Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Albert Goldbarth's poem "Shawl" captures the profound and transformative experience of discovering oneself through literature, set against the backdrop of a bus journey at night. Through rich imagery and introspective reflection, the poem explores themes of darkness, light, and the comforting embrace of a newfound passion.

The poem begins with a sense of transition and movement: "Eight hours by bus, and night / was on them." This sets the stage for a journey, both literal and metaphorical, as the speaker travels through the darkness. The description of seeing his reflection in the bus window, with the "country / running through it like a long thought made of steel and wheat," juxtaposes the external landscape with internal contemplation. This line suggests a merging of the physical and the mental, where the external world mirrors the speaker's introspective journey.

The darkness outside and inside the bus is likened to the darkness of the sea and the belly of the whale, evoking the biblical story of Jonah. This metaphor emphasizes a sense of being engulfed in a transformative, almost mythical journey. The darkness serves as a backdrop for the introspective experience that follows.

As a young man of twenty, the speaker's attention naturally wanders to a nearby woman: "his eyes returned, repeatedly, / to the knee of the woman two rows up." The intermittent illumination of her knee by passing headlights symbolizes fleeting distractions and moments of desire. However, these distractions are secondary to the main focus of the poem.

The pivotal moment comes with the realization that the speaker belongs to "the tribe that reads." This discovery is marked by the simple yet profound act of reading a book under the bus's overhead light. The light, described as "thrown over his shoulders / as luxuriously as a cashmere shawl," signifies the warmth, comfort, and protection provided by literature. The comparison to a cashmere shawl elevates the act of reading to one of luxurious intimacy, suggesting that literature offers a refuge and a sense of belonging.

In this quiet, illuminated space, the speaker finds himself entirely absorbed: "Now nothing else existed: / only him, and the book, and the light." This encapsulates the transformative power of literature, how it can create an insular world where external concerns and distractions fade away. The light from the overhead lamp becomes a symbol of enlightenment and self-discovery, contrasting sharply with the surrounding darkness.

"Shawl" by Albert Goldbarth is a beautifully reflective poem that illustrates the intimate relationship between a reader and their book. Through the journey of a young man on a night bus, the poem explores how literature can illuminate and transform, offering comfort and a sense of identity. The luxurious imagery of the light as a shawl emphasizes the nurturing and protective power of reading, highlighting how it can provide solace and self-realization even amidst the darkness.

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