Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Brigit Pegeen Kelly’s “Petition” is a contemplative, prayer-like poem that captures a yearning for slowness, patience, and a deep attunement to the rhythms of nature. Structured as a litany of requests, the poem invites readers into a meditative state, exploring themes of time, growth, and the interconnectedness of life. Kelly’s masterful use of imagery and repetition underscores the tension between the inevitable passage of time and the speaker’s desire to hold it in suspension, savoring each moment.

The poem opens with an acknowledgment of time’s elasticity: "These are the long weeks. The weeks / Of waiting." This sets the tone for a meditation on temporality, where the speaker simultaneously acknowledges the passage of time and petitions for its elongation. The word "waiting" suggests anticipation, a longing for something yet to come, but the speaker paradoxically asks for this waiting to be prolonged, revealing a desire to dwell in the present moment rather than hasten its conclusion.

Kelly’s imagery is rooted in the natural world, and the deliberate pace of growth becomes a central motif. The seedlings, climbing "the air slowly / As if it were a ladder," mirror the speaker’s plea for gradualness. The metaphor of the air as a ladder suggests an arduous but intentional ascent, where each step is measured and deliberate. This portrayal of growth contrasts with the typical urgency of modern life, offering an alternative vision of existence grounded in patience and careful observation.

The recurring references to agricultural and elemental processes—bone meal, peat, seedlings, and rivers—emphasize the cycles of life and decay. The "fetid smell of bone meal" evokes both the physicality of decomposition and the promise of renewal, as nutrients are returned to the earth. This duality of decay and growth reflects a broader theme of transformation and the interconnectedness of all living things. The river, described as "slowing to a hazy laze," further reinforces the poem’s emphasis on stillness and the beauty of unhurried motion.

Throughout Petition, Kelly contrasts the artificial and natural worlds, highlighting humanity’s intrusion into the environment while maintaining a sense of harmony between the two. The "wide-wheeled yellow tractors" that "stall traffic" introduce a human element into the pastoral scene, yet their movement along the highway becomes part of the slow, deliberate rhythm the speaker seeks. Similarly, the "dust from the playing fields" settling "like pollen" transforms an image of human activity into one that aligns with nature’s processes. This interplay between the human and the natural suggests that slowness and connection to the earth can still be found amidst modern disruptions.

The speaker’s invocation of the willow tree, with its "love of water" and "dark and beaded rain," symbolizes a longing for a gentle, nourishing storm rather than one of destruction. The willow’s association with resilience and adaptability enhances this desire for natural sustenance and balance. The rain becomes a metaphor for emotional release, an acknowledgment of the storms within that must be embraced to foster growth and renewal.

Kelly’s use of repetition and variation lends a lyrical quality to the poem, echoing the structure of a prayer or incantation. The repeated "Let" functions both as a plea and a surrender, allowing the speaker to simultaneously request and accept the unfolding of events beyond their control. This balance between active petition and passive acceptance encapsulates the poem’s central tension: the desire to influence time while also recognizing its inherent independence.

The poem concludes with a subtle shift in tone, as the willow’s storm is described as "the only storm we long for." This final plea for a specific, gentle form of turbulence encapsulates the speaker’s hope for a life attuned to nature’s rhythms, where even the disruptions are measured and purposeful. It is a vision of existence that values harmony over haste, process over product, and connection over consumption.

“Petition” is a richly textured exploration of time, growth, and the cycles of life. Through its vivid imagery and lyrical structure, Kelly invites readers to embrace the beauty of slowness and the interconnectedness of all things. The poem serves as both a meditation and a call to reconsider how we move through the world, urging us to find joy in the deliberate unfolding of life’s processes.

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