Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Donald Justice's poem "But That Is Another Story" offers a skeptical and nuanced take on the traditional "happily ever after" ending often found in romantic narratives. Through reflective and vivid imagery, Justice explores themes of disillusionment, the mundane reality of settled life, and the inevitable decay of passionate love.

The poem opens with the speaker questioning the typical romantic conclusion: "I do not think the ending can be right. / How can they marry and live happily / Forever, these who were so passionate / At chapter's end?" This immediate doubt sets the tone for the rest of the poem, suggesting that the intensity of passion at the story's climax is incompatible with the monotony and challenges of everyday life.

Justice then paints a picture of the couple's future: "Once they are settled in / The quiet country house, what will they do, / So many miles from anywhere?" The isolation of the country house, far from any excitement or social interaction, is depicted as a potential threat to their happiness. The "blond ancestral ghosts crowding the stair" symbolize the weight of tradition and the past, which disapprovingly looms over the couple, adding to the sense of foreboding.

The speaker's concern for the couple's love is clear: "Ah me, / I fear love will catch cold and die / From pacing naked through those drafty halls / Night after night." This metaphor suggests that without the warmth of passion and novelty, their love may wither in the cold reality of routine and isolation. The reference to "Poor Frank! Poor Imogene!" personalizes their plight, invoking sympathy for the characters who now face a daunting, empty future.

Justice continues to explore the bleakness of their situation: "Before them now their lives / Stretch empty as great Empire beds / After the lovers rise and the damp sheets / Are stripped by envious chambermaids." The comparison of their lives to empty beds highlights the barrenness that follows the initial excitement of love. The damp sheets, stripped by envious chambermaids, symbolize the transient nature of passion and the intrusion of envy and routine into their private world.

Even if the first night is bright with passion, symbolized by "bonfires lit with old love letters," the speaker questions the sustainability of this fire: "That is no inexhaustible fuel, perhaps?" The imagery of burning old love letters underscores the idea that relying on past passions is insufficient for a lasting relationship.

The poem then shifts to a contemplation of their potential future: "Will Frank walk out one day / Alone through the ruined orchard with his stick, / Strewing the path with lissome heads / Of buttercups?" This image of Frank walking alone through a decaying orchard suggests a solitary and reflective end, hinting at the dissolution of their relationship. Similarly, the idea of Imogene "Conceal[ing] in the crotches of old trees / Love notes for beardless gardeners and such" implies infidelity or a search for new excitement outside the marriage.

Justice concludes with a cyclical portrayal of conflict and reconciliation: "Meanwhile they quarrel and make it up / Only to quarrel again." The repetition of quarrels and reconciliations highlights the instability and repetitive nature of their relationship. The final image of a storm pulling down fences, with "moonstruck sheep / Stray[ing] through the garden all night peering in / At the exhausted lovers where they sleep," suggests that external chaos and internal exhaustion will eventually prevail.

"But That Is Another Story" by Donald Justice provides a poignant critique of the fairy-tale ending, emphasizing the challenges and disillusionments that often follow passionate beginnings. Through his rich, evocative imagery and contemplative tone, Justice explores the complexities of love, the inevitability of change, and the harsh realities that often undermine idealized romantic narratives. The poem invites readers to reconsider the simplistic notion of "happily ever after" and to acknowledge the deeper, often more challenging, truths of human relationships.

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