Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Lastness: 2," Galway Kinnell juxtaposes the solitary and instinctual existence of a black bear with the tender and awe-inspiring experience of a father witnessing the birth of his son. Through rich and tactile imagery, the poem explores themes of nature, life, death, and the profound connections between them.

The poem begins with a vivid description of a black bear in the twilight, embodying the raw and primal aspects of the natural world: "A black bear sits alone in the twilight, nodding from side / to side, turning slowly around and around / on himself." The bear's solitary movements, scuffing a circle into the earth, evoke a sense of ritual and timelessness. This image sets the stage for the poem's exploration of the cycle of life and death.

The bear's heightened senses are described in detail: "He sniffs the sweat / in the breeze, he understands / a creature, a death-creature, / watches from the fringe of the trees." Here, Kinnell blurs the lines between human and animal, suggesting an awareness that transcends species. The bear's realization that "I am no longer here" shifts the perspective, making the bear both the observed and the observer, highlighting the interconnectedness of all beings and their shared vulnerability.

As the bear moves on, "eat[ing] a few flowers" and "trudg[ing] away, / all his fur glistening / in the rain," the scene transitions from the bear's primal existence to a deeply personal memory of the poet's son, Sancho Fergus. The glistening fur of the bear becomes a bridge to the image of the newborn's head, linking the wild and natural with the intimate and human.

The poem's focus shifts to the birth of the poet's son: "Sancho Fergus, / my boychild, had such great shoulders, / when he was born his head / came out, the rest of him stuck." This raw and visceral description of childbirth emphasizes both the struggle and the miracle of new life. The newborn's first moments are depicted with poignant detail: "And he opened / his eyes: his head out there all alone / in the room, he squinted with pained, / barely unglued eyes at the ninth-month’s / blood splashing beneath him / on the floor."

In a moment of profound connection and empathy, the poet imagines that his son "almost / smiled, I thought, almost forgave it all in advance." This suggests a preternatural understanding and acceptance of the pain and blood that accompany birth, highlighting the innate resilience and grace of new life.

The act of the father taking his newborn son into his hands and bending over to smell "the black, glistening fur / of his head" mirrors the earlier image of the bear. This parallel draws a deep connection between the human experience and the natural world. The poet's comparison of himself to "empty space / must have bent / over the newborn planet / and smelled the grasslands and the ferns" elevates this moment to a cosmic scale, suggesting that the act of creation and the appreciation of new life are universal experiences.

"Lastness: 2" is a profound meditation on the cycles of life and death, the connections between human and animal, and the awe-inspiring moments that link us to the larger universe. Kinnell's use of rich, tactile imagery and his ability to weave personal experience with universal themes create a powerful and moving exploration of existence and the enduring beauty of life.

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