Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Cleopatra Mathis's "Lessons: 10. Earth" offers a poignant reflection on aging, solitude, and the cycles of life as witnessed through the metaphor of gardening. The poem intricately connects the act of tending to a garden with a deeper engagement with mortality, renewal, and the acceptance of impermanence. Through vivid imagery and an empathetic tone, Mathis creates a portrait of a woman whose relationship with the earth mirrors her inner journey of self-discovery and resilience.

The opening lines set the tone for the poem's exploration of aging: “You see a woman of a certain age, not old, yet seeing every sign of how the world will age her.” This observation underscores the tension between her current vitality and the inevitability of decline. Her awareness of aging is neither resigned nor panicked; instead, it propels her toward an active engagement with the world. The garden becomes her sanctuary, a space where she can confront the passage of time by fostering life and beauty.

The speaker notes that the woman gardens "not for onions or potatoes," but for blooms and color—a symbolic act of prioritizing beauty and meaning over practicality. Flowers, with their transient and fragile nature, embody the ephemerality of life, yet they also represent renewal and hope. Her desire for “a breaking in the earth's disorder” speaks to her need to impose some semblance of control and create a sense of order amidst the chaos of the natural world and, perhaps, her own life.

The connection between the woman and the earth deepens as the poem describes her responses to nature’s intricacies: “Swollen branch, the right bird—they can make her cry.” This heightened sensitivity reflects her attunement to the rhythms of life and her recognition of beauty in fleeting moments. Her meticulous care in relocating plants and protecting them from pests and cold mirrors her effort to navigate and withstand life's challenges. The garden becomes a metaphorical battleground, where she resists the forces of decay and loss through acts of creation and preservation.

Mathis places particular emphasis on spring and its symbolic significance. The woman’s fascination with tulips, especially those "closest to the thawing ground," highlights her connection to beginnings and the cyclical nature of life. The act of planting bulbs in rain-soaked earth, her hands and body bearing the marks of her labor, evokes a sense of physical and emotional investment. The tulips' rise from the soil—"stiff-petaled, utterly still ones"—symbolizes resilience and the quiet triumph of life over adversity. Yet the speaker subtly hints at the inevitability of decline: even as flowers bloom, they are destined to fall.

The poem’s concluding lines shift focus from growth to acceptance of impermanence. The woman has learned to “prefer the fallen,” embracing the natural progression from life to decay. Her relationship with the garden evolves from one of striving and control to one of understanding and surrender. This acceptance reflects a broader wisdom: the recognition that all life, like the seasons, is part of a larger, unending cycle.

Mathis’s use of imagery and symbolism enriches the poem’s themes. The “waxy perfection of tulips,” the “black smear” of mud, and the “blankets of dirt” evoke the visceral connection between the woman and the earth. These details root her emotional journey in the physical act of gardening, emphasizing the interdependence between human life and the natural world. Furthermore, the repeated imagery of falling—flowers, seasons, and the woman herself—underscores the inevitability of change and the beauty inherent in the process.

"Lessons: 10. Earth" is a meditation on the human condition, rendered through the lens of gardening as an act of renewal and reconciliation. Mathis captures the profound interplay between creation and decay, hope and acceptance, as the woman learns to find peace in the cycles of life. Her journey resonates as an exploration of what it means to age with grace, to confront loss with courage, and to cultivate beauty in the face of impermanence.

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