Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

SONG, by EAVAN BOLAND Poet Analysis Poet's Biography

"Song" by Eavan Boland is a lyrical exploration of desire, risk, and the initiation of intimacy set against a natural landscape teeming with both beauty and danger. Boland weaves a narrative that is both delicate and daring, utilizing imagery of the natural world to parallel the complexities of human emotions and relationships.

The poem opens with vivid descriptions of a world in which natural elements defy the expected: "Bats outsleep the frost" and "Water slips through stones / Too fast, too fast / For ice." These opening lines set the tone for a scene that is alive with motion and resistance to stagnation, suggesting a backdrop where the usual rules do not apply, and where risk and opportunity coexist.

The speaker, driven by a fear of missed connection—"afraid he'd slip / By me"—takes the initiative, asking "him first." This act of reaching out, of voicing desire, is mirrored in the surrounding nature, where an "adder drowsed by berries" presents a blend of allure and peril. The adder, both a symbol of seduction and threat, highlights the poem's theme of the risks inherent in the pursuit of connection and intimacy.

The transformative power of the encounter is captured in the act of crossing the river, a metaphor for overcoming barriers to reach the object of one's desire. The speaker's deliberate movement—"My skirt in my hand, / Lifting the hem high"—emphasizes the conscious choice to venture into the unknown, to embrace vulnerability for the sake of closeness. The imagery of water splashing against the speaker's thigh as she fords the river further accentuates the sensual and daring nature of her journey.

The culmination of the poem sees the speaker calling out to her beloved, urging him to witness the boldness of the water that dares to come to her side, and by extension, challenging him to emulate the water's courage. The comparison of the waves' fearless approach to the hesitancy of the beloved underscores the poem's message about the courage required to pursue love and intimacy.

The conclusion, with the beloved finally "Follow[ing] the leaping tide" late at night, signifies a yielding to the call of desire, a willingness to embrace the risk for the sake of connection. It is a moment of triumph, not just for the speaker, but for the forces of nature that have served as both backdrop and catalyst for the unfolding of this intimate drama.

"Song" is a testament to Boland's skill in crafting poetry that resonates with depth and nuance, exploring the intricacies of human emotion through the lens of the natural world. The poem invites readers to contemplate the beauty and peril of opening oneself to another, and the transformative power of taking the first step towards intimacy.

POEM TEXT:

Where in blind files

Bats outsleep the frost

Water slips through stones

Too fast, too fast

For ice; afraid he'd slip

By me I asked him first.

Round as a bracelet.

Clasping the wet grass,

An adder drowsed by berries.

Which change blood to cess;

Dreading delay's venom.