Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Book of Days 14" by Martha Collins presents a reflective journey both literal, aboard a train, and metaphorical, through the realms of expectation, memory, and social consciousness. This poem intricately weaves the personal with the collective, exploring the dissonance between the natural world's beauty and the harsh realities of human inequality and longing.

Collins begins with a simple, relatable moment of disorientation: expecting the verdant hues of summer only to be confronted with the more subdued palette of gray, brown, and white that characterizes the landscape viewed from the train. This moment of expectation versus reality serves as a metaphor for broader themes of disconnection and yearning—not just for the colors of a different season but for a different world.

"I'm still in summer grass, that strange / green lake, in last night's dream," the speaker reflects, suggesting a longing for the warmth and vibrancy of summer—a time of growth and life—amidst a colder, harsher reality. This juxtaposition of the remembered and the immediate highlights the human capacity for recall and desire, even when present circumstances might not align with our hopes or memories.

The poem then shifts focus outward, to the societal and the collective, noting the hunger of people "who've never taken vacations, / whose kids never went to camp, / who were hungry before." This passage underscores the socioeconomic disparities that exist parallel to the natural and personal worlds the speaker navigates. Collins does not shy away from the uncomfortable truth that, for many, the luxuries of leisure and even the basic necessities of life remain out of reach.

"Things have always been this way won't do. / I am hungry too won't do." In these lines, Collins rejects passive acceptance of injustice and individualistic expressions of discontent as inadequate responses to societal issues. The mention of the honeycomb, mole-rats, and gibbons singing at dawn serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life, a call to acknowledge our shared existence and vulnerabilities.

"We are all kin in this world, / who can think at dawn of other dawns, / who can dream of other dreams --" These lines emphasize a collective identity and potential, suggesting a capacity for empathy and a shared responsibility toward one another. Collins posits the idea that our ability to imagine a different world, to dream of better times, binds us together in our humanity.

The poem concludes with a contemplation on the concept of "ending everything," exploring the notion that the refusal to accept things as they are ("Won't do") might lead to transformative change. The phrase "as if Won't were another, greener side of Won't do" captures the poem's essence: the belief in the possibility of change, in moving beyond resignation to action, and in the hope that a better world lies just on the other side of our collective efforts to reimagine and rebuild.

"Book of Days 14" navigates the complex interplay between personal experience, the natural world, and the broader societal context, offering a poignant reflection on longing, responsibility, and the potential for change. Collins challenges readers to look beyond the immediate and the individual, to see the world and its possibilities through a lens of shared humanity and interconnectedness.

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

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