Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Wrigley’s "I Like the Wind" is a meditation on the transient beauty of nature and the speaker’s profound appreciation for the details of the world around them. Through its accumulation of observations, the poem reveals a contemplative mindset, celebrating the interplay between motion and stillness, the ordinary and the extraordinary. The speaker’s repeated use of "I like" establishes a tone of gratitude and delight, transforming mundane experiences into a hymn to life’s fleeting moments.

The poem begins by anchoring the speaker in a liminal space, "at or near that approximate line / where a stiff breeze becomes / or lapses from a considerable wind." This threshold introduces the theme of transition, both literal and metaphorical. The wind, an invisible but palpable force, becomes a symbol for change, animating the environment and awakening the speaker’s senses. The "right-angled" chimney smoke and "plush animal tails of their fires" evoke a tactile and visual interplay, grounding the reader in the physicality of the scene while hinting at the ephemeral nature of these phenomena.

As the speaker observes the wind’s effects, their attention turns to the birds: "I like how the stiffness rouses the birds / right up until what’s considerable sends them / to shelter." This moment captures the tension between the invigorating and overwhelming power of nature, reflecting both its ability to inspire and to demand retreat. The "morning’s rain" further enriches the sensory palette, "waking the soil’s raw materials" and releasing an "earth smell" that mingles with the swaying pine trees. These observations highlight the interconnectedness of natural elements, where wind, rain, soil, and trees contribute to a shared vitality.

The poem’s progression mirrors the passage of time, as the speaker notes how the sun "strains not / to go down, how the horizon tugs gently at it." This description imbues the natural world with a quiet agency, as though the horizon itself participates in the day’s ending. The imagery of "the distant grain elevator’s shadow / rippling over the stubble of the field" conveys a sense of vastness and motion, tying the human-made and the organic into a unified landscape.

The speaker’s attention shifts to smaller, more intimate details: "I like the bird feeder’s slant / and the dribble of its seeds. I like the cat’s / sleepiness... / I like the body of the mouse at her feet." Here, the juxtaposition of life and death is presented matter-of-factly, underscoring the natural cycles of predation and rest. The tossed apple core, quickly browning and admired by a doe, reinforces this theme of decay and renewal, with the "workings of her black nostrils" suggesting a keen awareness shared by both the speaker and the animals they observe.

The poem’s rhythm, structured around the refrain of "I like," mirrors the steady persistence of the wind itself. The speaker’s observations become increasingly personal: "I like my lungs and their conversions / to the gospel of spring." This metaphorical "gospel" suggests a spiritual awakening, where the physical act of breathing connects the speaker to the renewal and vitality of the season.

The magpie, meticulously preening under the fading sunlight, offers a moment of quiet intimacy: "That’s especially nice, / the last sun pinkening his underfeathers / as it also pinks the dark when I close my eyes." The magpie’s self-care and the pink glow seen through closed eyelids echo the poem’s broader theme of transformation and the continuity of experience, even in darkness.

The closing lines return to the wind, tying the poem’s observations together: "this stiff breeze that was, / when I closed them, a considerable wind." The shift in perception encapsulates the essence of the poem—how attentiveness to the world can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. The speaker’s ability to appreciate these fleeting details, even as they fade, underscores the impermanence and beauty of the moment.

Wrigley’s free verse and conversational tone lend the poem a sense of immediacy, inviting readers to share in the speaker’s intimate engagement with the natural world. The repetition of "I like" creates a rhythmic cadence, emphasizing the speaker’s sustained attention and gratitude.

"I Like the Wind" is a celebration of life’s transient beauty, where each detail of the natural world is imbued with wonder and significance. Through its rich imagery and reflective tone, Robert Wrigley invites readers to embrace the ephemeral and find joy in the ordinary, reminding us of the profound connections that bind us to the world around us.

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