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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Donald Justice's "Poem" is an intriguing exploration of the ephemeral nature of identity, memory, and art. The speaker's assertion that "This poem is not addressed to you" establishes a distancing effect, placing the reader in a peculiar position of being simultaneously acknowledged and dismissed. This paradoxical stance invites contemplation on the transient and mutable essence of both the self and the poem. From the outset, the poem underscores the inevitable transformation of the reader: "You may come into it briefly, / But no one will find you here, no one. / You will have changed before the poem will." This assertion highlights the fluidity of identity, suggesting that the reader's engagement with the poem is momentary and that they will evolve beyond the poem's static existence. The poem, in contrast, remains unchanged, a constant amidst the flux of human experience. The notion of change is further emphasized with the line, "Even while you sit there, unmovable, / You have begun to vanish." Here, Justice captures the paradox of human existence—our physical presence is stable, yet our essence is perpetually in flux. This vanishing act underscores the poem's indifference to the reader's presence or absence: "The poem will go on without you." This detachment imbues the poem with a "spurious glamor," a false allure that hints at the illusory nature of permanence and significance. Justice describes the poem as "not sad, really, only empty," suggesting a neutrality that eschews emotional attachment. The poem's emptiness is a deliberate state, one where "nostalgias were peeled from it long ago." This deliberate erasure of memory and emotion creates a stark, unadorned landscape where traditional beauty and sentimentality have no place. The line "Your type of beauty has no place here" reinforces this, setting the stage for a poem that exists in a void, "too black for stars." The poem's refusal to offer comfort or illumination is stark: "And do not look for any illumination. / You neither can nor should understand what it means." This enigmatic stance challenges the reader to relinquish the desire for meaning and resolution. The poem's "spurious glamor" lies in its resistance to being deciphered or providing solace. It exists as an entity unto itself, unyielding and self-contained. Justice's invocation to "close your eyes, yawn" implies a dismissal of the reader's engagement, reinforcing the poem's autonomy. The poem will endure, "most beautiful in its erasures," suggesting that its beauty lies in what it lacks or has lost. The final lines, "Nor is one silence equal to another. / And it does not matter what you think. / This poem is not addressed to you," underscore the poem's indifference to interpretation and opinion. The silence and emptiness that the poem embodies are unique and incomparable, rendering the reader's thoughts irrelevant. "Poem" by Donald Justice is a profound meditation on the nature of art and existence. It confronts the reader with the unsettling reality of their own transience and the poem's enduring indifference. Through its stark imagery and deliberate detachment, Justice invites readers to reflect on the impermanence of identity and memory, and the enigmatic beauty that lies in erasure and emptiness.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SNOWFALL by DONALD JUSTICE SONG:SO WHY DOES THIS DEAD CARNATION by HAYDEN CARRUTH WHAT I'VE BELIEVED IN by JAMES GALVIN ON THE RHINE by WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES TO FINE LADY WOULD-BE by BEN JONSON AN IRISH AIRMAN FORESEES HIS DEATH by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS TO AN ISLE IN THE WATER by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS PRAYER OF AN UNEMPLOYED MAN by W. C. ACKERLY |
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