Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

This handless clock stares blindly from its tower,

Refusing to acknowledge any hour.

But what can one clock do to stop the game

When others go on striking just the same?

Whatever mite of truth the gesture held,

Time may be silenced but will not be stilled,

Nor we absolved by any one's withdrawing

From all the restless ways we must be going

And all the rings in which we're spun and swirled,

Whether around a clockface or a world.

In this poem, the handless clock serves as a powerful metaphor for resistance and the passage of time. The clock, despite its defiance in refusing to mark the hours, stands impotent against the relentless march of time symbolized by the functioning clocks that continue to strike.

The opening lines, "This handless clock stares blindly from its tower, / Refusing to acknowledge any hour," set the stage by presenting the clock as an object of defiance. The use of "stares blindly" suggests a sense of futility and helplessness, as the clock's refusal to mark time does not halt the progress of hours and days.

The poem questions the effectiveness of this solitary act of resistance: "But what can one clock do to stop the game / When others go on striking just the same?" This rhetorical question underscores the limitations of individual gestures in the face of collective momentum. The "game" here symbolizes the larger forces of life and time that continue unabated.

The following lines, "Whatever mite of truth the gesture held, / Time may be silenced but will not be stilled," acknowledge the symbolic truth in the clock's refusal to conform. However, it also emphasizes that while the clock may cease to mark time, it does not stop time itself. This distinction highlights the inevitable nature of time's passage and the limitations of symbolic resistance.

The poem then shifts to a broader reflection on human experience: "Nor we absolved by any one's withdrawing / From all the restless ways we must be going." This suggests that individual acts of withdrawal or resistance do not free us from the ongoing demands and movements of life. The "restless ways" evoke the constant activity and change inherent in human existence.

The concluding lines, "And all the rings in which we're spun and swirled, / Whether around a clockface or a world," expand the metaphor to encompass the cyclical nature of life and the universe. The "rings" symbolize the repetitive patterns and cycles that govern both time and existence, indicating that whether on a small scale (a clockface) or a grand scale (the world), these patterns persist.

Overall, the poem uses the image of a handless clock to explore themes of resistance, the inevitability of time, and the continuous cycles of life. It suggests that while individual acts of defiance may hold symbolic significance, they do not alter the fundamental forces that drive the world forward.

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