|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Year's End" by William Everson is a compelling reflection on the transition from one year to the next, characterized by both a visceral depiction of the year's end and a personal meditation on change and continuity. Everson employs vivid, tumultuous imagery to evoke the fierce and tumultuous demise of the year, while also delving into a introspective stance towards the passage of time and the apprehension of the future. The poem opens with a powerful depiction of the year's end as a violent, stormy event, with "beating storms" coming from the north and "lightning swording the low sky." This imagery imbues the transition with a sense of conflict and struggle, likening it to a "traitored Norse stumbling under the deep wounds." The use of this metaphor suggests a noble but beleaguered demise, filled with fury and resistance, rather than a peaceful fading away. The year does not quietly expire; it fights until the last. Everson's perspective shifts from the external tumult to his personal experience, watching from the "northern room" as dusk falls. His self-described unsocial stance and cold regard for the coming year reveal a deep-seated wariness of change. He expresses a reluctance to embrace the unknown, reflecting a common human tendency to view the future with suspicion and apprehension. This skepticism towards "strangers" and "innovations" can be understood both literally and metaphorically, hinting at a broader resistance to the new and unfamiliar that the turning of the year represents. The poet's complex relationship with the passing year is further complicated by his reminiscence of the "summer, bountiful, the good fall, the months mellow and full." These memories of abundance and fulfillment contrast sharply with the violence of the year's end and his own guardedness towards what lies ahead. This juxtaposition underscores the poem's exploration of the cyclical nature of life, where endings and beginnings are intertwined with both loss and potential. As Everson sits in contemplation, watching the year "go down in thunder," the imagery of a stormy demise serves as a fitting metaphor for the process of reflection and transition. The thunder not only signifies the tumultuous end but also heralds the inevitable arrival of the new year, with all its unknown challenges and opportunities. "Year's End" is a poignant and evocative meditation on the passage of time, capturing the tumult, reflection, and resistance that accompany the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Through its vivid imagery and introspective tone, the poem invites readers to consider their own responses to change and the inexorable march of time.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LOST LOVE by ROBERT RANKE GRAVES TO GIOVANNI DA PISTOIA ON THE PAINTING OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL, 1509 by MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE WORKHOUSE by GEORGE ROBERT SIMS AMPHIPOLIS by ANTIPATER OF THESSALONICA BRUCE: HOW AYMER DE VALENCE, AND JOHN OF LORN CHASED THE BRUCE ... by JOHN BARBOUR THE FUGITIVE by PRINGLE BARRET |
| |