Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mark Strand’s "The Kite (For Bill and Sandy Bailey)" is a richly atmospheric and enigmatic poem that oscillates between the natural and the surreal, exploring themes of memory, impermanence, and the boundaries between reality and dreams. Through vivid imagery and subtle shifts in perspective, Strand creates a narrative that is both immersive and elusive, drawing readers into a landscape where the tangible world merges with the symbolic.

The poem opens with the image of the kite, described as it "rises over the lake, the farms, / The edge of the woods." This sweeping visual immediately establishes a sense of vastness and movement, as the kite transcends its earthly surroundings. The description of the kite as "a body without arms / Or legs" adds a spectral quality, suggesting disembodiment or a release from human constraints. The "moonless air" heightens the poem’s atmosphere of mystery and foreboding, while the reactions of the birds—"The wren, the vireo, the thrush / Make way"—underscore the kite’s otherworldly presence, as if it disrupts the natural order.

As the narrative unfolds, the interplay between natural phenomena and human perception becomes central. The "rush / And flutter of wings" falling "through the dark / Like a mild rain" blurs the lines between sound, movement, and weather, transforming the ordinary into the poetic. The speaker and their companions "cover [their] heads and ponder," their reflection grounded in the physical landscape of "the farms and woods that rim / The central lake." The barred owl, "silent as bark," serves as a still, watchful presence, its silence amplifying the tension in the scene.

The imagery of rain recurs throughout the poem, both as a literal phenomenon and as a metaphor for obscurity or dissolution. The "almost invisible / Curtain of rain" that seems to approach mirrors the uncertainty surrounding the kite and its significance. This ambiguity extends to the weather itself, as "It is impossible to say what form / The weather will take." The unpredictability of nature becomes a reflection of the human inability to discern the forces shaping their lives, a recurring theme in Strand’s work.

The figure of the man running with the kite string introduces a poignant human element to the poem. His presence is fleeting yet impactful, as he moves "by them" unaware of their dark, still watchfulness, "like mourners under the sullen sky." The man’s actions—his running, his breath blooming "in the chill"—imbue the scene with a sense of urgency and vitality, yet his relationship to the kite remains ambiguous. Is he guiding it, or is he tethered to something beyond his control? The transformation of his breath into "small / White roses" adds a surreal beauty to the moment, blending the natural and the dreamlike in a way that evokes both wonder and uncertainty.

The poem’s shift to an interior setting marks a significant tonal change. Inside the room, "the curtains fall like rain," drawing a parallel between the external and internal worlds. The description of darkness "covering the flower-papered walls, / The furniture and floors, / Like a mild stain" suggests the encroachment of time and memory, as well as the inevitability of decay. The emptied mirrors and closed doors reinforce the theme of absence, creating a space that feels both intimate and hollow.

The man, now asleep "in the heavy arms of a chair," becomes the central figure in this interior world. His dream merges with the external landscape, as "the beating of wings and the wind / Move through the deep, / Echoing valley." The kite reappears, rising once again "over the lake, / The farms, the edge of the woods," before vanishing into the "moonless night." This cyclical imagery suggests a continuity between the waking and dreaming states, as well as between presence and absence.

The poem concludes with the man "slowly beginning to wake," leaving readers in a liminal space where the boundaries between reality and imagination remain fluid. The kite, which serves as both a literal object and a symbol throughout the poem, ultimately eludes definition, disappearing into the night just as the dream dissolves upon waking. This final act of vanishing reinforces the poem’s meditation on impermanence and the elusiveness of meaning.

Structurally, "The Kite" is composed of unrhymed, free-verse stanzas that flow seamlessly between the external and internal, the natural and the surreal. Strand’s use of enjambment allows the poem to unfold gradually, with each line contributing to its layered atmosphere. The repetition of images—rain, birds, the lake, the kite—creates a sense of unity while also emphasizing the cyclical nature of the poem’s themes.

At its heart, "The Kite" is a meditation on the ephemeral and the intangible, exploring the tension between what is seen and what is felt, between the physical world and the interior landscape of memory and dreams. The kite itself becomes a symbol of aspiration, loss, and the fleeting nature of experience. By weaving together the natural and the surreal, Strand invites readers to ponder the ways in which we navigate the unknown, tethered to forces we cannot fully understand yet continue to chase. The result is a poem that lingers in the mind, like the image of the kite disappearing into the dark.

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