Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Tess Gallagher's poem "Wake" is a deeply intimate and haunting exploration of grief, love, and the eerie calm of sharing a final moment with a deceased loved one. Through evocative imagery and poignant reflections, the poem captures the profound sense of loss and the surreal experience of lying beside a partner who has passed away.

The poem opens with the stark reality of death: "Three nights you lay in our house. / Three nights in the chill of the body." This repeated line emphasizes the passage of time and the speaker's attempt to grapple with the permanence of loss. The use of "our house" and "our high bed" underscores the shared history and deep connection between the speaker and the deceased, making the separation all the more poignant.

Gallagher's question, "Did I want to prove how surely / I’d been left behind?" reveals a deep introspection and the human need to confront the physical absence of a loved one. Climbing up beside the body, the speaker seeks a form of closeness, a final act of intimacy in the space they once shared. The bed, a symbol of their life together, becomes a site of mourning and a testament to their enduring bond.

The "halo of cold" around the deceased creates a striking image, suggesting that the presence of the body in death emanates a different kind of energy. This coldness contrasts with the warmth of life, emphasizing the irreversible change. The speaker’s warmth mingling with the cold evokes the blending of life and death, a momentary coexistence on the "strange broad canopy / of the abandoned world."

Gallagher’s use of the phrase "as if the body’s messages carry farther / in death" suggests that death, paradoxically, amplifies the presence and significance of the departed. The voice "sent unbroken across snow" becomes a metaphor for the clarity and purity of calling out to the loved one, even when they cannot respond. This image of a voice in the snow conveys both the isolation of grief and the desire for connection, no matter how one-sided.

The poem’s final lines—"We were dead / a little while together then, serene / and afloat on the strange broad canopy / of the abandoned world"—capture a serene yet surreal moment of unity. In lying beside the deceased, the speaker experiences a temporary suspension of life, a peaceful yet haunting closeness that transcends the boundary between life and death. The "abandoned world" signifies the profound sense of emptiness and disconnection felt in mourning, yet within this space, there is a fleeting sense of calm and continuity.

"Wake" is a powerful meditation on the intersection of life, death, and love. Gallagher masterfully conveys the complex emotions of mourning through vivid and evocative imagery, allowing readers to feel the depth of the speaker’s loss and the strange comfort found in this final act of intimacy. The poem invites reflection on the ways we seek to hold onto our loved ones, even in death, and the profound impact they continue to have on our lives. Through its haunting beauty and emotional resonance, "Wake" captures the essence of human connection and the enduring power of love.

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