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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

SONG, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

Donald Justice?s "Song" captures a fleeting and luminous moment, using a delicate blend of imagery and tone to evoke a sense of wonder and innocence. The poem, compact in form and musical in its phrasing, reflects Justice’s characteristic sensitivity to light, color, and atmosphere. Through its depiction of a morning transformed into a "fairy tale," the poem suggests a world momentarily enchanted, viewed with a childlike sense of awe and delight.

The poem opens with the image of morning "opened / Like a rose," an arresting metaphor that imbues the scene with beauty and fragility. The comparison of morning to a blooming rose introduces the central motif of transformation, as light begins to illuminate the world. This is followed by the description of snow on a roof taking on a "rose-color," a phenomenon of nature transfigured by light. Justice?s focus on the interplay of light and color creates a visual immediacy, grounding the reader in the sensory experience of the moment.

As the poem progresses, the street itself "leaps" toward light, a personification that conveys both the energy of the morning and the speaker’s own rising joy. The image of light rippling over bricks "like the scales of a fish" is particularly striking, combining the solidity of the urban landscape with the fluid, shimmering quality of water. This simile bridges the natural and the manmade, suggesting a seamless unity between the two under the transforming power of light. The street, once mundane, becomes a site of magic and wonder, reflective of the speaker?s heightened perception.

The steeple clock, a symbol of measured time, also becomes a source of light, shedding "brightness" that falls down onto the shops below. This interplay between the temporal (the clock) and the eternal (light) subtly underscores the tension between fleeting moments and their enduring impact. The poem captures an instance that, while transient, resonates deeply, becoming a "fairy tale"—a narrative imbued with magic and moral significance.

Justice’s deliberate use of repetition and musical phrasing lends the poem a song-like quality, appropriate to its title. Phrases such as "rose-color took," "brightness fell down," and "rippling the bricks" emphasize the rhythm and cadence of the lines, enhancing their lyrical quality. The repeated use of "rose," both as a color and as an opening, ties the poem together, while the refrain-like structure mirrors the cyclical nature of mornings and fairy tales alike.

The poem concludes with a shift in tone, as the speaker reflects on the ephemeral nature of the experience: "And all that day / Was a fairy tale / Told once in a while / To a good child." The comparison of the day to a fairy tale suggests that such moments of beauty and wonder are rare, cherished experiences, akin to stories reserved for special occasions. The reference to a "good child" adds a layer of moral and emotional resonance, implying that such moments are a reward for innocence or openness to wonder. At the same time, the phrase "told once in a while" acknowledges their rarity, lending the poem a wistful, nostalgic undertone.

In "Song," Justice masterfully combines the ordinary and the extraordinary, transforming a simple morning into a moment of transcendence. The poem’s vivid imagery, musicality, and reflective tone invite the reader to experience the world through the lens of childlike wonder. By capturing the fleeting beauty of a single day, Justice reminds us of the magic inherent in everyday life, if only we have the eyes to see it.


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