Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Forrest Gander's "Moon and Page Ghazal" is a haunting and complex poem that employs the traditional form of the ghazal to explore themes of interaction, pain, and the passage of time. Each couplet stands alone yet is thematically linked, creating a mosaic of emotions and images that reflect the intricacies of human relationships and the inevitable fade of moments and experiences.

The poem begins with a cosmological reference: "Before the neutrinos could interact with matter, they went out." This scientific allusion sets a tone of detachment and transience, suggesting that even the smallest particles of the universe are subject to the whims of existence and disappearance. The neutrinos, fundamental and almost imperceptible, mirror the ephemeral nature of the poem's subsequent images.

Gander transitions to a more intimate and troubling scene: "His voice hardened. The foreplay went out." Here, the hardening of the voice and the cessation of foreplay suggest a shift from tenderness to something more mechanical or harsh, indicating a breakdown in communication and emotional connection. The suddenness of "went out" reinforces the abruptness of this change.

The imagery of violence and control is starkly presented in the next couplet: "Through a pocked sky he dragged her by the rope in her mouth. / She didn't like it. When he opened the door, her stray went out." This disturbing image of a woman being dragged evokes feelings of powerlessness and submission, while the mention of a "stray" suggests a brief moment of freedom or escape that is quickly extinguished.

The poem then explores the idea of inflicting and receiving pain: "To wound him no deeper than to awaken him, she thought. / Under eaves, the buzzing of mud daubers in their piped clay went out." The woman's intention to wound as a means of awakening hints at a complex dynamic of hurt and intimacy. The buzzing of mud daubers, insects that build intricate nests, symbolizes the persistent and often unnoticed labor that goes into maintaining or dismantling relationships.

Gander introduces an enigmatic image: "That could not be his meaning, on two legs walking backward. / But whoever heard her pray went out." This line suggests confusion and misinterpretation, with the act of walking backward symbolizing a retreat or reversal. The idea that "whoever heard her pray went out" implies a sense of abandonment or unanswered pleas.

The next couplet brings a jarring comparison to the rapid response of a fly: "Only a fly responds to a moving hand in thirty milliseconds. / Biting the hole in her lip as each day went out." This line juxtaposes the quick, instinctual reaction of a fly with the more drawn-out and painful experience of the woman, who endures each day with a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil.

The final couplet culminates in a moment of ritual and realization: "They met at the footsteps of the altar, in a groined chamber of salt. / Forever, she said-flash- / -smiling as the bridesmaid went out." The imagery of an altar and a chamber of salt suggests both sacredness and preservation, yet the fleeting "flash" of "forever" underscores the impermanence that runs through the poem. The bridesmaid "going out" signifies the end of the ceremonial moment and a return to the mundane or the inevitable fading away.

"Moon and Page Ghazal" uses the ghazal form's characteristic repetition and thematic disjunction to weave a narrative of fleeting connections and enduring pain. Each couplet, while self-contained, contributes to a larger tapestry that examines the fragility of human relationships and the constant interplay of presence and absence. Through vivid and often unsettling imagery, Gander captures the elusive nature of permanence and the continual march of time, leaving readers to ponder the complexities of love, loss, and the spaces in between.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Science_Steepleflower/miMM0TaaSOMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=MOON%20AND

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