Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"To Vow" by Robert Duncan is a deeply introspective and spiritually resonant poem that explores the complexities of commitment, love, and the human condition under divine oversight. Duncan weaves together themes of spirituality, desire, and the inevitable uncertainties of life to underscore the profound act of making vows.

The opening line, "It is in fear of the Lord toward whom in whose wrath and grace we move in love," immediately situates the poem within a context of reverence and trepidation. This dual aspect of divine interaction—wrath and grace—captures the paradoxical nature of human engagement with the divine or with existential forces beyond individual control. Love here is not just an emotion but a path navigated within the constraints and freedoms provided by a higher power, suggesting that human relationships are influenced by forces both internal and external.

Duncan's use of the phrase "Compelld. By longing, yes, and by a will we did not own," introduces the idea of love and commitment as forces that are both compelling and beyond personal autonomy. This speaks to the concept of fate or destiny in relationships, where the feelings and commitments that bind people can feel both profoundly necessary and inexplicably beyond individual choice.

The line "holding to you as the heart holds to life holds..." with its repetitive structure, emphasizes the essential, visceral nature of this attachment, likening the commitment in a relationship to the fundamental human clinging to life itself. This comparison elevates the vow to a matter of existential importance.

Duncan's acknowledgment of human limitations in vow-making, "We are not competent to make our vows" "without which no man is king," reflects a humility and an awareness of human fallibility. The notion that no one can truly be sovereign in their life without these binding promises introduces the idea of vows as both a foundation of human identity and a source of moral and social structure.

The phrase "Your mystery then kingdom—all of what I mean upon your body laying my hand: to swear fealty, a faith, a covenant in coming," transforms the act of touching another person into a sacred ritual, where physical connection is imbued with spiritual and existential weight. This touch is not merely physical but is a gesture laden with promise, expectation, and the profound hope of understanding and being understood.

Duncan describes the body's reaction to these profound commitments as "yearning, heart strains, melody unfolded in nerves, curves round your felt form." Here, the physical and emotional responses to love and commitment are depicted as almost musical—a melody that plays out across the body's landscape, resonant and rich.

The line "Blind hand upon the book of flesh read where I cannot read, vow where I cannot vow," portrays the act of making vows as one of faith and trust, where understanding and certainty might be elusive, yet the commitment remains. This metaphor of the body as a "book of flesh" that one attempts to read and understand captures the deep desire for connection and the inherent challenges therein.

Finally, Duncan concludes with a poignant reflection on the transient nature of relationships: "It is because I know we may never be together again that I praise Love's power." This recognition of potential loss and separation highlights the fragility of human connections and elevates the act of making vows into a defiant affirmation of love's importance, despite—or perhaps because of—its inherent vulnerabilities.

"To Vow" is a meditation on the sanctity and profound seriousness of vows within the context of human frailty and divine influence. Through his contemplative and lyrical approach, Duncan offers a rich exploration of love, commitment, and the human spirit's capacity to bind itself to another against the backdrop of life's uncertainties.

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