Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Aubade" by Frederick Louis MacNeice is a concise and striking poem that captures the disillusionment and bleak reality that often follows moments of intense experience or realization. The poem, though brief, is rich with imagery and meaning, exploring themes of existential reflection, the passage of time, and the confrontation with the harshness of reality after moments of fleeting joy or insight.

 Themes and Subject Matter

The poem presents a stark contrast between the vibrancy of life’s intense moments and the mundane, even grim, reality that follows. The word "aubade" traditionally refers to a morning love song or a poem about lovers parting at dawn, but here, MacNeice uses the term ironically. Instead of a romantic or hopeful dawn, the morning that follows the night is one of disillusionment, characterized by "sallow and grey bricks" and the cries of "newsboys crying war."

 Language and Imagery

MacNeice begins with the image of life being "bitten on... like a sharp apple," an evocative metaphor that suggests an initial experience of life as something fresh, crisp, and full of potential. The sharpness of the apple implies both the pleasure and the pain that can come from such an experience. This is immediately followed by the simile "playing it like a fish," which suggests the idea of life as something elusive and slippery, something that can be caught and enjoyed, but is always at risk of getting away. The metaphor of "playing it like a fish" also implies a certain skill or craftiness in navigating life’s challenges.

The phrase "been happy" stands alone, almost as a brief pause in the poem, emphasizing the fleeting nature of happiness. It's an acknowledgment of having experienced joy, yet it is presented almost as an afterthought, highlighting the transience of such moments.

The next line, "Having felt with fingers that the sky is blue," evokes the sense of having reached out and touched something abstract, something that is usually only observed from a distance. This suggests a deeper understanding or connection with the world, a moment of clarity or realization. However, the question that follows—"What have we after that to look forward to?"—introduces a sense of doubt and existential questioning. It implies that once these profound experiences have been had, there is a void or a lack of something new or exciting to anticipate.

 Tone and Mood

The tone of the poem is one of resigned melancholy, with a touch of cynicism. MacNeice acknowledges the beauty and intensity of certain life experiences, but he quickly shifts to the bleakness that often follows. The imagery of "sallow and grey bricks" evokes a sense of monotony and dreariness, in stark contrast to the vibrancy of the earlier images. The mention of "newsboys crying war" adds a layer of harsh reality, reminding the reader that the world is often filled with conflict and suffering, which can overshadow the fleeting moments of happiness or understanding.

 Structure and Form

The poem is composed of a single stanza, with six lines that follow an alternating rhyme scheme (ABCBDB). This structure gives the poem a rhythmic flow, while the rhyme scheme subtly reinforces the contrasts and juxtapositions within the content. The use of enjambment, particularly in the first two lines, helps to convey a sense of continuity and movement, mirroring the flow of life itself.

 Conclusion

In "Aubade," Frederick Louis MacNeice presents a meditation on the fleeting nature of joy and the inevitability of returning to a more mundane, even bleak, reality. The poem captures the tension between the intense, almost transcendent moments of life and the more sobering dawns that follow. Through vivid imagery and carefully crafted language, MacNeice explores the idea that after experiencing the highs of life, what often remains is a return to the ordinary, and sometimes, the harsh realities of the world. The poem leaves the reader with a sense of wistful reflection, questioning what, if anything, lies beyond those brief moments of happiness and insight.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...