Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Updike’s poem "Calendar" poignantly captures the subtle yet inevitable shift from summer towards autumn, illustrating the relentless march of the seasons and their impact on the natural world. The poem is structured with precision, reflecting the cyclical nature of time and the interconnectedness of life's rhythms.

The opening stanza sets the scene towards the end of August, a period typically associated with the peak of summer's heat and vitality. However, Updike introduces an element of transition immediately: "a hard night rain; / and the lawn littered / with leaves again." The imagery of fallen leaves, often synonymous with autumn, appearing in late summer underscores the theme of seasonal blending and the imperceptible beginnings of change.

Updike uses the second stanza to further explore this theme, remarking on how "the seasons blend!" The use of an exclamation point emphasizes a moment of realization or surprise, highlighting the poet's awareness of the seamless and ongoing flow of time. He describes summer as "fettered / to a solar will," personifying the season as being bound to the inexorable movements of the sun. This cosmic force "never rests," driving the cycle forward without pause.

The third stanza shifts focus to the effects of these solar movements on wildlife, specifically mentioning "the slanting ray / ignites migration / within the jay." The imagery of ignition suggests a sudden, instinctual response to environmental cues, hinting at the deep biological connections between creatures and the cosmos. This internal trigger for migration in birds marks a clear sign of changing times, even before it becomes visually apparent to humans.

In the final stanza, Updike brings a human perspective into the contemplation of seasonal change, noting how "plans for nests / are hatching when / the northern nation / looks white to men." The reference to "plans for nests" metaphorically ties human activities and anticipations to those of the birds mentioned earlier, suggesting a universal instinct to prepare for what is to come. The mention of the "northern nation" turning white hints at the first snows, a definitive marker of winter's approach, thus completing the cycle of seasons within the poem.

Overall, "Calendar" is a meditation on the subtle cues and shifts that signal the passing of time through the seasons. Updike’s use of vivid, concise imagery and the personification of natural elements imbues the poem with a sense of wonder and melancholy, reflecting on the beauty and relentless progression of nature’s timetable. This piece elegantly captures the bittersweet essence of transitional periods, reminding readers of the constant, quiet changes occurring around and within us.

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