Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alice Fulton's "Diamond Solitaire" is a richly layered narrative that intertwines themes of memory, devotion, and the passage of time. Through the lens of family stories, religious rituals, and personal sacrifices, the poem explores the enduring influence of tradition and the weight of unfulfilled desires.

The poem begins with vivid imagery: "Green shades grew down the panes like moss. / The Callahans recalled the box / and ring." This opening sets a nostalgic tone, drawing readers into the recollections of the Callahan family. The mention of the engagement stone dropped into the lake and the subsequent humorous yet desperate attempt to retrieve it—holding the grandniece by her heels—introduces the central symbol of the diamond solitaire, which represents both loss and recovery, hope and despair.

Fulton then shifts to the character of Kit, a figure who embodies religious devotion and domestic duty. Kit's actions—winding her hair into a coronet, lighting a vigil light, and pledging devotions—underscore her commitment to faith and family. The imagery of Kit taking "the altar / linens home to launder" and fasting before the feast highlights her pious dedication. The mention of her promise to give her ring to the Church if spared from childbed fever, which claimed her mother, deepens the sense of sacrifice and the looming presence of death in her life.

At her Confirmation, Kit chooses "The Kitchen Saint" as her patron, vowing to "keep house" and "spin wool when she is not praying." This choice reflects her acceptance of a life centered on service and modesty. The poem contrasts Kit's religious aspirations with her domestic reality, as she crochets and waits during a damp Advent, imagining "gem-set edges on suspended rings of light within cathedrals." This juxtaposition highlights the tension between her spiritual yearnings and the mundane tasks that occupy her daily life.

The narrative takes a poignant turn with the arrival of Kit's suitor, who brings a box of candy. Expecting a proposal, Kit is disappointed and strikes his hand before he can present another box, containing a ring. This moment encapsulates the theme of unmet expectations and the fragility of hope. Kit's subsequent reflections, shared with her nieces while starching altar linens, reveal her lingering disillusionment and her struggle to reconcile her faith with her experiences: "Tell me, O ye professors of poverty, what does gold do in a holy place?"

The poem continues to explore Kit's life, including her purchase of a signet ring and her desire for a blue sink, symbolizing her modest aspirations and unfulfilled wishes. Her philosophical musings—"learning comes from books, penetration of a mystery comes from suffering"—suggest a resigned wisdom gained through hardship.

Fulton weaves in the family's collective memory, including the humorous anecdote of the diamond solitaire supposedly found in a fish by Kieran Fitzpatrick. This story, whether fact or family myth, adds a layer of magical realism and underscores the theme of lost and found. Kit's deathbed invocation of the Angel Mefathiel, Opener of Doors, connects her final moments to her lifelong devotion and the guidance she sought from religious figures.

The poem concludes with Kit's regret over never getting her blue sink, a poignant symbol of her unfulfilled desires and the small comforts she longed for but never received. The final line, "A trifle bungry, that was it," echoes her modest aspirations and the quiet acceptance of her life's limitations.

"Diamond Solitaire" by Alice Fulton is a deeply evocative poem that captures the complexity of human experience through the lens of family history, religious devotion, and personal sacrifice. Through its rich imagery and reflective tone, the poem invites readers to contemplate the interplay between hope and disappointment, faith and reality, and the enduring power of memory and tradition.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Powers_of_Congress/-RgVMZEgQvsC?q=&gbpv=1&bsq=DIAMOND#f=false

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