Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "At Straiti's," Lawrence Durrell offers a meditation on the nature of time, memory, and human experience, juxtaposed against the setting of a quiet tavern. The poem grapples with the fluidity of time and the introspective stillness that comes with solitude, weaving together themes of existential reflection and the passage of life.

Durrell begins by addressing the elusive nature of time, noting that "time has no joints." This phrase suggests that time is continuous, seamless, and unbounded—an ever-flowing entity that does not adhere to the segmented way humans typically perceive it. Instead of being divided into "slices called by day and night" or "objects called by place and thing," time in Durrell's view "pours over the great sills of thought," seamlessly connecting all of existence—"corn, ammonites and men"—in one unbroken continuum. The imagery here evokes a sense of vastness and inevitability, as time is depicted as something that envelops and transcends all boundaries, encompassing both the ancient and the modern, the natural and the human.

The poem then shifts to a more personal and intimate setting: a tavern, where the speaker, perhaps Durrell himself, finds solace in observing other drinkers. The tavern, a place without clocks, becomes a sanctuary from the structured passage of time. The speaker describes being "conscripted / By loneliness," indicating a deep sense of isolation that drives him to this space of contemplation. In this environment, the drinkers are "embalmed in reverie," lost in their thoughts and memories, detached from the outside world's demands.

Durrell’s choice of words such as "embalmed" suggests a state of preservation, as though the drinkers are suspended in time, caught in a moment that exists outside the regular flow of life. The green cones of wine and the heads resting on arms create a tableau of quiet resignation, where the drinkers are not actively participating in life but rather observing it from a distance, much like the speaker himself. The cypresses, traditionally symbols of mourning and death, frame this scene, further emphasizing the stillness and introspection of the moment.

The final lines of the poem reinforce the theme of time's fluidity and the futility of trying to capture or measure it. The "calendar props an empty inkwell," a powerful image that suggests the emptiness of trying to mark or quantify time. The inkwell, a tool for writing and recording, is empty, implying that the attempts to document time or life’s experiences are ultimately fruitless. The calendar, too, is a superficial marker of time's passage, one that fails to capture the true essence of the continuum that Durrell describes.

"At Straiti's" is a poem that invites reflection on the nature of existence and the ways in which we perceive and interact with time. Through its vivid imagery and contemplative tone, the poem explores the tension between the continuous flow of time and the human desire to segment and control it. Durrell suggests that in moments of solitude and introspection, we may catch glimpses of the deeper truths about time and existence—truths that cannot be neatly packaged into days, nights, or objects, but rather exist in the seamless continuum that unites all of life.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...