Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Naomi Shihab Nye’s "Haunted" is an elegiac meditation on memory, absence, and the indelible presence of the departed. Through a series of searching images, the poem conveys a longing for a lost loved one, whose presence lingers in the physical world and within the speaker’s consciousness. It explores the paradox of grief—how someone can be gone yet remain intimately woven into the fabric of daily life.

The poem opens with a direct statement of intent: “We are looking for your laugh.” This line immediately sets the tone of longing and loss. The past is not merely remembered; it is actively sought, as though it might be recovered if one retraces certain paths. The search leads through the natural world, where “drooping trees” and “bamboo” evoke both beauty and melancholy. The imagery of “rustle / under bamboo” and “brush of fig leaves” suggests a delicate, fleeting presence—a ghostly touch that hints at but never fully materializes.

The physicality of memory continues with the mention of the porch, lantana blossoms, and buttonholes. These details ground the poem in the tangible world, evoking a person whose existence was deeply felt in small, everyday gestures. The raised face “at both sides of a day” suggests a presence that framed the speaker’s experience, appearing at morning and evening, as though still shaping the rhythms of life.

The middle of the poem introduces a more reflective tone, questioning how the lost one “lived around / the edge of everything we did.” This phrasing captures the way the deceased often exist in the periphery of memory, not directly in the center of action but always hovering at the margins. The contrast between “seasons of ailing & growing” highlights the cyclical nature of life—illness and renewal, decline and rebirth—against which the departed’s influence remains constant. The mention of “mountains of laundry & mail” brings in the weight of the mundane, the everyday tasks that continue even in the absence of the loved one.

The final section deepens the sense of personal grief, as the speaker turns inward: “I am looking for you first & last / in the dark places.” The “dark places” suggest moments of solitude, reflection, and perhaps despair, when the loss is most acutely felt. The speaker turns “away / from headlines at dawn”—perhaps indicating the overwhelming and impersonal nature of world events in contrast to the deeply personal weight of loss. The phrase “dropping the rolled news to the floor” carries a sense of resignation, as if the outside world has become too much to bear.

In the closing lines, the poem offers a resolution of sorts, acknowledging the lasting impact of care. “Your rumble of calm / poured into me.” The phrase suggests that the loved one’s presence continues to shape the speaker, offering comfort even in absence. The “saving grace / of care” points to the enduring legacy of love, a force that outlives the physical presence of the beloved. The final image—“the watching / and being watched / from every corner of the yard”—suggests a reciprocal relationship between the living and the dead, as though the presence of the departed remains in the familiar spaces of home.

"Haunted" is a quiet yet powerful exploration of loss, suffused with the natural imagery that often characterizes Nye’s work. The poem does not attempt to resolve grief but instead honors the way memory persists in the everyday—the way the departed linger in landscapes, habits, and small details. It affirms that love and care do not disappear with death; they remain, shaping the ones left behind.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...