Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Jorge Luis Borges' poem "Afterglow" ("Último Resplandor") captures the haunting and transient beauty of the moments just after sunset, when the last light of the day lingers on the horizon, creating a fleeting, almost surreal atmosphere. Through this vivid imagery, Borges delves into themes of impermanence, the human fear of darkness, and the thin line between reality and illusion.

The poem begins by acknowledging that "Sunset is always disturbing," whether it is grand and dramatic ("theatrical") or subtle and subdued ("muted"). Borges suggests that the end of the day, marked by the setting sun, evokes a sense of unease or melancholy, as it signals the inevitable arrival of night and darkness. This transition from light to dark is a natural part of the daily cycle, yet it carries with it a psychological weight, perhaps because it reminds us of the passage of time and the impermanence of all things.

However, Borges finds something even more unsettling in "that last desperate glow" that occurs after the sun has set, when "nothing is left of the pomp and clamor of the setting sun." This "desperate glow" refers to the afterglow, the lingering light that briefly illuminates the landscape after the sun has dipped below the horizon. Borges describes how this light "turns the plain to rust," using the metaphor of rust to convey the transformation of the landscape into something aged, decaying, and yet momentarily vibrant in a different way. The afterglow, though beautiful, is imbued with a sense of desperation, as if it is straining to hold onto the light, resisting the encroaching darkness.

The central tension of the poem lies in the struggle to "hold on to that light, so tautly drawn and different." Borges captures the human desire to cling to the last vestiges of light, driven by "the human fear of the dark." This fear imposes a kind of "hallucination" on the landscape, making the afterglow appear more substantial or enduring than it truly is. The light of the afterglow is "tautly drawn," suggesting it is stretched to its limit, fragile and ready to snap at any moment. It is "different" from the light of day—more elusive, more transient, and yet, in its brief existence, profoundly impactful.

Borges compares the realization of the afterglow's "falsity" to the moment a dream is broken when the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming. Just as the illusion of the dream vanishes once recognized, the afterglow ceases to hold its power once we understand that it is merely a temporary phenomenon, an illusion created by our fear of the dark. The afterglow is not a lasting source of light but a brief, dying ember of the day, and its beauty is intertwined with the knowledge of its imminent disappearance.

The poem reflects Borges' deep engagement with the themes of reality and illusion, a recurrent motif in his work. The afterglow, like a dream, exists on the boundary between the real and the imagined, between light and darkness. It is a moment of transition, where the familiar world of daylight gives way to the unknown and uncertain realm of night. Borges captures the poignancy of this moment, where beauty and melancholy are inseparable, and where the human mind, in its reluctance to embrace darkness, creates a fleeting illusion of light.

"Afterglow" is a meditation on the transitory nature of beauty and the human tendency to resist the inevitable. Through the metaphor of the afterglow, Borges explores the tension between holding on to what is passing and accepting the darkness that follows. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of transition and loss, and the ways in which we create and cling to illusions in the face of impermanence. In Borges' hands, the simple image of the fading light becomes a profound symbol of the human condition, caught between the desire for continuity and the reality of change.

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