Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"What the Instant Contains (Lyle Van Waring, 1922-1988)" by Jorie Graham is an intimate and poignant reflection on the final moments of a person's life. The poem's structure is fluid, capturing the slow, almost surreal passage of time as it intersects with the physical and emotional reality of dying. Through vivid imagery and detailed observations, Graham delves into the interplay between life and death, presence and absence, and the profound significance of the present moment.

The poem opens with a simple and direct statement: "Presently Lyle gets into bed." This sets the scene for the unfolding narrative, focusing on the mundane yet significant act of getting into bed, which takes on greater meaning given Lyle's impending death. The repetition of "The amaryllis on the sill hum. / The dust starts inventing the afterwards" emphasizes the contrast between the living world and the slow encroachment of death. The amaryllis, a symbol of life and beauty, continues to hum, while the dust, representing decay and the passage of time, begins to "invent" what comes next.

Graham's use of repetition and circularity in lines such as "He is not getting up again. / The dust starts inventing the afterwards" underscores the inevitability and finality of death. The poem's structure mirrors the cyclical nature of life and death, as well as the persistent yet futile human effort to hold onto the present moment.

The detailed description of the environment around Lyle—the roses on the wall, the oxygen tubes, the sound of the wind against the window panes—creates a rich tapestry of sensory experiences that ground the reader in the present. These details highlight the tension between the ordinary and the extraordinary, as everyday objects and actions become imbued with deeper meaning in the context of dying.

Graham explores the inner thoughts and emotions of both Lyle and the observer: "If you sit there, near him, in the sofa chair, if you look at him and he's sleeping now, curled, the oxygen furious in its blank tubes, you can hear the wind as it touches the panes." This passage invites the reader to share in the intimate experience of witnessing a loved one's final moments. The vivid imagery of "the wind as it touches the panes" and "the weight of the air on the panes" emphasizes the stillness and quiet that accompany the approach of death.

As the poem progresses, Graham delves deeper into the philosophical and existential questions that arise in the face of death: "you will see the distance start to grow / on the shore of the endlessly lain-down face, yellow shore which the wide hand holds—right there on the pinpoint of the face in the room." The metaphor of the "yellow shore" and the "wide hand" suggests a liminal space between life and death, where the boundaries of the self and the external world become blurred.

The poem's climax occurs as Lyle opens his eyes and perceives a vision filled with historical and mythical elements: "now there are men on the bed with him, many men, naked, / one puts his fist in another's mouth, one puts his fingers in another's ears." This surreal imagery, combined with the reference to Circe, evokes a sense of timelessness and the interconnectedness of all human experience. The vision represents the merging of past, present, and future, as well as the dissolution of individual identity in the face of death.

Graham concludes the poem with a return to the immediate and tangible reality of caring for a dying loved one: "When he wakes I will give him some water. / I will try to feed him some soup." These simple acts of care contrast with the complexity of the preceding vision, grounding the reader once again in the present moment. The final lines—"But now the face is going faster, faster / —floor sills dust going the other way, / the whole marriage pulling apart—his dream from the drawer, waiting from skin"—capture the accelerating passage of time and the disintegration of physical and emotional bonds.

In "What the Instant Contains (Lyle Van Waring, 1922-1988)," Jorie Graham masterfully explores the themes of mortality, memory, and the search for meaning in the face of death. Through rich imagery and detailed observations, she captures the profound significance of the present moment and the complex interplay between life and death. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences with loss and the ways in which they navigate the delicate balance between holding on and letting go.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...