.

The next lines—"They have us feeling righteous, / The way we have thrown them back"—introduce a sense of moral reflection. The act of catching and then releasing the fish gives the speaker and his father a feeling of benevolence, as if they are engaging in a righteous or virtuous act. This gesture of release can be seen as symbolic of a broader understanding of life, where actions are guided by a sense of ethical responsibility.

However, as the poem progresses, this idyllic scene gives way to more troubling thoughts. When the father stands "out in the shallows," the speaker imagines the spricklies as "piranhas" and the river as a "red carpet / Rolling out from where he had just stood." This sudden shift in imagery introduces a sense of danger and violence, suggesting the underlying fears and anxieties that the speaker harbors about his father's mortality. The red carpet, often associated with royalty or significant events, here becomes a symbol of blood, hinting at the idea of death or injury.

The speaker then wonders, "if he is dead or sleeping," reflecting the uncertainty and ambiguity that often accompanies thoughts of a loved one's mortality. This line blurs the line between life and death, sleep and eternal rest, highlighting the speaker's anxiety and the deep emotional connection to his father. The possibility of his father's death leads the speaker to imagine an elaborate, almost mythic burial: "I would have his grave / Secret and safe, / I would turn the river out of its course, / Lay him in its bed, bring it round again."

This vision of altering the course of the river to create a hidden, sacred resting place for the father underscores the speaker's desire to protect and honor his father even after death. The river, a symbol of life's continuous flow, is envisioned as both a grave and a means of preserving his father's legacy. The idea of "turning the river out of its course" suggests a willingness to defy nature, to rewrite the natural order in service of preserving the memory and dignity of the father.

The final lines of the poem—"No one would question / That he had treasures or his being a king, / Telling now of the real fish farther down"—further elevate the father to a regal, almost legendary status. The speaker imagines that, in death, his father would be recognized as a figure of great importance, with "treasures" and the status of a "king." The "real fish farther down" could symbolize deeper truths or more significant achievements that the speaker believes his father possesses, but which may not have been fully recognized in life.

In "The Waking Father," Muldoon uses the metaphor of fishing and the imagery of the river to explore the profound connection between father and son, as well as the ways in which memories of a father can influence one's perception of life and death. The poem captures the mix of reverence, fear, and love that defines this relationship, and it reflects on the lengths to which one might go to honor and preserve the legacy of a loved one. Through its rich language and layered symbolism, the poem offers a deeply moving meditation on the enduring impact of a father's presence in the life of his child.

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