Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov’s poem "Deep Woods" delves into the timeless, almost sacred stillness of nature, contrasting it with the relentless progression of human history and the often chaotic narratives that accompany it. Through rich imagery and reflective tone, the poem explores the profound quiet of the woods and the ways in which it stands apart from the noise and movement of human endeavors.

The poem opens with an assertion about the nature of these woods: "Such places are too still for history, / Which slows, shudders, and shifts as the trucks do, / In hearing-distance, on the highway hill." Here, Nemerov establishes a dichotomy between the deep woods and the bustling world of human activity just beyond its borders. The stillness of the woods is so profound that it seems to repel the chaotic flow of history.

The imagery of "the heart, racing strangely as though / Ready to stop, reaches a kind of rest" conveys the sense of uneasy calm that the woods impose on those who enter. The mind, described as "a beast, / Being hunted down, made tiredness and terror / Its camouflage and fell asleep," suggests a deep, instinctual rest that comes from the absolute quiet and stillness of the forest.

Nemerov’s depiction of the natural environment continues with "Reticulated branch and vine which go / Nowhere," emphasizing the labyrinthine and seemingly purposeless growth of the forest. This natural tangle mirrors the complexity and insanity of human life but offers a different kind of rest—one free from the pressures of human ambition and conflict.

The poem contrasts the drama of human history with the indifference of nature: "No meaning in it, but indifference / Which does not flatter with profundity." Even the "giant oak, / Stricken a hundred years or yesterday," lacks the grandeur of a hero’s fall, leaning awkwardly against other trees. This image undermines the romanticized notion of nature as dramatic and heroic, presenting it instead as quietly persistent and indifferent.

Nemerov emphasizes the uniqueness of this particular forest: "But that's not so. These here are the deep woods / Of now, New England, this October." The specificity of place and time grounds the poem in a tangible reality, yet the poet also acknowledges the timeless and myth-less nature of these woods. Unlike legendary forests filled with mythical creatures and dramatic tales, this land is "unmitigated by myth" and its "common splendors are comparable only to / Themselves."

The poem’s latter part plays with the idea of myth-making: "And this is yours to work; plant it to salt / Or men in armor who destroy each other, / Sprinkle with dragon's blood early in spring / And see what happens, epic or pastoral." Nemerov suggests that, while these woods could be the canvas for epic or pastoral tales, they remain untouched by such narratives. The silence and stillness of the woods resist the imposition of human stories.

Finally, Nemerov reflects on the ancient, unchanged nature of the forest: "These trees were here, are here, / Before King Hannibal had elephants / Or Frederick grew his red beard through the table." The deep woods exist outside of historical time, untouched by the significant events and figures that have shaped human history. The poem closes with a contemplation of potential, unactualized myth: "Even the Fall of Man / Is waiting, here, for someone to grow apples; / And the snake... still sleeps with a whole head."

"Deep Woods" by Howard Nemerov is a meditation on the timelessness and indifference of nature, contrasted with the ceaseless motion and drama of human history. Through vivid imagery and contemplative reflection, the poem captures the serene yet profound separation of the natural world from the human narrative, inviting readers to appreciate the quiet, enduring presence of the deep woods.

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