Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Wrigley’s "Onions" is a quiet, evocative meditation on the cycles of life, the rhythms of the natural world, and the intimate dynamics of domesticity. The poem, rich in sensory imagery, juxtaposes the external world’s seasonal changes with the internal experiences of the speaker and his wife, creating a layered narrative that captures the essence of autumn, expectancy, and the continuity of life.

The poem begins with a scene from nature: a "rooster pheasant crows in the gully out back," gathering his hens as they move across the landscape in a collective, almost choreographed unease. The pheasants? "nervous, low-walking" movements underscore the season’s transience and the ever-present tension between life and its fragility. The cat’s reaction—"stalks, then stalls at the sheer numbers"—provides a humorous counterpoint, highlighting the abundance and vitality of the moment. This interplay of predator and prey, presence and absence, sets the tone for the poem’s exploration of impermanence and continuity.

The speaker, meanwhile, engages in the earthy, methodical task of "braiding onions." The act is rendered with a tactile precision: "rubbing them up like baseballs, / and the skins fall at my feet in a fluttery pile." The comparison to baseballs suggests both a sense of craftsmanship and nostalgia, as though the simple, repetitive motion carries with it a quiet reverence for the passage of time. The image of the "fluttery pile" of onion skins mirrors the seasonal shedding of leaves, described as "a dry and skeletal snow." This parallel reinforces the cyclical nature of life, as both garden and trees prepare for dormancy.

Autumn’s presence is further emphasized through the striking image of "horse chestnuts [falling] like bombs," their forceful descent contrasting with the delicate drift of leaves. The yard, "rumpled with buckeyes," becomes a microcosm of the season’s transitions, where abundance and decay coexist. This setting provides a backdrop for the speaker’s reflections on his wife, who is described with tender intimacy: "because she is pregnant, due, weary in her bones, beautiful but feeling frumpy." The juxtaposition of her physical exhaustion with the speaker’s admiration highlights the complexities of pregnancy, where beauty and weariness intertwine.

The wife’s dream—a metaphorical act of creation—offers a glimpse into her inner world: "she is making a baby from scratch, a nubbin of flesh, a sphere around it-bone-colored, translucent." This dream, tactile and vivid, mirrors the speaker’s own labor with the onions, suggesting a shared participation in the processes of nurturing and creating life. The image of the wife "shaped by her hands" captures both the physicality and the profound mystery of pregnancy, as she envisions her role in shaping the future.

The poem closes with the movement of the onions from porch to cellar: "the strands, a dozen each, hang / from the eaves of the porch until I move them to the cellar, where they will remain for months." This final action ties the domestic and natural cycles together, as the speaker prepares the harvest for preservation. The cellar, a space of storage and sustenance, becomes a symbol of continuity, where the fruits of labor are kept safe through the coming winter. The lingering scent of onions—"flushed with the scent of onions"—permeates both the physical and emotional landscapes of the poem, grounding its reflections in sensory experience.

Wrigley’s free verse form mirrors the natural flow of thought and observation, allowing the poem to meander through its images and themes without constraint. The language is unadorned yet deeply evocative, capturing the textures, smells, and sounds of the autumnal world with precision. The tone is contemplative, balancing a quiet reverence for the present with an awareness of life’s impermanence.

"Onions" is a meditation on the intersections of nature, labor, and love, exploring how the cyclical patterns of the external world resonate within our most intimate experiences. Through its richly detailed imagery and tender portrayal of domestic life, Robert Wrigley captures the quiet beauty of a moment steeped in change, both seasonal and personal. The poem invites readers to reflect on the ways in which we mark time, care for one another, and find meaning in the simple, enduring acts that sustain us.

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