Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Cities, Plains and People: 10," Lawrence Durrell presents a richly layered and introspective poem that explores themes of isolation, inner conflict, and the intertwining of personal and collective history. The poem captures the stark transition into autumn, using the changing season as a metaphor for the colder, darker aspects of human experience, particularly those related to love, guilt, and the burdens of introspection.

The poem opens with the image of the earth turning "her cold shoulders to us," a vivid metaphor for the onset of autumn. This season, personified as coming "down to the robbing of the flowers," symbolizes the inevitable decline of life and beauty, as well as the stripping away of the superficial to reveal the underlying, often harsher realities. The "unstained sky" and "printless snow" evoke a sense of purity and emptiness, where the snow, described as "crisp as dreamers' fingers," suggests both delicacy and the fleeting nature of dreams and passions.

Durrell then shifts focus to the interior setting of the "island house," where "the rate of passion or tenderness / In this island house is absolute." This line suggests an intense, perhaps claustrophobic environment where emotions are heightened and unmediated, unrelieved by external distractions or influences. The "island house" serves as a microcosm for the self, a place of isolation where the speaker is confronted with their own inner turmoil.

The poem’s introspective turn is marked by the line "Within a time of reading / Here is all my growth / Through the bodies of other selves," indicating that the speaker's development has been deeply influenced by literature and the lives of others, whether real or fictional. These "other selves" are accessed "in books, by promise or perversity," suggesting that the speaker’s understanding of themselves is shaped by a mix of inspiration and transgression, by both the ideals and the darker impulses encountered through reading.

The "mutinous crew of furies" that the speaker references are emblematic of the internal struggles and conflicts that arise from this deep engagement with literature and self-reflection. These furies, mythological figures of vengeance and unrest, represent the chaotic and destructive forces within the self that must be confronted. The phrase "threw up at last the naked sprite / Whose flesh and noise I am" captures the culmination of this internal struggle, revealing the raw, unfiltered self that emerges from these battles — a self that is both the source of the speaker’s identity and the cause of their suffering ("my jailor and my inward night").

Durrell then expands the poem’s scope to include a broader cultural and historical context, as he reflects on "Europe, bound by Europe." This line suggests a continent and a culture constrained by its own history, traditions, and collective guilt. The figures of "Fedor and Anna" are introduced as the "last / Two vain explorers of our guilt," likely alluding to characters from Russian literature, possibly drawn from Dostoevsky’s works, which often grapple with themes of sin, redemption, and existential despair.

These characters, "made addicts of each other lacking love," are depicted as trapped in a cycle of mutual dependency and suffering, unable to escape their "friendless embittered and alone" existence. The "lesser pities" that "held them back / Like mice in secrecies" suggest that their lives are constrained by small, petty concerns that prevent them from achieving any meaningful connection or redemption. Yet, despite their "introspection and disease," they "held on to the unflinching bone," a metaphor for the grim determination to continue living and suffering, bound by their shared guilt and self-destructive tendencies.

The image of "the sad worn ring of Anna" symbolizes the binding commitment and loyalty to "filth and weakness," a marriage of sorts that keeps them together in their misery. This "slender bond" is forged not from love or joy, but from a shared recognition of their flawed humanity. The reference to "Fedor's raw cartoons and episodes" might suggest crude, unpolished expressions of their internal struggles, further emphasizing the rawness and vulnerability of their existence.

Durrell concludes the poem with a haunting image of these characters, "In cracked voices we can hear / These hideous mommets now / Like westering angels over Europe sing." The "mommets," or scarecrows, represent the hollow, frightening remnants of what once were full, vibrant lives. As "westering angels," they are fading, moving toward the western horizon — a traditional symbol of decline and death. Their song, though "cracked" and "hideous," is still a kind of testament to their existence, echoing across a Europe steeped in history, guilt, and the unfulfilled aspirations of countless lives.

"Cities, Plains and People: 10" is a complex meditation on the human condition, using the metaphor of autumn and the isolated "island house" to explore the themes of solitude, introspection, and the burdens of guilt and love. Durrell’s use of literary and historical references deepens the poem’s resonance, connecting personal suffering to the broader cultural and existential struggles that define the European experience. Through its evocative imagery and reflective tone, the poem invites readers to consider the ways in which we are shaped by our internal conflicts, our relationships, and the cultural and historical forces that surround us.

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