Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Hogan’s “Leaving” is a complex, layered meditation on departure, identity, and transformation. Through vivid imagery and deeply personal reflections, Hogan explores the act of leaving not just as a physical departure but as a profound emotional and spiritual shedding. The poem is suffused with elements of nature and personal memory, blending the physical and the symbolic to illustrate the difficulty and necessity of moving on from the past.

The poem opens with a farewell to different “divisions of people,” setting the tone of separation and distance. The list-like structure of the opening lines—“those hickory-chopping, the hump hunters, / skunk people dung people / people who live under trees / who live in broken houses / and parts of houses”—evokes a sense of cataloging or inventory, as if the speaker is methodically acknowledging and releasing the various groups and identities that have surrounded or shaped her. The repetition of “people” emphasizes the breadth of human experience, yet the specificity of these descriptions suggests a personal history with each group. There is an underlying tone of bitterness, particularly in the line “Their-house-worn-out people are the meanest of all,” which suggests that those who are most broken or confined by their circumstances can become the most hardened or cruel.

The poem then shifts from the external to the internal as the speaker addresses herself directly: “My house-cut-off people, / I’m saying good-bye to that person behind me.” This marks a transition from leaving communities and environments to leaving behind aspects of the self. The “person behind me” represents a former version of the speaker, one defined by familial expectations and relationships: “She’s the one who tried to please her father, / the one an uncle loved for her dark hair.” This acknowledgment of familial ties highlights the weight of inherited expectations and the struggle to forge an independent identity.

Nature imagery permeates the poem, blurring the line between the human and natural worlds. The “White coyote behind me” serves as both a literal and symbolic figure. Coyotes often represent tricksters or shapeshifters in Native American traditions, and here, the coyote may symbolize the elusive, shifting nature of the past. The coyote’s features—“your eyes, your white shadows, your white round mouth / in its cage of black trees”—are ghostly and haunting, embodying the lingering presence of what the speaker is trying to leave behind. Similarly, the “moon running from branch to branch” suggests a restless, ever-present force that shadows the speaker’s journey.

Hogan continues to weave together personal history and natural symbolism with the lines: “Moon that lives in the water, / snapping turtle that crawled out at me. / Good-bye shooting horse above a dead man’s grave.” The moon, the snapping turtle, and the horse are potent symbols of transformation, danger, and memory. The moon reflects constant cycles of change, the snapping turtle represents ancient wisdom and resilience, while the “shooting horse” suggests both freedom and the shadow of mortality. Each of these symbols is connected to the act of leaving, as the speaker acknowledges their presence but ultimately bids them farewell.

The recurring motif of brokenness underscores the theme of departure. The “river who is the moon living in a broken house” and the “coyote dwelling among the blackjack broken off people” highlight the fractured nature of the speaker’s environment and identity. Even the turtle, typically a symbol of stability and protection, “lives in its round white shell,” suggesting isolation and retreat. Yet, despite this brokenness, there is an undercurrent of renewal and resilience. The speaker declares: “I can tell you good-bye,” asserting agency over the act of leaving.

The poem’s emotional climax arrives with the lines: “Good-bye to the carved bone beads I found by the river. / They can grow back their flesh, their small beating hearts, / air in the bones and gray wings / they fly away from me.” The bone beads symbolize remnants of the past—perhaps ancestral artifacts or personal mementos—that carry deep emotional weight. The idea that they can “grow back their flesh” and “fly away” suggests a release of grief and attachment, as if the speaker is allowing these pieces of the past to transform and move on, just as she is.

The final stanza ties together the themes of transformation and continuity: “Good-bye to the Milky Way who lives in his old worn-out place, / dog white his trail.” The Milky Way, often associated with eternity and the cosmos, represents the enduring presence of the universe even as the speaker moves on. The reference to “dog white his trail” could allude to the Dog Star (Sirius), a celestial guide, reinforcing the idea of navigating through change. The speaker’s departure is marked by both loss and continuity—while she leaves behind the old, the cosmic cycle continues.

The closing lines offer a powerful image of personal transformation: “All my people are weeping when I step out of my old skin / like a locust singing good-bye, / feet still clinging to the black walnut tree.” The locust is a potent symbol of metamorphosis, shedding its skin to emerge renewed. The act of “singing good-bye” suggests that leaving is not only a painful process but also a celebratory one, an affirmation of growth and change. However, the “feet still clinging to the black walnut tree” indicates that complete detachment is difficult; traces of the past remain, anchoring the speaker even as she moves forward.

Structurally, the poem flows in free verse, reflecting the organic, unstructured nature of personal transformation. The repetition of “good-bye” acts as a refrain, emphasizing the emotional weight of departure and the speaker’s resolve to let go. Hogan’s use of rich, layered imagery blurs the boundaries between the physical and the metaphorical, creating a tapestry of personal and collective memory.

In “Leaving,” Linda Hogan masterfully captures the complexity of departure—not just from people and places, but from identities, histories, and emotional entanglements. The poem is a testament to the resilience required to let go of the past while acknowledging its indelible impact on the present. Through vivid natural imagery and deeply personal reflections, Hogan illustrates that leaving is not an act of abandonment but a necessary step in the journey toward self-realization and renewal.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...