Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Durrell’s poem "Eight Aspects of Melissa: Visitations" is a meditation on the fleeting nature of life, memory, and the residual traces that people and experiences leave behind. The poem contemplates the ephemeral presence of individuals and the way time erases their immediate impact, leaving only subtle, often haunting, reminders of what once was. Durrell uses rich imagery and a contemplative tone to explore the intersections of memory, loss, and the inevitable decay that time brings.

The poem begins with the metaphor of being "Left like an unknown's breath on mirrors," evoking the transient and delicate nature of memories and encounters. The breath on a mirror is a temporary mark, soon to fade, symbolizing the impermanence of human presence. The "enchanters" and "persuaders," who are perhaps figures of influence or past lovers, are swallowed by the seasons, their once potent influence reduced to nothing more than "ash in saucers." This image of ash—a symbol of what remains after something is consumed—underscores the idea of impermanence and the eventual disintegration of all things.

Durrell further illustrates this theme with the image of "mice, the last invaders," who are left to open cupboard doors or leave "lipstick-marks upon a cup." These small, seemingly insignificant details are all that remain of past encounters, reduced to traces that are easily overlooked or forgotten. The lipstick marks, a sign of intimacy, and the open cupboards, suggestive of something once full now emptied, reflect the ghostly presence of what was once vibrant and alive, now reduced to mere remnants.

The second stanza shifts the focus to a more philosophical inquiry, as Durrell invites the reader to "Fingerprint the crook of time" and question its motives. The "crook of time" suggests that time is a thief, subtly and inevitably taking away everything of value. The poem mentions "Eyes and thoughts and lovely bodies, / David's singing, Daphne's wit," alluding to iconic figures from art, mythology, and history, each representing different aspects of beauty, intellect, and creativity. The reference to "Eve's apple undigested" suggests a kind of original sin or knowledge that, once acquired, continues to "rot within us bit by bit." This rot signifies the slow and inevitable decay that comes with time, affecting both physical and mental faculties.

Durrell then explores the idea that "Experience in a humour ends," implying that life’s experiences often conclude in irony or dark comedy, wrapped in "its own dark metaphor." This line reflects the way in which life, with all its complexities, often leads to ambiguous or even contradictory conclusions, leaving behind metaphors that are difficult to fully decipher. As "winter breaks," a season traditionally associated with death and dormancy, the "Hungers" begin to rise "from the orchards of the mind." These hungers symbolize deep-seated desires, regrets, and unresolved emotions that resurface in old age, troubling "Old men's after-dinner sleep."

The image of the "Hungers" creeping up from the mind's orchards is particularly evocative, suggesting that the mind, like an orchard, bears fruit—memories, desires, and thoughts—that continue to grow and ripen even as the body ages. However, these hungers are not nourishing; instead, they disturb the peace of old age, reminding one of the unfulfilled or unresolved aspects of life.

"Visitations" is a reflective and melancholic poem that grapples with the transitory nature of existence and the lingering effects of time on memory and the human psyche. Durrell’s use of imagery—breath on mirrors, ash in saucers, lipstick marks—creates a vivid sense of the ephemeral, while his exploration of time’s "crook" and the undigested apple speaks to the inevitable decay that accompanies life’s experiences. The poem suggests that, in the end, what remains of our encounters and experiences are these faint, almost ghostly traces that continue to haunt and disturb us, especially as we confront the latter stages of life. Through this meditation on the fleeting and the forgotten, Durrell captures the poignancy of human existence, where even the most profound connections are subject to the eroding forces of time.

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