Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Moss’s poem "Silences" explores themes of memory, loss, and the enduring impact of absence. Through its reflective and poignant language, the poem examines the complex interplay between physical separation and emotional presence. Divided into six sections, Moss uses imagery and repetition to delve into the nuances of forgetting and remembering, touching on how silence amplifies the pain of longing.

The poem begins with a focus on physical and emotional distance: "Now you are back at your window, / Where you live in a strange city." This opening line sets the stage for the recurring motif of windows and separation, symbolizing the barriers that have come between the speaker and the subject. The gradual forgetting of the face and the mutual waning of desire are captured in the lines, "Your face is slowly forgotten, / As you are forgetting to watch me, / And I will forget to remember." The cyclical nature of memory and forgetting is highlighted by the repetition of these actions, emphasizing the inevitable fading of once-intense emotions.

Moss poignantly describes the lingering presence of the absent person: "Wherever you were, your presence / Still clings to all things in absence." This line encapsulates the paradox of absence—how the memory of someone can permeate physical spaces even when they are no longer there. The tactile imagery of touching what the other person touched without knowing them adds a layer of intimacy and loss.

The natural imagery, such as "the trees hold the rain in silence / As the rain makes the birds stop singing," evokes a sense of quiet mourning. The rain, typically a symbol of renewal, here serves to underscore the silence and the cessation of joy, as indicated by the birds stopping their song. Similarly, the idea that "in the sea is a pool where the pressure / Of your body still seems to be moving" conveys the lingering impact of the person's presence, as if their imprint remains even in nature.

The second section shifts to the ethereal: "The air bears nothing on it. / No. But I saw this minute / You slowly move upon it." This suggests a fleeting vision or memory, emphasizing the transient nature of presence and absence. The interplay of light and the ephemeral quality of the moon and stars reinforce the theme of fleeting moments and the difficulty of holding onto them.

In the third section, the focus is on the night and dreams: "Nightly to sleep so safely / Even the pang of others' dreaming / Comes over distance faintly." This conveys the speaker’s sense of isolation even in the communal experience of sleep. The "olive branch extending / Into an arrow's pointed ending" symbolizes a transition from peace to conflict, highlighting the duality of memory and forgetting.

The fourth section returns to the motif of touch and labor: "Moonlight is half of sleep / And the keepsake of the deep. / Your hands that can never reach me, / How all of their labors touch me!" Here, Moss explores how the absence of physical touch can still exert a profound emotional impact. The cyclical nature of the seasons turning, and the sound of the ocean, suggest the ongoing rhythm of life and nature, contrasting with the stasis of personal loss.

In the fifth section, Moss uses the imagery of water and autumn: "The inward pleasure of water edges / Drifts as the shifting color battens / On dead wood, filling the golden pockets / Of fall with the falling brown detritus." This evokes a sense of decay and renewal, as the dead leaves represent both an end and a beginning. The search for faces among the "stain of the going / Wood" speaks to the desire to find remnants of the past in the present.

The final section mirrors the opening, returning to the window and the sense of living in a strange city: "Now I am back at my window, / Where I live in a strange city, / Now you no longer see me, / My face is slowly forgotten." This circular structure reinforces the themes of repetition and the inevitability of forgetting. The echo of earlier lines about the trees holding the rain in silence ties the poem together, emphasizing the persistent impact of loss and the enduring presence of memory in silence.

In "Silences," Howard Moss masterfully captures the intricate dance between memory and forgetting, presence and absence. Through his use of evocative imagery and reflective language, Moss invites readers to explore the depths of longing and the quiet, persistent pain that accompanies the loss of a significant connection. The poem's cyclical structure and recurring motifs underscore the idea that while people may fade from our immediate consciousness, their impact lingers in the silent spaces of our lives.

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