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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
The poem "Immortal Hour" by Rachel Annand Taylor captures a sense of tranquility, surrender, and the eternal nature of the speaker's spirit. Through vivid imagery and a contemplative tone, the poem explores themes of mortality, fate, and the embrace of divine presence. The poem opens with a simile, comparing the stillness of the speaker's spirit to great waters lying in the West. This suggests a sense of calm and peace that envelops the speaker's being. The phrase "still waters" also evokes a sense of serenity and reflects the enduring nature of the spirit. The speaker expresses a profound surrender by laying their folded hands within the breast of the divine. This act symbolizes the speaker's submission to a higher power and the merging of their will with the divine will. The use of capitalization for "Thy" emphasizes the divine nature of the recipient. The speaker then addresses Fortune as an idle pedlar, indicating a lack of interest or desire for worldly possessions or transient experiences. They are content to let Fortune pass them by. The mention of Death indicates the speaker's acknowledgment of mortality but asserts that they, as an immortal spirit, cannot die. The image of passion-flowers lacing over the sill of the speaker's low door adds a touch of beauty and fragility. The passion-flowers symbolize the sweetness and richness of life, and their presence represents a moment of rest and contentment. The speaker finds solace and fulfillment in the divine, paralleling the way dew fills the passion-flowers. The poem continues with the speaker claiming ownership of a sacred and transcendent hour. This hour is described as unblemished by pain or sin, and it is laid and steeped in silence, acquiring a crystalline quality that will outlast the changing dream of the speaker and the divine. The final lines convey a sense of timelessness and the enduring impact of the hour. It is portrayed as a solemn and dazzling crystal that will captivate the eyes of future poets, even when the ephemeral nature of human existence has faded away. The mention of "the changing dream of Thee and Me" suggests the impermanence of mortal experiences but affirms the everlasting presence of the divine. In "Immortal Hour," Rachel Annand Taylor crafts a contemplative and introspective poem that explores themes of spirituality, surrender, and the eternal nature of the human spirit. The imagery and metaphors employed throughout the poem create a sense of serenity, fulfillment, and a profound connection with the divine. The poem invites readers to reflect on the timeless and transcendent aspects of existence while embracing the power of surrender and divine presence.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TWO RAMAGES FOR OLD MASTERS by ROBERT BLY WALLACE STEVENS' LETTERS by ROBERT BLY DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING by DAVID IGNATOW I CLOSE MY EYES by DAVID IGNATOW IN 'DESIGNING A CLOAK TO CLOAK HIS DESIGNS' YOU WRESTED FROM OBLIVION by MARIANNE MOORE THE THINGS THAT DIE by GREGORY ORR THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON YOUTH'S IMMORTALITY by GEORGE SANTAYANA |
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