Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Philip Levine's poem "The Evening Turned Its Back Upon Her Voice" weaves a poignant narrative of memory, longing, and the passage of time. The poem's imagery and reflective tone create a powerful evocation of a woman caught in the intersection of past and present, surrounded by elements that seem indifferent to her existence.

The opening lines set the stage for a scene imbued with anticipation and melancholy. The question of whether she is waiting for a knock or a letter from an unknown person suggests a sense of unresolved expectation and the passage of time. The rain and the night descending together mirror the heaviness of her situation, emphasizing an atmosphere of inevitable sorrow.

The reference to "Forty years ago, a gray hotel across from the terminal" situates the reader in a specific yet timeless moment. This temporal marker bridges the past and the present, revealing the woman's enduring connection to a pivotal point in her life. The image of her sitting in a wooden chair, hands crossed in her lap, with eyes cast down, evokes a sense of resignation and quiet endurance. She is no longer listening for voices carried by the wind, symbolizing the silencing of hope and communication over the years.

The poem takes a significant turn with the declaration that "Tomorrow it will be 1956 for the first time." This paradoxical statement disrupts the linear progression of time, suggesting a cyclical or recurring nature of memory and experience. The surrounding elements—the shadows, the bare bulb, the swollen river, and the moon—are unaware of this temporal shift, highlighting their detachment from human concerns. The river's name, linked to orange blossoms and silt, evokes a sense of place and the passage of natural cycles, contrasting with the woman's static state.

The perspective shifts as the speaker addresses a "you," creating a sense of shared reflection and understanding. Together, they leaf through the "great book of days," a metaphor for the accumulation of time and history. Finding her name on the crowded page, albeit misspelled, represents a recognition of her existence within the larger narrative of life. The three "curious, foreign names" encapsulate her identity, yet the letters fail to convey the essence of her lived experience.

The poem's closing lines poignantly capture the essence of her being, focusing on her hands and voice. The description of her hands as "pale and strong, the black nails broken by work" speaks to her resilience and toil, grounding her in the physical realities of her life. Her voice, likened to smoke hanging in the bare room, suggests an ephemeral yet persistent presence, lingering and calling out without words. This image of her voice underscores the emotional and spiritual impact she continues to have, despite the passage of time and the erasure of her tangible traces.

Levine's use of rich, evocative imagery and his contemplative tone create a deeply moving meditation on memory, identity, and the inexorable flow of time. "The Evening Turned Its Back Upon Her Voice" is a testament to the enduring presence of those who have shaped our lives, even as the world moves on, indifferent to the intricacies of individual existence. The poem's exploration of memory and loss resonates with universal themes of longing, resilience, and the quest for meaning in the face of life's impermanence.

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