Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Richard Wilbur’s "Then" is a poignant meditation on the passage of time, the cyclicality of nature, and the awakening to mortality and loss. The poem contrasts a time of innocence, when nature’s rhythms were accepted without question, with a later awareness of impermanence and lineage. Through its reflective tone and precise language, Wilbur explores the transformation in perception that comes with maturity, emphasizing the tension between the enduring cycles of nature and the inevitable awareness of their transience.

The opening stanza evokes a past state of harmony and simplicity: “Then when the ample season / Warmed us, waned and went.” This initial "then" situates the poem in a nostalgic past, a time when the speaker and others lived in intuitive alignment with the seasons. The description of the season as “ample” conveys a sense of abundance and sufficiency, an unspoken assurance that nature’s cycles would always provide. During this time, the leaves’ falling and the robin’s departure were met with neither grief nor reflection. The leaves were given “no graves,” and the robin “gone no name,” suggesting a lack of need to memorialize or anchor these phenomena in the permanence of language or ritual.

This earlier perspective is marked by an acceptance of continuity: “Nor thought at the birds’ return / Of their sourceless dim descent.” The birds’ migration was viewed as part of an eternal cycle, their origins unconsidered, their comings and goings unmarked by loss. Similarly, the falling leaves were read not as signs of decay but as heralds of renewal: “And we read no loss in the leaf, / But a freshness ever the same.” This view reflects a timeless innocence, where nature’s changes are absorbed without the weight of mortality.

The second stanza introduces a shift, signaling an awakening to the passage of time and the irrevocability of loss. “The leaf first learned of years / One not forgotten fall,” Wilbur writes, suggesting a moment of realization when the cyclical was suddenly perceived as linear. The phrase “not forgotten fall” carries dual meanings, referring both to a particular autumn and to the broader concept of the fall as a metaphor for loss and mortality. This shift transforms the perception of leaves and birds, endowing them with a sense of lineage and history: “Of lineage now, and loss / These latter singers tell.”

The poem reflects on a time when birds were no longer simply a “choiring call” but reminders of those that once sang and are now silent: “Of a year when the birds now still / Were all one choiring call.” This memory of unity contrasts sharply with the silence of the present, underscoring the irrevocable nature of change. The closing lines, “Till the unreturning leaves / Imperishably fell,” encapsulate the tension between permanence and impermanence. The leaves, while part of nature’s cycle, are now marked as “unreturning,” their fall imbued with finality. The paradox of “imperishably fell” highlights the way certain moments of loss become fixed in memory, enduring even as the natural world continues its cycles.

Structurally, the poem’s two quatrains mirror its thematic progression from innocence to awareness. The balanced lines and subtle rhymes create a sense of order and reflection, reinforcing the contemplative tone. Wilbur’s language is precise and evocative, blending sensory detail with philosophical depth to explore the nuances of time and memory.

At its heart, "Then" is a meditation on the transformation of perception that comes with maturity. The poem captures the transition from a state of timeless innocence, where nature’s cycles were absorbed without question, to a deeper understanding of lineage, loss, and the irrevocability of change. By juxtaposing these perspectives, Wilbur invites readers to reflect on their own relationship to time and the ways in which memory and experience shape our understanding of the world. Through its lyrical beauty and quiet profundity, "Then" offers a moving exploration of the human journey from unknowing acceptance to reflective awareness.

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