Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov's poem "Mud Turtle" intricately captures the encounter with a mud turtle, a creature that emerges from the depths of the earth and water, embodying an ancient and almost mythic presence. Through vivid imagery and profound reflection, Nemerov explores themes of nature, resilience, and the mysterious, often hidden wounds carried by living beings.

The poem opens with the turtle's journey: "Out of the earth beneath the water, / Dragging over the stubble field / Up to the hilltop in the sun / On his way from water to water." This description establishes the turtle as a creature of both land and water, bridging two worlds as it travels. The journey signifies a transition, perhaps a quest for survival or a natural migration.

As the turtle rests "an hour in the garden," its "alien presence" is noted by the observers. The turtle is described in majestic yet grim terms: "His lordly darkness decked in filth / Bearded with weed like a lady's favor." These lines convey both a sense of nobility and the burdens of its existence, adorned with the detritus of its environment. The turtle is compared to "a black planet, another world," suggesting its otherworldly nature and the sense of mystery it brings.

Nemerov underscores the turtle's timelessness and enormity: "Our measures of him do not matter, / He would be huge at any size; / And neither does the number of his years, / The time he comes from doesn't count." The turtle transcends human concepts of size and age, existing in a realm where such measures are irrelevant. This emphasizes its ancient, almost eternal presence, suggesting that it operates on a different temporal scale than humans.

The poem shifts to a more direct interaction as the boys tease the turtle: "When the boys tease him with sticks / He breaks the sticks, striking with / As great a suddenness as speed." The turtle's strength and swiftness are highlighted, evoking a sense of awe and fear in the boys. The boys' actions and reactions—teasing, shuddering at the potential danger, and turning the turtle on its back—illustrate a mix of curiosity and cruelty often seen in human interactions with nature.

The turtle's resilience is further displayed when it "throws himself fiercely to his feet, / Brings down the whole weight of his shell, / Spreads out his claws and digs himself in / Immovably, invulnerably." This act of defiance and determination showcases the turtle's formidable spirit, even as it reveals a vulnerability: "But for the front foot on the left, / Red-budded, with the toes torn off." The injury symbolizes the hidden wounds that many creatures, and perhaps people, carry with them.

The boys' discovery of "a swollen leech" fastened between the turtle's plastron and shell adds another layer of helplessness and suffering: "Nobody wants to go close enough / To burn it loose; he can't be helped / Either, there is no help for him." This detail highlights the often solitary nature of pain and the reluctance or inability of others to intervene.

In the poem's conclusion, the turtle resumes its journey: "He makes it to his feet again / And drags away to the meadow's edge." The turtle's departure is marked by the "tall grass open[ing] and wav[ing] / Around him" before it "closes" behind him, signifying his return to solitude. The turtle moves "over the hill toward another water, / Bearing his hard and chambered hurt / Down, down, down, beneath the water, / Beneath the earth beneath." The repeated "down" emphasizes the turtle's descent back into its hidden world, carrying its secret wound with it.

"Mud Turtle" is a powerful reflection on the resilience and hidden suffering of living beings. Nemerov's vivid imagery and contemplative tone invite readers to consider the deeper, often unseen struggles that define the lives of creatures in nature. The turtle's journey becomes a metaphor for endurance and the quiet, often unacknowledged burdens that are part of existence. Through this encounter, Nemerov emphasizes the profound connections and disconnections between humans and the natural world, highlighting the enduring mysteries and challenges that life presents.

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