Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Denise Levertov's "The Sun Going Down Upon Our Wrath" is a reflective and cautionary poem that explores themes of beauty, innocence, mortality, and the persistence of age-old fears. Through evocative imagery and probing questions, Levertov invites readers to contemplate the transient nature of hope and the deep-rooted anxieties that have plagued humanity throughout history.

The poem opens with a direct address: "You who are so beautiful—your deep and childish faces, your tall bodies— / Shall I warn you?" This introduction sets a tone of concern and admiration. The "deep and childish faces" and "tall bodies" suggest a mix of innocence and maturity, capturing the essence of youth. The speaker’s desire to warn these beautiful beings hints at an impending danger or loss.

Levertov then shifts to a reflection on the natural world's endurance: "Do you know / what it was to have a certitude of grasses waving upon the earth though all humankind were dust? / Of dust returning to fruitful dust?" These lines evoke a sense of eternal natural cycles, where the earth continues to flourish regardless of human existence. The certainty of grasses waving and dust returning to dust underscores the idea of life’s continuity and renewal even in the face of human mortality.

The poem questions whether the listeners are aware of the diminishing hope: "Do you already know / what hope is fading from us and pay no heed see the detested grave-worm shrivel, the once-despised, and not need it?" Here, Levertov suggests a growing indifference or acceptance of mortality and decay. The imagery of the "grave-worm" and the shifting perceptions of what was once despised imply a deeper understanding or resignation to the inevitable process of dying and returning to the earth.

Levertov continues with a contemplative inquiry: "Is there an odyssey your feet pull you towards away from now to walk the waters, the fallen orchard stars?" This line introduces the idea of a personal journey or quest, reminiscent of mythical odysseys. The metaphor of walking on water and the "fallen orchard stars" implies a journey towards something transcendent or otherworldly, a movement away from present realities.

The speaker observes that the fears of the addressed are not new: "It seems / your fears are only the old fears, antique anxieties, how graceful; / they lay as cloaks on shoulders of men long dead, skirts of sorrow wrapped / over the thighs of legendary women." The recognition that these fears are "antique" and "graceful" suggests a timeless quality to human anxieties. These fears are described as cloaks and skirts, garments worn by historical and legendary figures, indicating that the worries of the past continue to burden the present.

The poem concludes with a final, poignant question: "Can you be warned?" This closing line emphasizes the speaker’s uncertainty about whether the beautiful, youthful beings can truly comprehend or heed the warnings about the fading of hope, the persistence of ancient fears, and the inevitability of mortality.

In "The Sun Going Down Upon Our Wrath," Denise Levertov weaves together a meditation on beauty, innocence, and the timeless nature of human fears. Through her rich imagery and reflective questions, she invites readers to consider the enduring cycles of life and death, the diminishing of hope, and the continuous thread of anxiety that runs through human history. The poem serves as a contemplative reminder of the fragile and ephemeral nature of human existence amidst the enduring presence of the natural world.

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