|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
The opening lines present a typical scenario where people travel to find similarities with other places or experiences, seeking the comfort of familiarity in the new and unknown. This common human behavior is contrasted with the journey of a man who travels to New York for a deeply personal and tragic reason—to commit suicide. The reason he gives for not doing it in Jerusalem—where the buildings are too low and everyone knows him—highlights his desire for anonymity in his final act and perhaps a metaphorical need for a 'higher' place for his existential leap. Amichai then shifts to a personal anecdote about the same man, recalling a moment from the past when he was called out of a classroom by him, told that a beautiful woman was waiting in the garden. This memory, linked to the man, is tinged with a sense of youthful hope and excitement. It stands in stark contrast to the man’s lonely and despairing end. The poem closes with the narrator's reflection on the man's suicide, contemplating the "loneliness of his death" and "the death of his loneliness" on a high roof in New York. This powerful ending serves as a commentary on the profound isolation and alienation that individuals can feel, even in a world teeming with life and connections. It also touches on the complex interplay between physical and emotional landscapes in shaping our experiences and decisions. Amichai's poem, thus, is a meditation on the human condition, exploring how our journeys—both literal and metaphorical—are shaped by our search for meaning, connection, and a place in the world. The contrast between the triviality of typical travel motivations and the profound desperation of the man's journey underscores the vast spectrum of human experience and the unique paths we traverse in life. POEM TEXT:
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FACADE: 1. PERE AMELOT by EDITH SITWELL THE COUNTESS CATHLEEN by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS THE WINDMILL by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES BOOKER T. WASHINGTON by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR LOVE IS LIKE A DIZZINESS by JAMES HOGG WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT? by WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS |
| |