Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Galvin’s poem “A Second Time” is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the relentless passage of time, set against the backdrop of the rugged natural landscape. The poem intricately weaves together personal narrative and environmental imagery to convey the emotional turmoil of a relationship’s end and the impact of nature’s cycles on human life.

The poem opens with the recollection of a significant year marked by labor and loss: “It was the year I cut logs for the new house and roads, roads like veins that / let the timber bleed.” This metaphor of roads as veins highlights the deep connection between the speaker’s work and the land, suggesting both a physical and emotional investment in the process. The mention of the white mare and her filly introduces a moment of sorrow and decision, emphasizing the harsh realities of life in this setting.

The departure of the loved one is introduced with a sense of inevitability and seasonal change: “It was the year you left me the first time, before the aspen / turned.” The aspen trees, known for their vibrant autumn colors, serve as a marker of time and emotional states. The subsequent winter imagery, with the sky “unable to get off the ground” and the east wind filling the house with smoke, mirrors the internal atmosphere of despair and confusion.

The construction of the new house, described as “sticks and strings and numbers on scraps of paper,” underscores the fragility and impermanence of human efforts compared to the enduring natural world. The facts of life, termed “mercenary bastards,” are depicted as cold and unyielding, indifferent to the speaker’s personal struggles.

Spring, personified as a “fallacy,” brings the loved one back, only for them to leave again. The metaphor of the white filly standing apart from the herd reflects the isolation and steadfastness of the speaker, while the loved one’s interaction with the bluejays suggests a contrast between wild independence and domesticity. The bluejays, described as “vainglorious thieves,” add a layer of complexity to the scene, representing both beauty and chaos.

The poem transitions into a detailed account of the labor-intensive summer: “It took all June to haul foundation stone from the mountain, to screen enough / sand from the river for mortar.” These lines highlight the speaker’s dedication and effort, juxtaposed with the fleeting presence of the loved one. The aspen’s early turn to gold serves as a “self-elegy,” a premonition of inevitable change and loss.

The repetition of the loved one’s departure, now for a second time, brings a sense of resignation: “Now that you're gone a second time I already know what it's / like. It snows inside.” The snowfall inside the house symbolizes the pervasive coldness and emptiness left in the wake of their absence. The bluejays, now swirling around the house like a “blue shawl,” become a haunting reminder of the past, their presence both a comfort and a torment.

The final stanza depicts a week-long storm, the stark imagery of the bare aspens, and the half-finished roof, reinforcing the themes of incompletion and abandonment. The contrast between the “quakies” (aspens) that are bare and the one stubbornly holding onto its leaves in the snow serves as a metaphor for clinging to the past amidst the inevitability of change. The evergreens, “singed with frost,” stand as individualized entities, each marked by the passage of time and the harshness of the environment.

The poem concludes with a historical reference to the early settlers who built homes out of trees and burned them down to retrieve the nails when they starved out. This final image encapsulates the cyclical nature of creation and destruction, highlighting the transient and often brutal reality of life in this landscape.

“A Second Time” is a powerful meditation on the interplay between human emotions and the natural world. Galvin’s use of vivid imagery and reflective narrative invites readers to contemplate the enduring impact of love and loss, the passage of time, and the resilience required to face life’s relentless changes. Through its rich, evocative language, the poem captures the essence of perseverance and the haunting beauty of the natural world.

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