Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

William Stanley Merwin’s poem “Forbears” is a haunting exploration of the continuity of human experience across generations, particularly through the lens of shared suffering and longing. The poem delves into themes of memory, ancestry, and the inescapable connection between past and present, using the recurring motif of coldness as a symbol for existential discomfort and the inherited burdens of human life.

The poem begins with a striking and intimate reflection: “I think I was cold in the womb / shivering I / remember.” These opening lines introduce the central image of coldness, which symbolizes more than just a physical sensation; it evokes a deeper, perhaps existential, unease that the speaker feels they have carried since before birth. The idea of shivering in the womb suggests that even in the earliest stages of existence, there is a sense of discomfort, vulnerability, and awareness of the harsh realities of life.

Merwin continues by extending this sense of coldness to his brother, who “slept before me there,” implying that this experience of cold was not unique to the speaker but shared by those who came before him. The repetition of the word “cold” emphasizes its pervasive and timeless nature, linking the speaker’s experience to that of his brother, and by extension, to all those who came before them. The line “and cold I am sure was John in the early / as in the earlier / dawn” further extends this connection, suggesting that this coldness is a fundamental part of the human condition, experienced by all those who have existed in the “early” and “earlier” dawns of time.

The poem then reflects on the anonymity of these ancestors: “all they / even whose names are anonymoust / now known for their cold only.” The phrase “names are anonymoust” suggests that these individuals have been forgotten by history, their identities lost to time. However, what remains is the shared experience of coldness, a symbol of their suffering and the challenges they faced. The use of the word “only” underscores the idea that this coldness is the defining, perhaps the only, memory that survives of them.

The speaker imagines these ancestors “quaking lay / beforetime there / dancing like teeth,” conjuring an image of trembling, fearful beings who, like the speaker, experienced cold and suffering before their time. The comparison to “dancing like teeth” evokes a sense of involuntary movement, as if their shivering was an inevitable response to the harshness of existence. This imagery suggests that the speaker sees himself as a continuation of this line of trembling, suffering beings, inheriting their experiences and emotions.

The poem reaches a poignant conclusion with the lines: “and I / was them all foretelling me / if not the name the trembling / if not the time the dancing / if not the hour the longing / in the round night.” Here, Merwin reflects on the deep connection between the speaker and his ancestors. The speaker sees himself as the culmination of all those who came before him, their lives “foretelling” his own existence. Even if he does not carry their names or live in their times, he inherits their “trembling,” their “dancing,” and their “longing.” The “round night” symbolizes the cyclical nature of time and existence, suggesting that the experiences of the past continue to reverberate in the present.

“Forbears” is a meditation on the continuity of human experience, particularly the shared suffering and existential unease that connects generations. Through the motif of coldness, Merwin explores the ways in which the past lives on in the present, with each individual carrying the weight of their ancestors’ experiences. The poem suggests that this inheritance is both a burden and a testament to the enduring nature of human resilience and longing, as each generation continues to navigate the challenges of existence in the “round night” of time.

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