Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Women in American Literature: An Introduction: 5," by Martha Collins, offers a poignant continuation of the themes of identity, memory, and the quest for understanding within the complex dynamics of gender and social roles. Through a narrative that weaves personal encounters with broader societal reflections, the poem delves into moments of discomfort, realization, and transformation, reflecting on the spaces between connection and isolation, tradition and change.

The poem opens in a restaurant, described as "my father's kind of place," clean and respectable by certain standards yet marked by slow service and dissatisfaction, symbolizing perhaps the inadequacies and imperfections beneath a surface of conventional success. The encounter with the waiter, addressed derogatorily as "Boy" and tipped with a mere dime, exposes the deeply ingrained prejudices and the casual cruelty that can underpin interactions within such settings. This moment, brief yet loaded with historical and racial tensions, serves as a catalyst for the narrator's contemplation and the subsequent journey.

Danny's departure and Sarah's planning suggest the divergent paths and responses individuals take to their surroundings and experiences. The narrator's choice to "try to understand" and the almost decision to stay when confronted with emotional distress underscore the complexities of empathy and the struggle to navigate personal relationships within the constraints of societal norms.

The return to the natural landscape, the finding of a bridge and a cave as refuge from an impending storm, symbolizes a search for authenticity and a shelter from societal storms. The "long white rush of water into the gorge" and the eventual crossing of the bridge in "green air, in the green rain" evoke a sense of renewal and transformation, a shedding of the weights of memory and expectation in the embrace of nature and the moment.

Sarah's assertion that "it's us, it's ours to bridge" speaks to the responsibility and power to forge connections, to bridge the divides of understanding and empathy that separate us. The journey continues alongside "the fingers that are these lakes," a metaphor for guidance and direction, leading them back to the town and the quest for the woman who "knew, who said, who lived here."

The poem closes on a reflective note, recounting an appeal for companionship and understanding, echoing the desire for a space to write, to express, and to be heard beyond the confines of expectations and judgments. The repeated calls to "Susan" underscore the need for connection, for a listener, for an ally in the struggles that lie "in deep waters."

Through "Women in American Literature: An Introduction: 5," Collins crafts a narrative that explores the tensions between societal roles and individual identity, the power of memory and the possibility of transformation. The poem invites readers to consider the ways in which we navigate the landscapes of our lives, the bridges we build or cross, and the voices we seek or become in the quest for understanding and expression.

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

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