Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Book of Days 13" by Martha Collins offers a contemplative snapshot that juxtaposes the mundanity of a snowy day with the internal landscapes of human emotion. Through the act of observing a man clearing snow, the poem weaves together themes of routine, the physical world's influence on the psyche, and the constant flux of our emotional states.

The poem opens with a vivid image: "A man in a little white truck / with red wheels and a black scoop / is clearing the walks." This scene is immediately relatable and grounded in the physicality of winter. The detailed description of the truck and its movements imbues the scene with a sense of precision and care, transforming an ordinary task into a dance-like performance. The act of clearing snow, a seemingly Sisyphean task amidst ongoing snowfall, mirrors the internal processes of coping and managing emotions.

Collins's use of sound, "Beep beep he comes / to a halt, lifts, then lowers the scoop / with a lilt, like a dancer's arm," adds a rhythmic quality to the poem, further emphasizing the graceful, almost ceremonial nature of the snow-clearing process. This moment captures the beauty in the everyday, the artistry in the mundane, inviting readers to find significance in routine actions.

As the snow continues to fall, "It crosses itself, it rises / in little leaps," the external environment reflects the poem's deeper exploration of the human condition. Snow, with its capacity for transformation and its insistence on presence, becomes a metaphor for the ebb and flow of personal challenges and emotional states.

The speaker's introspection, "This morning I felt a trouble start / to rise, light as a layer / of lace -- / then fall / with the weight of snow that falls / from the roof, like bundled cargo," links the external act of clearing snow to the internal act of managing emotions. Here, Collins masterfully connects the physical with the psychological, suggesting that just as snow accumulates and is cleared, so too do our worries and troubles rise and fall within us.

The imagery of snow falling "like bundled cargo" evokes a sense of heaviness, the tangible impact of accumulated worries or troubles that suddenly release, paralleling the sudden and sometimes overwhelming nature of emotional burdens.

The closing lines, "Now it rests / like the light cover in which / the heart, warm, in a safe place, lies / and goes, little machine, about its work," offer a moment of repose and reflection. The heart, described as a "little machine," continues its work despite the external cold and the internal turmoil, symbolizing resilience and the continuance of life amidst fluctuating circumstances.

"Book of Days 13" is a meditation on the rhythms of life, the persistence of routine amidst the chaos of nature and emotion. Collins captures a moment in time that speaks to the broader human experience of facing and managing challenges, both external and internal. Through the simple act of clearing snow, the poem opens up a space for reflection on how we navigate our own emotional landscapes, reminding us of the resilience and beauty to be found in the everyday.

POEM TEXT: https://capa.conncoll.edu/collins.space.htm#DAYS

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...