Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

CARRIER, by WILLIAM MEREDITH Poet Analysis Poet's Biography

"Carrier" is a poem by William Meredith, an American poet and essayist who served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1978 to 1980. The poem was first published in 1976 and is known for its exploration of themes such as love, loss, and the passage of time.

Explanation:

"Carrier" is a deeply emotional poem that explores the speaker's relationship with a loved one who is dying of AIDS. The poem is structured around a series of vignettes that capture different moments in the speaker's life with the dying loved one, from their first meeting to their final moments together.

Meredith employs a range of poetic devices to convey the depth of the speaker's emotions, including metaphor, imagery, and repetition. The poem is characterized by a sense of urgency and intensity, as the speaker grapples with the reality of their loved one's impending death.

Through his use of vivid imagery and metaphor, Meredith creates a sense of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The poem is a powerful meditation on love, loss, and the transience of human existence.

Poetic Elements:

Form: "Carrier" is a free-verse poem with no consistent rhyme scheme or meter.
Imagery: The poem is full of vivid sensory images that capture the emotional intensity of the speaker's experience.
Metaphor: The poem employs a range of metaphors to convey the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.
Repetition: The poem makes use of repetition to create a sense of rhythm and musicality, as well as to emphasize key ideas.
Tone: The poem is characterized by a tone of urgency and intensity, as the speaker grapples with the reality of their loved one's impending death.

Conclusion:

"Carrier" is a deeply emotional poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and the transience of human existence. Through his use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and repetition, Meredith creates a powerful meditation on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The poem is a moving tribute to the power of love in the face of mortality, and a testament to the enduring impact of great poetry on the human experience.

Poem Snippet:

"your face a map of the earth

too near a burning star,

the rind of fruit ready to split,

the hand to shake forever."