Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem begins with the imagery of trees raining, the residue of a storm that has moved through the forest "like a night shiver and was gone." This opening sets a tone of quietude and reflection, a transition from the turbulence of the storm to the calm that follows. The mention of the "August sizzle of crickets" further anchors the poem in a specific time and place, evoking the sounds of late summer and the rhythm of the natural world.

As the speaker sits on the deck of her one-room cabin, wrapped in a blanket, the physical distance between her cabin and the one occupied by the subject of the poem—referred to simply as "yours"—becomes a metaphor for the emotional distance she feels. The acknowledgment that "confinement sets us apart" suggests an understanding of the boundaries that define their relationship, an acceptance of the space between them that both connects and separates.

The recollection of an earlier gathering, described as "ample and kind," adds a layer of social warmth to the poem, contrasting with the speaker's subsequent solitude. The feeling of being "pensively / dizzy with it" captures the whirl of emotions that accompany social interactions and the reflective quiet that often follows.

The turning point of the poem occurs when the speaker notices a light turned on in the other cabin, prompting her to tiptoe closer and observe the subject of the poem in a moment of solitude. This act of watching from a distance, while the other person goes about their life seemingly unaware of her presence, underscores the theme of unbridgeable distance. The speaker's realization that the person she observes seems "distant, self-contained" deepens the sense of disconnection, leading to a feeling of invisibility or absence.

Ultimately, the speaker's decision to "look / away, and walk / back into the dark" signifies a resignation to the separateness that defines their relationship. This final movement away from the light of the cabin and into the darkness is both literal and metaphorical, representing a retreat into the self and an acknowledgment of the solitude that persists even in proximity to others.

"At Savage River Lodge" is a beautifully crafted poem that explores the nuances of human connection, the solitude that can exist within and outside of relationships, and the bittersweet acceptance of emotional landscapes that cannot always be traversed. Through evocative imagery and a delicate balance of longing and resignation, Laure-Anne Bosselaar invites readers into a reflective consideration of intimacy, distance, and the spaces in between.

POEM TEXT: https://www.cortlandreview.org/issue/33/bosselaar.html

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