Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Five Soliloquies Upon the Tomb of Uncebunke: 5," Lawrence Durrell concludes the series with a poignant meditation on mortality, ritual, and the paradoxical nature of existence. This final soliloquy combines religious imagery, philosophical reflection, and a touch of dark humor, weaving together themes of death, faith, and the human condition.

The poem opens with the repeated line, "My uncle has entered his soliloquy," signaling that Uncebunke has fully embraced his final reflection, now moving towards the ultimate silence of death. The imagery of "The candles shed their fur" suggests the extinguishing of life, as the candles—symbolizing the human lifespan—burn down and lose their light. This image is followed by the plea, "O world be nobler for her sake," which could be interpreted as a call for the world to honor the memory of the deceased, perhaps an acknowledgment of the enduring impact of one's life even after death.

The line "The boys hang in the vestry, the days / Are drawing in" evokes the encroaching darkness of both evening and the end of life, as time steadily moves toward the inevitable conclusion. "Blow out the flesh, / The three-score ten of candles, / This squalid birthday-cake" refers to the biblical lifespan of seventy years ("three-score ten"), with the "birthday-cake" serving as a metaphor for life itself, now reduced to something "squalid" and trivial in the face of death. The act of "blowing out" these candles symbolizes the extinguishing of life, a final farewell to the physical body.

The request to "Give us to God with slim and shining handles" suggests a desire for a graceful, dignified transition into the afterlife, perhaps one that is cleansed of the indignities of the flesh. The mention of "Peter and Paul," two of Christianity's most important apostles, further grounds the poem in religious tradition, evoking the idea that the mysteries of life and death have been contemplated by spiritual figures long before us. Durrell imagines these apostles "Talked over in the Nazarene evenings, / Walked over Galilee arm in arm," presenting an idealized vision of spiritual conversation and communion, untainted by the complexities of modern life.

The poem then shifts to a more cynical tone with the introduction of "Cousin Judas," a figure synonymous with betrayal and moral ambiguity. Durrell invites Judas—and by extension, the reader—to "admit / It is the hour for affirmations," a moment to confront uncomfortable truths and acknowledge the contradictions inherent in human existence. The line "let us affirm the no-claim bonus, / The wages of sin" combines the language of commerce and religion, suggesting that even our most profound moral and spiritual considerations are often reduced to transactional terms.

Durrell continues this exploration of paradoxes by suggesting that "Chaos itself as a form of order" and encouraging the acceptance of "the sinner's pretty onus." This indicates a recognition that life is full of contradictions and that sin, chaos, and disorder are as much a part of the human experience as virtue, structure, and harmony. The image of "Crucify the choirboys" adds a layer of dark humor, implying that even the innocent and pure are not spared in the grand, often absurd, scheme of existence.

The poem concludes with a series of affirmations that highlight the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of death: "Preserve the senseless trajectory, / The doom of the bobbin in the loom, / From the rectory to the priory, / From bed to refectory, / From little womb eke to little tomb." Here, Durrell emphasizes the repetitive, predetermined course of life, where each stage is just another step toward the grave. The reference to "the Great Whale," a possible allusion to Moby-Dick, suggests a nod to the idea of fate or a higher power guiding this trajectory, leading to the final, resigned affirmation: "Be hale and whole! Amen."

In "Five Soliloquies Upon the Tomb of Uncebunke: 5," Durrell encapsulates the themes of the entire sequence—mortality, ritual, the absurdity of existence, and the interplay between chaos and order. The poem's blend of religious and secular imagery, combined with its reflective and sometimes sardonic tone, invites the reader to consider the complexity of life and the inevitable approach of death. Through this final soliloquy, Durrell offers a contemplative, yet unflinchingly honest, meditation on the human condition, ultimately acknowledging the mysteries and contradictions that define our existence.

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