Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Deaths About You When You Stir in Sleep" by John Ciardi is a deeply introspective and haunting poem that delves into the existential angst and contemplation of mortality that underpin the human condition. Through a series of vivid images and reflections, Ciardi explores the inevitable presence of death in our lives, the struggle to find meaning and redemption, and the profound impact of our actions and dreams on our understanding of ourselves.

The poem begins with an intimate and urgent declaration, "The deaths about you when you stir in sleep / hasten me toward you." This line sets the tone for the exploration of mortality and the interconnectedness of life and death. The speaker's approach towards the other, driven by the omnipresence of death, speaks to a desire for connection and understanding in the face of life's ultimate finality.

Ciardi uses a series of comparisons to delve deeper into the human psyche and its relationship with death. The reference to old men who "have touched their dreaming to their hearts" reflects on aging and the internalization of dreams and memories as one confronts the reality of life's end. The imagery of "drag[ging] our sleeps behind us like a fear" conveys the burden of existential dread and the weight of mortality that we carry with us, even into our most vulnerable moments of sleep.

The mention of murderers and scholars introduces themes of guilt, redemption, and the search for meaning. Murderers, who paradoxically pray for their victims' escape before succumbing to their darkest impulses, and scholars, who dwell on invented sins, represent the complex and often contradictory nature of human morality and the quest for absolution. Ciardi suggests that both are manifestations of the struggle to escape or make sense of "the thing we are," our essential nature marked by imperfections and moral dilemmas.

The poem also explores the tension between the desire for transcendence and the acceptance of our limitations. The reference to trading with devils "damning what we are" and walking "our dreams out on a leaning tower" evokes the image of striving for greatness or understanding, only to be confronted with the precariousness of our endeavors and the inevitability of failure or downfall.

In the concluding lines, Ciardi juxtaposes the saints' quest for salvation through death with the speaker's own confrontation with life. The imagery of "bang[ing] at life to knock the walls away" suggests a desperate attempt to break free from the constraints of mortality and the existential confines that define our existence. The poem closes with a powerful reflection on the self-perpetuating nature of our confrontation with death: "we raise our deaths about us when we stir," implying that our actions, dreams, and fears contribute to the cycle of life and death that surrounds and defines us.

"The Deaths About You When You Stir in Sleep" is a rich and complex meditation on the human condition, characterized by Ciardi's masterful use of imagery and deep philosophical inquiry. The poem invites readers to confront the realities of mortality, the paradoxes of human nature, and the ceaseless search for meaning in a world shadowed by death. Through this exploration, Ciardi captures the essence of our existential struggles and the beauty and tragedy of our attempts to transcend them.

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