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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
John Wieners’ "A Poem for the Old Man" is a poignant exploration of love, longing, and the inevitability of human frailty. Through its deeply personal and raw narrative, the poem captures the intensity of desire while wrestling with the passage of time and the shifting dynamics of relationships. It is a tender yet unflinching portrait of a lover and a reflection on the nature of connection amidst a sea of transience. The poem opens with an invocation—“God love you / Dana my lover”—that situates the speaker in a space of reverence and yearning. Addressing the lover directly, Wieners immediately establishes a tone of intimacy and devotion, while the mention of “the horde” places the poem in the context of a larger, chaotic world. The “500 men” moving through the bathhouse evoke a sense of anonymity and fleeting connections, contrasting sharply with the speaker’s personal and singular affection for Dana. This juxtaposition underscores the tension between individual love and the broader, impersonal currents of desire. Wieners’ plea to “Remove this desire / from the man I love” is both tender and anguished. The speaker acknowledges the burden of longing and its potential to consume, yet there is an implicit recognition that this desire is intrinsic to Dana’s identity. The reference to “the savagery / of the sea” suggests both the vastness and danger of love, likening it to an untamed natural force that Dana has revealed to the speaker. The sea becomes a metaphor for the depths of emotional and physical connection, as well as the peril inherent in vulnerability. The poem’s middle section takes on the tone of a prayer, as the speaker entreats divine forces to grant Dana peace and fulfillment. The specificity of the setting—“California street”—grounds the poem in a real, tangible world, contrasting with the spiritual and abstract nature of the speaker’s appeals. The request for “largesse” and “peace in his loins” reveals the speaker’s deep care for Dana’s well-being, extending beyond physical attraction to encompass a desire for his wholeness and contentment. In a particularly evocative moment, the speaker implores: “Leave him not / to the moths.” This line carries a dual resonance: the moths symbolize decay and ephemerality, but they also suggest a kind of quiet inevitability, the slow unraveling of all things. The speaker’s wish to “Make him out a lion” stands in stark contrast, invoking strength, majesty, and immortality. This dichotomy reflects the speaker’s struggle to reconcile the ephemeral nature of life and love with the longing for permanence and transcendence. The imagery of physical intimacy is rendered with both sensuality and reverence: “moving my mouth / over his back bringing / our hearts to heights.” These lines encapsulate the depth of the speaker’s connection to Dana, emphasizing the transformative power of their bond. However, the admission that the speaker no longer “hike[s] over” these heights signals a shift, a lament for what has been lost or changed over time. The poem concludes with a blend of resignation and hope, as the speaker reflects on Dana’s desirability and the weight of others’ affection: “fix these / hundred men as his / lovers & lift him / with the enormous bale / of their desire.” Here, Wieners portrays desire as both a gift and a burden, an overwhelming force that both elevates and constrains. The image of the “enormous bale” conveys the weight of collective longing, suggesting that Dana’s allure, while powerful, comes with its own costs. "A Poem for the Old Man" is a deeply moving meditation on love, aging, and the interplay between individual intimacy and collective desire. Wieners’ vivid imagery and heartfelt appeals create a portrait of a lover that is both personal and universal, capturing the complexities of human connection and the inexorable passage of time. The poem’s blend of raw vulnerability and poetic elegance ensures its enduring resonance, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences of love and loss.
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