Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

William Stanley Merwin's poem "October" is a haunting meditation on memory, time, and the fleeting nature of promises and moments. The poem weaves together surreal imagery and poignant reflections, capturing a sense of loss, impermanence, and the melancholic beauty of looking back on life. Through its exploration of memory and the passage of time, the poem evokes the transitory nature of human experience and the inevitable approach of endings.

The poem opens with the speaker recalling how they would declare, "I will gather / These pieces together," as if there was once a belief in the possibility of reclaiming or reconstructing something that had been fragmented or lost. The line "Any minute now I will make / A knife out of a cloud" introduces a surreal and impossible image, suggesting the speaker's past idealism or desire to shape something tangible out of the ephemeral. This metaphor of making a knife out of a cloud symbolizes a futile effort to impose order or control over something as insubstantial and fleeting as time or memory.

The speaker acknowledges that even then, "the days / Went leaving their wounds behind them," highlighting the passage of time as something that leaves marks—emotional or otherwise—that linger long after the moments themselves have passed. The reference to "Monument," and the declaration "I am still your legend," suggests that the speaker once believed in their own lasting significance or legacy, as if they could become a permanent fixture or story associated with a place, perhaps even their own grave.

The poem then shifts to a moment of connection: "There was another time / When our hands met and the clocks struck / And we lived on the point of a needle, like angels." This passage evokes a sense of a brief, transcendent moment shared with another person, where time seemed to stand still or become incredibly sharp and focused, "like angels" perched on the head of a pin—a reference to the medieval theological question about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, symbolizing something both minute and infinite.

The speaker reflects on the "spider's triumph / In the palm of my hand," an image that suggests something small and delicate, yet resilient and powerful, perhaps symbolizing the intricacy and persistence of life or fate. The mention of the speaker's grave as a "thoroughfare" implies that their final resting place has become a passage for others, a place over which life continues to move, even as their own life has ended.

The poem continues with the observation that "There are words now that can bring / My eyes to my feet, tamed," indicating a kind of resignation or acceptance of the passage of time and the loss of the dreams or promises that once seemed so vivid. The speaker seems to be acknowledging that they are no longer defiant or striving against the inevitable; instead, they are "tamed" by the reality of their circumstances.

The imagery of "trees wearing names that are not their own" suggests a world where things are misnamed or misremembered, where the identities of even natural objects have become confused or altered over time. The paths "growing like smoke" further emphasize the idea of transience and the difficulty of holding onto anything solid or permanent. Smoke is an ephemeral substance, difficult to grasp, and prone to dissipating, much like the promises the speaker laments have now gone.

The poem concludes with a poignant recognition of loss: "The promises have gone, / Gone, gone, and they were here just now." This repetition of "gone" underscores the speaker's sense of disbelief and sadness at the disappearance of something once so present and real. The mention of the sky where "they laid their fish" adds to the surreal and symbolic imagery, perhaps alluding to a place where past hopes or efforts were placed, now empty as evening approaches.

The final line, "Soon it will be evening," serves as a quiet, contemplative closure to the poem, suggesting the inevitable approach of an ending—whether it be the end of a day, a life, or a period of time. The evening symbolizes the closing of a chapter, the onset of darkness, and the end of the light that once illuminated the promises and dreams now lost.

"October" is a reflective and melancholic poem that captures the poignancy of memory and the passage of time. Through its rich and surreal imagery, Merwin explores the ephemeral nature of life, the fading of once-vivid moments, and the sense of loss that comes with the realization that what was once believed to be permanent or significant has disappeared. The poem invites readers to contemplate their own experiences of time, memory, and the inevitable approach of endings, leaving them with a lingering sense of the beauty and sadness inherent in the human condition.

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