Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem opens with the speaker waking up in the bed where his grandmother died, setting a tone of intimacy and continuity with the past. The mention of November rain and the cold house immediately evokes a sense of discomfort and longing for warmth, both physical and emotional. The journey through the house to the kitchen, past walls that haven't been painted in sixty years, serves as a metaphor for the passage of time and the layers of family history contained within these walls.

The centerpiece of the poem, the grandmother stove, is described with affection and reverence. It's an "iron invention" that the whole room, and even the dogs, gravitate towards for warmth. This stove stands as a beacon of comfort and stability in the midst of the cold and the rain, holding within it memories of warmth, food, and family gatherings.

The process of lighting the stove is described in detail, from the small chips of pine to the hardwood kindling, evoking a sense of ritual and tradition. The use of last June's newspaper to start the fire connects the past with the present, a theme that runs throughout the poem. As the stove warms up, it's as if the house and its memories are being rekindled along with the fire.

Lora, a key figure in the speaker's memories, is introduced as someone who cooked and ruled the kitchen during the speaker's childhood. Through Lora's interactions with Boyd Varnum and the eggman, we glimpse the social and economic exchanges of a rural community, as well as the personal struggles Lora faces. Her bruised arms, a sign of domestic violence, contrast with the nurturing role she plays in the kitchen, highlighting the complexities of her character and situation.

The poem also touches on themes of care and nurturing, with references to cooking venison, warming milktoast for the sick grandmother, and drying the speaker's mittens next to the stove. These actions, centered around the stove, represent the warmth of care and love that sustains the family through hard times.

The image of the speaker as a child, playing with puppies under the stove and practicing reading the iron letters on the oven door, brings a sense of innocence and discovery to the poem. It underscores the idea that amidst the hardships and the passage of time, there are moments of joy and learning that shape us.

"Stove" is a richly layered poem that uses the motif of the family stove to explore themes of memory, history, warmth, and the complexities of human relationships. Through its vivid imagery and the deep sense of place it evokes, the poem invites readers to reflect on their own family histories and the objects or traditions that hold personal significance.

POEM TEXT: https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1975-12-15/flipbook/048/

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