Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Galway Kinnell's poem "Lastness: 1" is a brief yet profound reflection on persistence, warmth, and the small yet significant ways in which light and life endure in a world marked by desolation. Through his use of vivid imagery and thoughtful metaphor, Kinnell explores themes of continuity, community, and the enduring power of simple acts of creation.

The poem opens with the striking image of "skinny waterfalls" that appear as "footpaths / wandering out of heaven." This metaphor suggests a celestial origin for these natural phenomena, as if they are delicate trails leading from a higher plane to the earth. The waterfalls "strike / the cliffside, leap, and shudder off," capturing the dynamic and ephemeral nature of their movement. This image sets a tone of ethereal beauty contrasted with the solid, harsh reality of the cliffside they encounter.

The scene then shifts to a more personal and poignant image: "Somewhere behind me / a small fire goes on flaring in the rain, in the desolate ashes." This fire, despite being "small" and surrounded by "desolate ashes," persists in its flaring. The rain, typically a force that extinguishes fire, instead frames the persistence of this flame. The fire symbolizes hope, warmth, and the human spirit's resilience amidst desolation and hardship.

Kinnell’s line "No matter, now, whom it was built for" suggests that the original purpose or intended recipient of the fire is no longer relevant. What matters is that the fire exists, providing its warmth and light indiscriminately. This notion is reinforced by the next lines: "it keeps its flames, / it warms / everyone who might wander into its radiance." The fire becomes a communal source of comfort, not limited to any one person but extending its warmth to "a tree, a lost animal, the stones." This inclusivity underscores the fire's role as a beacon of survival and a source of solace in a bleak landscape.

The final lines, "because in the dying world it was set burning," anchor the poem in a broader existential context. The phrase "dying world" evokes a sense of impermanence and decay, yet the act of setting the fire burning becomes an act of defiance against this inevitable decline. The fire’s existence, its radiance, and the warmth it provides are small acts of resistance and affirmation in the face of a "dying world."

Kinnell's use of imagery in this poem is both stark and tender. The waterfalls and the small fire together symbolize the delicate balance between the ethereal and the earthly, the transient and the enduring. The poem's brevity and its focus on these singular, potent images allow readers to deeply feel the warmth and light emanating from the fire, as well as the quiet persistence of the natural world.

"Lastness: 1" is a meditation on the small, enduring acts that continue to provide warmth and light, even when their original purpose may have been forgotten or lost. It celebrates the quiet resilience of life and the enduring power of simple, kind acts in a world that may seem increasingly desolate. Through this poem, Kinnell reminds us of the importance of maintaining our small fires, both literal and metaphorical, for they offer light and warmth not just to ourselves but to all who might wander into their radiance.

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