Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov's poem "Loon's Cry" captures a moment of deep reflection and existential inquiry, set against the backdrop of a natural landscape at twilight. The poem explores themes of beauty, meaning, and the search for understanding in a world that seems both familiar and profoundly mysterious.

The poem begins with the speaker walking alone near a railroad bridge at dusk, where "the river's concentrated reach" meets "the wide / Diffusion of the delta, marsh and sea." This setting, with its interplay of water bodies and the fading light of day, establishes a serene yet contemplative mood. The rising full moon and setting sun create a balanced silence, positioning the speaker at "the fulcrum of two poised immensities."

As the speaker stands in this equilibrium, he contemplates the natural beauty around him, noting, "Red sun, white moon, / This is a natural beauty, it is not / Theology." This declaration signals a shift away from seeing the world through symbolic or religious lenses, toward a more secular, direct appreciation of nature. The speaker reflects on a past when he found deeper, symbolic meanings in the natural world, feeling a sense of loss for those times when "the energy in things / Shone through their shapes."

This nostalgia for a time when "sun and moon no less / Than tree or stone or star or human face" revealed an underlying light contrasts with his current perception of the world as mere "essences in things, not understood- / Reality in things!" The speaker suggests that modern understanding has stripped away the mystical or symbolic, leaving a bare reality that "exhausted all their truth."

The poem reaches a turning point with the cry of a loon, described as a "Laughter of desolation on the river." This cry resonates with the speaker, initially embodying a sense of desolation but ultimately transforming into something more profound. The speaker identifies with Adam, hearing the first loon cry in paradise, experiencing a moment of primordial wonder and ignorance. This return to a state of "ignorance and emptiness" is paradoxically seen as a blessing, where the cry of the loon echoes a profound, elemental truth.

The speaker interprets the loon's cry as contempt for the rigid "forms of things, / Their doctrines, which decayed," yet reverence for the "verb / Which surged in power properly eternal." This powerful verb represents the dynamic, living force of creation and expression, contrasting with the static nouns and adjectives that describe the physical world. The loon's cry, then, is a reminder of the ongoing, vital process of creation and destruction, and the poet's role in capturing and rearticulating this process.

As night falls and stars begin to shine, the speaker reflects on the moon as a once-living world, now cold and lifeless, orbiting Earth "in envy and late love." This personification of the moon extends to the stars, seen as "Worlds, as the scholars taught / So long ago," emphasizing the vastness and mystery of the cosmos. The speaker finds solace in the idea that "signatures / In all things are," suggesting that there is still a deeper connection and meaning to be found in the contemplation of nature.

The poem concludes with the intrusion of a train, whose "far thunders began to shake the bridge." The train, a symbol of industrial progress and human ingenuity, contrasts sharply with the natural elements of the poem. Yet, as the train passes, its cry is likened to that of the loon, merging the mechanical with the natural. The repetition of "rubies and emeralds" in the signal lights reinforces the idea that even in a world dominated by technology, there are moments of beauty and mystery.

"Loon's Cry" by Howard Nemerov is a richly layered poem that explores the tension between the search for meaning and the acceptance of reality. Through its vivid imagery and reflective tone, the poem invites readers to consider the balance between the tangible and the symbolic, the past and the present, and the natural and the human-made. The loon's cry, echoing throughout the poem, serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring mystery and beauty that lie just beneath the surface of everyday life.

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