Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Book of Days 22" by Martha Collins is a reflective and evocative piece that delves into the interplay between nature and human experience, employing rain as a central motif to explore themes of perception, equality, and the transformative power of natural forces. Through a series of vivid images and comparisons, Collins crafts a narrative that transcends the individual, touching upon universal truths and the cyclic nature of life and conflict.

The poem opens with an image of plane trees in the rain, their bark shining "in the colors, the shapes of camouflage: / trees looking like men looking like trees." This initial metaphor sets the tone for the exploration of blurred lines between humanity and nature, suggesting the inherent connectedness and the often indistinguishable boundaries between them. The imagery of camouflage not only refers to the literal mimicry of natural patterns for concealment but also hints at the deeper ways in which humans align with or diverge from the natural world.

As the poem progresses, Collins shifts the focus to the effects of sunlight on trees, emphasizing the contrast between the rainy and sunny landscapes. The "darker green" grass under the shade of trees and the "thick veins / of giant leaves" evoke a sense of robust life and the intricate details that define the natural world. This imagery of vitality and strength, likened to "a giant's hands," suggests a protective, nurturing aspect of nature.

The reference to "Terrain with deep cracks, that old puzzle --" introduces an element of mystery and challenge, alluding to the complexities of the earth and perhaps the difficulties inherent in human attempts to understand or control the natural environment. This line serves as a segue into a broader contemplation of rain's indiscriminate nature.

Collins then widens the lens to include a scene in California, where rain falls on both the "queen and the president" and "the good / and the bad," emphasizing the universality of rain's touch. This democratizing aspect of nature, where rain showers upon everyone regardless of status or morality, underscores the theme of equality and shared experience.

The poem takes a darker turn with the mention of rain in the jungle, "on bodies fallen / like leaves, on bodies that walk --" Here, Collins touches upon the theme of conflict and the cycle of life and death, reinforced by the rain's persistence. The disappearance of shadows in the rain and the subsequent loss of things in "a larger rain" point to the erasure of distinctions and identities under the overwhelming forces of nature.

In the concluding lines, Collins speaks to the emergence of borders in "the largest rains," suggesting that while natural forces can blur distinctions and unify, they can also define and separate. The final image of a puzzle coming apart to become the world encapsulates the poem's exploration of the complex interplay between unity and division, nature and humanity, life and death.

"Book of Days 22" is a contemplative piece that invites readers to reflect on the profound and often paradoxical ways in which natural phenomena, such as rain, shape our understanding of the world and our place within it. Through her rich imagery and thoughtful juxtapositions, Collins offers a meditation on the cyclic nature of life, the inevitability of change, and the universal experiences that connect us all.

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

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