Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

William Stanley Merwin's poem "After School" captures a young boy's longing for escape and adventure, juxtaposed with the reality and consequences of those desires in adulthood. Through vivid and evocative imagery, Merwin explores themes of confinement, desire, and the interplay between youthful fantasies and adult realizations.

The poem opens with a straightforward expression of the speaker's desire to leave school: "For a long time I wanted / to get out of that school / where I had been sent / for the best." This sentiment establishes a sense of confinement and dissatisfaction with an environment intended to be beneficial. The phrase "for the best" suggests a disconnect between the speaker's needs and the intentions of those who placed him there.

Merwin then delves into the speaker's imagined escape: "I thought of climbing / down the vine / outside the window / at night." The image of climbing down a vine evokes a sense of adventure and rebellion, reminiscent of a fairytale-like escape. This desire to leave is further detailed as the speaker plans his route carefully, waiting for the watchman to turn a corner: "after the watchman / had turned the corner / to the boiler room / in the sweet autumn dark."

The speaker's fantasy continues with a clandestine journey through the school: "I wanted to slip / through the still dining hall / and down the cellar stairs / in the girls’ wing." This route is carefully chosen, highlighting the thrill of moving unseen through forbidden spaces. The mention of "the first book / of War and Peace" and its waltzing scenes adds a literary dimension to the fantasy, linking it to grand, romantic escapades.

The poem takes a turn as the speaker imagines convincing a girl to join him: "I would have persuaded / a girl I liked / to meet me there / and we would swim whispering." This part of the fantasy introduces a sense of intimacy and shared rebellion, further enriching the imagined escape. The swimming pool, illuminated by streetlight, transforms into a magical, moonlit realm: "while the light from the street / shone through its frosted windows / like the light of the moon."

Merwin captures the excitement and tension of this imagined escape: "where the sound of the water / made the heart beat loud / to think of it." The sensory details create a vivid and immersive experience, emphasizing the thrill of the fantasy.

However, the poem shifts abruptly as the speaker reflects on the reality: "but I never / got away then." This acknowledgment of unfulfilled desires brings a sense of resignation and maturity. The speaker's current perspective reveals a darker reality tied to his past fantasies: "there is a black wolf / tied there waiting / a thin bitch / who snaps at my right hand."

The black wolf symbolizes the consequences and dangers associated with the speaker's desires. Despite this, the speaker chooses to face the wolf: "but I untie her / and we find our way / out of there as one / and down the street." This act of untying the wolf and escaping together suggests a reconciliation with the darker aspects of the self and a willingness to confront and integrate these parts.

The poem concludes with a powerful image of liberation and solitude: "hungry / nobody in sight at that hour / everything closed / behind us." This ending reflects both the fulfillment of the speaker's longing for escape and the inevitable solitude and hunger that accompany it. The closed world behind them signifies leaving the past and its confines, while the open, empty streets symbolize the uncertainty and freedom of the future.

"After School" by William Stanley Merwin is a profound exploration of the tensions between youthful fantasies and adult realities. Through rich imagery and introspective reflection, Merwin captures the complexities of desire, the consequences of escape, and the journey towards self-acceptance. The poem invites readers to consider their own youthful longings and the ways in which they shape, and are shaped by, their adult selves.

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