Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Hogan’s “Disappearances” is a poignant meditation on loss, memory, and the fragile beauty of life’s fleeting moments. Through a series of vivid, interconnected images, Hogan explores the ways in which love, loss, and history intersect, creating a landscape where the personal and the collective dissolve into one another. The poem is suffused with both the melancholy of inevitable partings and the quiet gratitude for the ephemeral connections that persist in memory.

The opening lines immediately establish the theme of impermanence: “Whatever love or hate we hold, / bridges collapse that joined land to land / like passion between bodies.” Hogan equates emotional bonds—whether rooted in love or hate—with physical structures like bridges, suggesting that even the strongest connections are subject to decay and destruction. The simile “like passion between bodies” introduces the idea that human relationships, no matter how intense, are transient. The imagery of collapsing bridges serves as a metaphor for the inevitable dissolution of connections, whether between people, places, or even within oneself.

The poem then moves from the abstract to the tangible, emphasizing the physical manifestations of loss: “Street lamps vanish. / The old horse I love, in the shadow of trees / it will lie down too quickly.” The disappearance of “street lamps” evokes a dimming of light, both literal and metaphorical, while the mention of the “old horse” introduces a more personal, intimate form of loss. The horse lying down “too quickly” conveys the suddenness with which life can slip away, highlighting the fragility of even the most enduring presences in our lives.

Hogan’s assertion “Nobody is at fault” introduces a note of acceptance, suggesting that loss is an inherent part of existence, not something to be blamed on any individual or circumstance. This stoic acknowledgment of life’s impermanence sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as Hogan weaves together personal memory with broader historical and cultural reflections.

The poem shifts to a historical context with the mention of “the Japanese women turned to go home / and were lost in the disappearances / that touched their innocent lives.” This reference could evoke the forced relocations and internments of Japanese Americans during World War II or the devastating bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hogan’s use of the word “innocent” underscores the indiscriminate nature of such tragedies, while the image of “small teacups rattling away on shelves” offers a haunting metaphor for the fragility of both life and cultural artifacts. The teacups, delicate and easily broken, symbolize the everyday lives and traditions that are vulnerable to being shattered by larger historical forces.

The next lines introduce the wisdom of “old women whose eyes are entire cities,” a powerful image that suggests the depth of experience and memory these women carry. Their eyes, described as “iron dark lattice work,” reflect the harsh realities they have witnessed, becoming windows into histories of suffering and endurance. The phrase “they saw and became” implies that these women have not only observed but have been fundamentally shaped by the events of their lives, embodying the collective trauma and resilience of their communities.

In their eyes, Hogan finds “silence, red ash and stormclouds,” evoking both the aftermath of destruction and the lingering tension of unresolved grief. The “red ash” could symbolize the remnants of fire or violence, while “stormclouds” suggest an ongoing threat or the emotional weight of past experiences. Yet, amidst this imagery of devastation, Hogan introduces a “quiet surprise of space carrying the familiar shape of what it held.” This line beautifully captures the paradox of absence—the idea that even when something is gone, its imprint remains, shaping the space it once occupied.

The poem then returns to the present, grounding these reflections in a domestic, intimate setting: “This moment the world continues. / I pour coffee into a cup my sister made / and count blessings.” The act of pouring coffee, simple and mundane, becomes a ritual of gratitude, a way to anchor oneself in the present despite the weight of loss. The cup, crafted by her sister, serves as a tangible link to family and creativity, a small but significant counterbalance to the poem’s earlier meditations on disappearance.

The mention of “two daughters sleeping with open mouths / full of moonlight” introduces a tender, almost ethereal image of innocence and the passage of time. The moonlight “ages them one day / through open windows,” emphasizing the quiet, inevitable progression of life. The idea that “childhood is leaving” underscores the transient nature of even the most cherished stages of life, reinforcing the poem’s central theme of impermanence.

The landscape outside becomes a mirror for these internal reflections: “Outside it is the color of Arizona. / Wide landscape of morning where people talk, red light.” The “color of Arizona” evokes a desert landscape, stark and beautiful, while the “red light” suggests both the warmth of dawn and the lingering presence of past fires. This interplay of light and color reflects the dual nature of memory—both illuminating and shadowed by loss.

The poem concludes with a deeply moving memory of an encounter with an “old woman who rode beside me long ago / to the Indian hospital in Chinle.” The woman’s silence is filled with meaning: “her eyes were full with the loss of children / brothers and sisters / with the certain knowledge that it is a good thing / to be alive and safe.” Despite the weight of her losses, the woman embodies a quiet resilience and an appreciation for life’s small blessings. Her presence serves as a reminder that even in the face of profound grief, there is value in simply “loving every small thing / every step we take on earth.”

Structurally, “Disappearances” flows in a stream-of-consciousness style, moving seamlessly between personal memory, historical reflection, and present experience. Hogan’s use of free verse allows the poem to unfold organically, mirroring the way memories and emotions surface and intertwine in the mind. The lack of punctuation in many lines creates a sense of continuity, as if the speaker is caught in an unbroken thread of thought and feeling.

At its core, “Disappearances” is a meditation on the inevitability of loss and the ways in which we carry those losses within us. Hogan acknowledges the pain of absence—whether of people, places, or moments—but also emphasizes the resilience found in memory and the small, everyday acts of living. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of loss and to find solace in the connections that endure, even in the face of disappearance. Through its rich imagery and deeply personal voice, “Disappearances” offers a profound exploration of the delicate balance between grief and gratitude, absence and presence.

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