Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "The Almanac of Last Things" is a contemplative exploration of the ephemeral and enduring aspects of life. The poem's structure, which involves the speaker making selections from an "almanac of last things," serves as a metaphor for the conscious choices we make about what to hold on to in the face of life's transience. Through these choices, Pastan examines themes of love, mortality, and the interplay between permanence and impermanence.

The poem begins with the speaker selecting the "spider lily" from the almanac, a flower known for its delicate and fleeting beauty. The speaker notes the "grace of its brief / blossom," acknowledging the flower's transitory nature, which is both admired and feared. The phrase "though I myself / fear brevity" suggests the speaker's awareness of her own mortality and the anxiety that comes with the understanding that life, like the spider lily, is fleeting. This fear of brevity underscores the poem's meditation on the impermanence of all things.

Next, the speaker chooses "The Song of Songs," a biblical text often associated with love and sensuality. The speaker is drawn to this text "because the flesh / of those pomegranates / has survived / all the frost of dogma." Here, the pomegranates symbolize the enduring nature of love and desire, which persist despite the "frost" of rigid doctrines or harsh realities. The choice of this text suggests that, for the speaker, love and passion are timeless, transcending the limitations imposed by time, culture, or mortality.

The poem then moves to the selection of specific times of the year, highlighting January and August for their contrasting qualities. January, with its "chill / lessons of patience and despair," represents a time of hardship and introspection, where one must endure and learn from the cold and barren landscape. In contrast, August is described as "too sun-struck for lessons," a month characterized by abundance and warmth, where the lessons of life are perhaps more subtle or overlooked in the heat and light of summer. The speaker's choice of these two months reflects a balance between the extremes of experience, suggesting a recognition of the value in both adversity and ease.

The poem continues with the choice of "a thimbleful of red wine / to make my heart race, / then another to help me / sleep." This selection symbolizes the dual nature of life’s pleasures—wine can both invigorate and soothe, reflecting the speaker’s desire to fully experience both the excitement and the calm that life offers. The reference to wine also evokes a ritualistic or sacramental quality, implying that these small indulgences are meaningful and cherished in the speaker’s life.

The speaker then makes the most significant choice: "From the almanac / of last things I choose you, / as I have done before." This line reveals that the speaker has repeatedly chosen this person—presumably a beloved partner—above all else. The repetition of this choice emphasizes the enduring nature of the speaker’s love and commitment, which stands as a constant in the face of life's transience. This choice highlights the centrality of human connection and love as the most vital and lasting aspect of life.

Finally, the poem concludes with the selection of "evening / because the light clinging / to the window / is at its most reflective / just as it is ready / to go out." This choice of evening, a time of day that signals the transition from light to darkness, reflects the poem's overarching theme of appreciating the beauty in the fleeting and the ephemeral. The light "clinging to the window" serves as a metaphor for life itself—most poignant and reflective in its final moments before it fades. The evening is a time of reflection, a moment to pause and consider the day that has passed, much like the poem itself is a reflection on the choices that give life meaning.

"The Almanac of Last Things" is a deeply reflective poem that invites readers to consider what truly matters in the face of life's inevitable impermanence. Through her careful selection of images and symbols—flowers, seasons, texts, wine, and love—Pastan weaves a narrative that is both personal and universal. The poem speaks to the human desire to hold on to what is beautiful and meaningful, even as we recognize that all things are, ultimately, transient. It is a meditation on the choices that define us, the love that sustains us, and the beauty that persists even as the light begins to fade.

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