Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Donald Justice?s "Sestina on Six Words by Weldon Kees" is an intricate meditation on isolation, burden, and the nature of human connection. Using the demanding sestina form, Justice weaves a pattern of repetition and variation around the six recurring words—others, voyage, silence, away, burden, harm—exploring themes of alienation and longing.

The poem opens with a contemplative tone, "I often wonder about the others, / Where they are bound for on the voyage," immediately establishing the speaker?s curiosity and distance from others. The use of "others" underscores the sense of separation, while "voyage" becomes a metaphor for life?s journey, fraught with uncertainty and individual struggles. The question of their "silence" adds a layer of mystery and unease, suggesting a communication gap that deepens their isolation. The phrase "was there some reason to go away?" hints at loss or abandonment, framing the sestina?s exploration of disconnection.

Justice?s use of repetition within the sestina form mirrors the cyclical nature of isolation and misunderstanding. The six keywords—employed in varying contexts and inflections—reinforce the sense that individuals are trapped in patterns of alienation. In the second stanza, the speaker considers reaching out, asking, "How can we show them we mean no harm?" Yet the attempts at connection falter: "But they shy from others... / Or turn abruptly, walk away, / To brood against the rail in silence." This imagery evokes a scene of estrangement on a ship?s voyage, a microcosm of human existence. The "rail" serves as a symbolic boundary, dividing individuals even within a shared journey.

The sestina?s form amplifies the tension between the desire for connection and the inevitability of separation. The cyclical recurrence of words like "harm" and "burden" emphasizes the weight of personal struggles that prevent individuals from fully engaging with one another. The line "To others they are always others, / And they can never break the silence" poignantly captures this paradox: while people share common experiences, their internal worlds remain inaccessible. The repetition of "others" underscores how humans perceive each other as fundamentally separate, unable to bridge the divide.

The poem also reflects on the emotional toll of isolation. In the fourth stanza, the speaker observes, "Others touch hands to ease the burden, / Or stroll, companionable in silence." While gestures of solidarity are possible, they are fleeting and insufficient to dissolve the barriers between individuals. The image of the foghorn, "speak[ing] of harm," underscores the ever-present undercurrent of fear and vulnerability. Even moments of companionship are tinged with fragility, as "hearts will stammer like the others’."

Justice uses the recurring motif of the "voyage" to explore the human desire for escape and renewal. The line "What do they wish for from the voyage / But to awaken far away" captures this yearning for liberation from pain and burden. The mention of birds crying at dawn evokes a moment of potential freedom and hope, yet the phrase "free from every harm" remains an unattainable ideal. The final stanza returns to the harsh reality: "The voyage leads on from harm to harm, / A land of others and of silence." The journey is not toward resolution or connection but an endless progression through suffering and isolation.

The poem?s conclusion is haunting in its resignation. The sestina form, with its rigid structure and cyclical word pattern, mirrors the inescapable repetition of human struggles. By the final lines, the speaker accepts the inevitability of solitude and the burden each individual carries. The "land of others and of silence" suggests that while humans exist together, they are ultimately alone, defined by their inability to fully transcend the barriers of selfhood.

Justice?s "Sestina on Six Words by Weldon Kees" is a masterful exploration of existential themes, rendered with precision and emotional depth. The repetition of key words creates a hypnotic rhythm, drawing readers into the cycles of thought and feeling that define the human condition. Through its meditative tone and evocative imagery, the poem captures the paradox of human existence: the longing for connection and the enduring reality of separation.

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