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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"March Chimes" by Laure-Anne Bosselaar is a reflective and emotionally resonant poem that captures a moment of transformation and the awakening of hope amidst the barrenness of late winter. Through the act of ringing chimes, the speaker initiates a shift in the landscape around her, both physical and emotional, drawing a poignant parallel between the changing season and the experience of pregnancy. The poem opens with a depiction of a day so lacking in distinctive features that it could be either dawn or dusk, a metaphor for the indeterminate states of being and transition. The "drab" light and the remnants of winter—what's left of the snow being dull—paint a picture of a world in between seasons, lacking vitality and movement. The silent sparrows and still pond further emphasize the stagnation and quietude of the scene. As the speaker steps outside, throwing a coat over her shoulders, she confronts the weight of barrenness, a feeling that is both physical in the landscape and metaphorical in her emotional state. In an act of defiance or perhaps desperation, she hurls a stone at the chimes, a gesture that pierces the silence and catalyzes a series of reactions in the natural world around her. The ringing of the chimes seeds the silence with sound, transforming the stillness into a space alive with possibility. The ripples in the pond, the prattle of sparrows, and the breath caught in the highest tree are all manifestations of this newfound vibrancy, signaling the onset of change and the potential for renewal. At this moment of awakening, the speaker recalls the day she knew she was pregnant, drawing a powerful parallel between the external landscape and her internal experience. The memory of the void inside her, when "nothing stirred, nothing / moved," mirrors the barren landscape before the chimes rang. Yet, just as the chimes brought life to the silent world, the knowledge of her pregnancy filled her with a sense of possibility and hope. The poem concludes with a reflection on the states of patience and hope, suggesting that both are necessary for navigating periods of transition and uncertainty. The speaker's body, "between seasons," becomes a symbol of the potential for growth and change that lies within periods of waiting and stillness. "March Chimes" is a deeply moving exploration of the cycles of life, the power of small actions to initiate change, and the enduring capacity for hope amidst barrenness. Laure-Anne Bosselaar masterfully weaves together the natural and the personal, inviting readers to find reflections of their own experiences of waiting, transformation, and renewal in the imagery of the changing seasons. POEM TEXT: https://www.cortlandreview.org/issue/33/bosselaar.html
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RAVEN; A CHRISTMAS TALE, TOLD BY A SCHOOL-BOY by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE A HYMN TO CHRIST, AT THE AUTHOR'S LAST GOING INTO GERMANY by JOHN DONNE THE COMING OF GOOD LUCK by ROBERT HERRICK IN A COPY OF OMAR KHAYYAM by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL ADONAIS; AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF JOHN KEATS by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY |
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