Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Farewell" by David Ferry is an evocative and deeply introspective poem that contemplates the process of withdrawing from the sensory world, delving into themes of isolation, the cessation of life, and the retreat into inner darkness. Through lyrical and sensory-rich language, Ferry captures the poignant act of saying goodbye to existence as it is known, guiding the reader through a profound and personal journey towards silence and obscurity.

The poem begins with a series of commands or wishes for the sensory experiences to cease: "Let the day fall like light out of the eye. / Out of the ear let its music go." These lines suggest a fading of perception, a relinquishing of the vividness of life as light and sound withdraw from the speaker’s experience. The imagery of light falling from the eye not only connotes a loss of vision but also symbolizes a broader diminishing of awareness and connection to the external world.

Ferry extends this sensory deprivation to touch: "From the touch / Let the touching of air retire." The separation from even the most subtle of contacts, air, emphasizes a deepening isolation, a stepping back from all that ties one to life and its manifold interactions.

The poem's refrain, "Remain in the dark, / Dumbly remain in the dark," reinforces the theme of retreat and disappearance into obscurity. The repetition of "remain in the dark" serves as a haunting echo of finality, underscoring the completeness of the withdrawal. The use of "dumbly" conveys a sense of mute resignation or incapacity, suggesting that not only is the speaker unseen, but also unheard.

Ferry poignantly questions what remains of a person once they have withdrawn from the sensory world: "What will they know / Of you then, or want, when, then, in the dark you remain?" This rhetorical question addresses the essence of identity and existence—what is left of a person when they no longer engage with the world? It speaks to a fundamental human fear of oblivion and the loss of significance once one ceases to interact with others.

The poet reflects on the origins of perception and consciousness: "Knowledge began with the pressure of light on the eye, / And the ear spun out of thin air its airy tune." These lines poetically describe the beginnings of sensory perception as a miraculous creation from nothingness, highlighting how sensory inputs construct our understanding of reality and our consciousness itself.

As the poem moves towards its conclusion, it intensifies the call for total seclusion: "Shrink, then, into your dark, be locked up in yourself, / Shadow of shadow be in your nothing dark, / Oh be keep to yourself, be close, be moat, be wall / All dark. Hush. Hear hush. Vanish. Know nothing." This cascade of imperatives drives home the completeness of the farewell to the world. The imagery of becoming a "shadow of shadow" and the commands to "Vanish. Know nothing." are powerful evocations of ceasing to be, both physically and metaphysically.

The final line, "How then will the day light knock at the lid in vain!" captures a chilling and final separation from life, possibly alluding to the lid of a coffin, beyond which the external light and life continue but cannot penetrate. It encapsulates the ultimate solitude and finality of death, where the sensory world continues unseen and unheard by those who have departed.

Overall, "Farewell" is a powerful meditation on the process of withdrawal from life, marked by a poignant surrender of the senses and a deep dive into the solitude of non-existence. David Ferry uses the sensory shutdown as a metaphor for the final human farewell, crafting a poem that is both haunting and profoundly reflective on the nature of ending and the solitude that accompanies it.

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