Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Denise Levertov’s poem "Re-Rooting" reflects on the challenging process of reconnecting with one’s origins, whether personal, spiritual, or environmental. Through vivid imagery and metaphor, Levertov explores the themes of disruption, the struggle for restoration, and the recognition of the need for genuine reconnection.

The poem begins with an evocative description of the effort to replant roots: "We were trying to put the roots back, / wild and erratic straying root-limbs." The roots are described as "wild and erratic," emphasizing their natural, unrestrained growth and the difficulty in managing them. This sets up the central conflict of the poem—the challenge of restoring something that has been uprooted.

Levertov details the obstacles faced in this process: "trying to fit them into the hole that was / cleancut in clay, deep but not / wide enough; or wide but too square." This suggests the inadequacy of human efforts to recreate the natural conditions necessary for the roots to thrive. The "cleancut" hole represents a sterile, artificial environment, contrasting with the organic complexity of the roots.

The struggle to fit the roots back into the earth without damaging them is described with a sense of urgency and frustration: "trying / to get the roots back into earth / before they dried out and died." This line underscores the life-and-death stakes of the task at hand, highlighting the delicate balance required to sustain life.

Levertov’s use of "ineptly we pulled and pushed" conveys the clumsiness of the endeavor, as the roots resist confinement: "striving to encompass so many rivers / of wood and fiber in one confinement without / snapping the arteries of sap." The metaphor of "rivers of wood and fiber" beautifully captures the fluid, interconnected nature of the roots, emphasizing their complexity and vitality.

The poem further explores the existential connection between the roots and the people attempting to replant them: "we knew our own life was / tied to that strength, that strength we knew would / ebb away if we could not find within us / the blessed guile to tempt / its energy back into earth." This acknowledgment of mutual dependence highlights the profound impact of environmental and personal disconnection.

The task is described as a clumsy struggle to force the roots "not into sinuous corridors / fit for its subtleties, but obstinately / into an excavation dug by machine." This line critiques the mechanical and simplistic approach taken, which fails to honor the natural complexity and needs of the roots. The contrast between the "sinuous corridors" and the "excavation dug by machine" emphasizes the disconnect between natural processes and human intervention.

The poem concludes with a startling realization: "And I wake, / as if from dream, but discover / even this digging, better than nothing, / has not yet begun." This final line reveals a deeper layer of reflection. The speaker awakens to the awareness that the attempt to re-root has not even commenced in earnest. This suggests a profound sense of unfulfilled potential and the recognition of the need for a more authentic and committed effort.

"Re-Rooting" by Denise Levertov is a meditation on the complex and often fraught process of trying to restore what has been disrupted. Through her vivid and poignant imagery, Levertov captures the urgency and difficulty of reconnecting with one’s roots, whether they be ecological, personal, or spiritual. The poem underscores the necessity of approaching such endeavors with respect for the natural complexity and subtleties involved, and the recognition that genuine restoration requires more than superficial efforts. It is a call to deeper engagement and a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.

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