Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Durrell's poem "Father Nicholas His Death: Corfu" is a reflective meditation on mortality, memory, and the enduring beauty of the natural world. Set against the backdrop of Corfu, an island steeped in myth and history, the poem grapples with the themes of death and continuity, using vivid imagery to explore the relationship between the transient human experience and the eternal cycles of nature.

The poem begins with an invocation to "Hush the old bones their vegetable sleep," immediately establishing a tone of reverence and quietude in the face of death. The phrase "vegetable sleep" suggests a natural, organic state of rest, as if the body, in death, returns to the earth and becomes part of the cycle of life. This cyclical nature is further emphasized by the assertion that "the islands will never grow old," a metaphor for the enduring, unchanging beauty of the natural world, which remains vibrant and timeless even as individual lives come and go.

Durrell contrasts the permanence of the islands with the fragility of human life, using the image of Atlantis, a mythical city that famously sank into the sea. Unlike Atlantis, which "on a Monday tumble[s]," the islands of Corfu are steadfast, "struck like soft gongs in the amazing blue," an image that conveys both the musicality and the serenity of the natural landscape. The islands, in their unchanging beauty, serve as a stark contrast to the ephemeral nature of human existence.

The poem then turns to Father Nicholas, urging him to "Dip the skull's chinks in lichens and sleep," suggesting a return to the earth and an acceptance of death's finality. The "water-gentry," likely a reference to mythical or spiritual beings associated with the sea, become his companions in this final rest. The "hero standing knee-deep in his dreams" represents those who remain behind, still caught up in the aspirations and struggles of life. This hero will "find and bind the name upon his atlas, / And put beside it only an X marked spot," indicating that even the most significant lives are ultimately reduced to mere markers on a map, small and insignificant in the grander scheme of things.

Durrell reflects on the nature of memory and legacy, suggesting that "memory" should be left "to the two tall sons," who will carry it forward. The "elegiac blue" of the sea, a recurring image in the poem, serves as a calming, eternal presence, soothing the departed with its gentle, mournful beauty. The line "A man's address to God is the skeleton's humour, / A music sipped by the flowers" suggests that in death, human concerns and prayers become a part of the natural world, transformed into something simpler and more fundamental, like the sustenance drawn by flowers from the earth.

The poem also touches on the continuity of life, asserting the "continuous nature of Love." Durrell describes how "one man dying and another smiling" conserves "for the maggot only a seed of pity," a powerful image that encapsulates the idea that life and death are intertwined, each feeding into the other. The metaphor of "winter's taciturn womb" already showing "a small and woollen lamb on a hilltop hopping" beautifully illustrates the idea that new life is always emerging, even in the depths of death and decay.

Durrell further explores this idea by asserting that "The dying and the becoming are one thing," emphasizing the unity of these processes. No matter where one goes, "the musical always is," meaning that the essence of life—its rhythm, its beauty—persists through all changes. The poem compares individual suffering to the greater pains of nature and history, asking rhetorically what one person's "pains" are compared to "the Great Danube's pains" or "pyramids of despair against Ithaca," suggesting that individual suffering, while significant, is but a small part of the larger tapestry of existence.

In a final, comforting image, Durrell speaks of "Your innocence...as the clear cistern / Where the lone animal in these odourless waters / Quaffs at his own reflection a shining ink." Here, innocence is depicted as pure and sustaining, like water that reflects and nourishes. The "old psalms" kneeling "like humble brutes" to drink at this cistern underscore the reverence and simplicity of true spirituality, which, like the natural world, is enduring and ever-renewing.

The poem concludes with a return to the earlier themes, urging to "Hush then the finger bones their mineral doze," reinforcing the idea of death as a natural return to the earth. The islands, "never...old or cold," remain vibrant and alive, "for the egg of beauty / Blossoms in new migrations," a metaphor for the ongoing cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The poem’s final lines, "All these warm when the flesh is cold. / And the blue will keep," offer a comforting assurance that while individual lives may end, the beauty of the world and the continuity of life will persist, untouched by the passing of time.

In "Father Nicholas His Death: Corfu," Durrell masterfully blends the themes of mortality, memory, and the eternal beauty of the natural world. Through his use of rich, evocative imagery and reflective tone, he creates a meditation on death that is both poignant and serene, offering solace in the face of life's inevitable end and celebrating the enduring power of nature and love. The poem invites readers to find peace in the continuity of life, even as they confront the realities of mortality.

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