|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Ends" by Hayden Carruth is a succinct and evocative poem that grapples with the themes of closure, the role of poetry, and the complex interplay between truth and artifice. Through a concise structure, Carruth delivers a powerful meditation on the act of concluding—not just a poem, but perhaps a phase in life or a mode of expression. The poem opens with rhetorical questions, contemplating the purpose of the lines themselves. Should they "confess a folly" or "praise old melancholy"? These options present the poem as a space for either admission of personal failings or a celebration of a certain pensive sadness. This dual possibility sets the stage for a reflection on the nature of poetry and its capacity to encapsulate and express the multifaceted experiences of the human condition. Carruth's declaration, "Let this poem be an end / Of writing," suggests a desire for finality, a definitive conclusion to the creative process. This statement can be interpreted in several ways: as a moment of exhaustion or frustration with the limitations of language, as a decision to seek solace in the unspoken ("Silent love will mend"), or even as a dramatic, albeit temporary, gesture towards ending one's engagement with the craft of poetry. The poem's conclusion, "This way poets say good-bye, / Desperate and with a lie," introduces a poignant commentary on the nature of poetic farewells. The assertion that poets part with their audience "Desperate and with a lie" hints at the inherent tension between the poet's desire for authentic expression and the performative aspects of poetry. It suggests that even in moments of supposed finality, there is an element of artifice, a necessary distance between the poet's lived reality and the crafted persona presented in the text. "Ends" is a contemplative piece that invites readers to ponder the complexities of closure, the therapeutic yet sometimes inadequate nature of poetry, and the intricate dance between truth and fiction that characterizes much of creative expression. Through its brevity and depth, Carruth's poem becomes a resonant exploration of the poetic endeavor itself, questioning the efficacy and honesty of the written word in capturing the essence of human experience.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WORLD AS WILL AND REPRESENTATION' by HAYDEN CARRUTH A POST-IMPRESSIONIST SUSURRATION FOR THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER by HAYDEN CARRUTH ABANDONED RANCH, BIG BEND by HAYDEN CARRUTH ADOLF EICHMANN by HAYDEN CARRUTH ALMANACH DU PRINTEMPS VIVAROIS by HAYDEN CARRUTH AN EXPATIATION ON THE COMBINING OF WEATHERS AT THIRTY .... by HAYDEN CARRUTH AUGUST FIRST by HAYDEN CARRUTH BEARS AT RASPBERRY TIME by HAYDEN CARRUTH BURNING DAWN by HAYDEN CARRUTH CAPPER KAPLINSKI AT THE NORTH SIDE CUE CLUB by HAYDEN CARRUTH |
| |