Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's poem "Tell" is a layered exploration of memory, violence, and the complexities of father-son relationships, set against the backdrop of a rural and possibly historical context. The poem's title, "Tell," hints at the act of revealing or disclosing something, and as the poem unfolds, it becomes clear that what is being revealed is a moment of tension and unspoken communication between the speaker and his father.

The poem opens with a vivid sensory detail: "He opens the scullery door, and a sudden rush / of wind, as raw as raw, / brushes past him." This immediate immersion into a cold, harsh environment sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The wind, described as "raw," suggests an atmosphere that is unforgiving and perhaps dangerous, a foreshadowing of the emotional and physical tensions to come.

As the speaker moves past the "stacks of straw," the poem shifts into a realm of imagination or memory. The straw, which once represented "Crow / or Comanche tepees hung with scalps," now takes on a different significance, becoming "the foothills of the Alps." This transformation of the straw into different symbolic landscapes suggests the fluidity of memory and the way in which the mind reinterprets objects and scenes over time. The reference to Crows and Comanches, both associated with Native American history and warfare, introduces a theme of violence that permeates the poem. The Alps, a symbol of both beauty and danger, further emphasizes the dual nature of the scene—simultaneously pastoral and threatening.

The second stanza brings the reader into the "peeling-shed," where a group of men, "almost a score / of red-cheeked men who pare / and core / the red-cheeked apples," are engaged in a communal labor. The repetition of "red-cheeked" links the men to the apples, suggesting a deep connection to the land and their work. However, this bucolic scene is disrupted by one of the men muttering about "bloodshed" and the "peelers." The term "peelers," a colloquial term for police, especially in Ireland, introduces a historical and political dimension, hinting at unrest or conflict.

The atmosphere of the poem shifts as the red-cheeked men "put down their knives / at one and the same / moment." This synchronized action suggests a moment of collective tension, as if the men are responding to an unseen cue or threat. All but the speaker's father put down their knives. The father, however, "somehow connives / to close one eye as if taking aim / or holding back a tear." This ambiguous gesture—both aggressive and sorrowful—captures the complexity of the father's character. The act of closing one eye "as if taking aim" recalls the earlier imagery of violence, while the possibility of holding back a tear suggests a deeper emotional undercurrent.

The father then "shoots him a glance / he might take, as it whizzes past his ear, / for a Crow, or a Comanche, lance." The comparison of the father's glance to a lance thrown by a Crow or Comanche warrior underscores the poem's themes of threat and conflict. The glance is a form of communication, sharp and direct, that carries the weight of unspoken words. The father's glance is both a warning and a message, laden with the history and tension of their relationship.

The poem concludes with the sound of an apple splitting "above his head," a startling and final image that leaves the reader in suspense. The split apple could symbolize a moment of realization or a break in the relationship, echoing the earlier references to violence and division. The Tilley lamp, a traditional source of light, casts a dim glow over the scene, suggesting that much remains hidden or obscured in the darkness of the peeling-shed and in the layers of memory and meaning.

In "Tell," Muldoon masterfully intertwines imagery, memory, and emotion to explore the complexities of familial relationships, the echoes of violence, and the ways in which we interpret and misinterpret the actions and signals of those around us. The poem's rich symbolism and careful construction invite the reader to consider the ways in which the past informs the present, and how moments of tension can reveal deep and lasting truths about the people we are closest to.

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