Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Harper Webb’s "Animals Are Leaving" is a haunting elegy for the extinction of species, framing their gradual disappearance in deeply human terms. Through a series of poignant similes, Webb transforms the loss of animals into familiar, everyday departures—guests leaving a party, friends moving away, schoolchildren marching in a fire drill—drawing attention to the ways in which extinction has become normalized, even unnoticed. The poem balances quiet sorrow with a growing sense of inevitability, culminating in a theatrical metaphor that frames the vanishing of these creatures as a final bow before the curtain falls on their existence.

The poem opens with a gentle yet ominous image: "One by one, like guests at a late party, / They shake our hands and step into the dark." The comparison to a party suggests a world that was once full, lively, and bustling with life, but is now winding down. The act of shaking hands adds a humanizing touch, as if the animals are offering a quiet farewell before slipping away. The names of the first three species—"Arabian ostrich; Long-eared kit fox; Mysterious starling."—are delivered with a rhythmic finality, as though each is being checked off a list of the departed.

The second stanza intensifies this motif, shifting from a party to the familiar ritual of counting sheep: "One by one, like sheep counted to close our eyes, / They leap the fence and disappear into the woods." Here, extinction is linked to sleep, suggesting both a drifting into unconsciousness and the world’s tendency to ignore or forget these losses. The animals listed—"Atlas bear; Passenger pigeon; North Island laughing owl; Great auk; Dodo; Eastern wapiti; Badlands bighorn sheep."—include both the well-known (the dodo, the passenger pigeon) and the obscure, reinforcing how extinction affects creatures both famous and forgotten. The idea that these animals "leap the fence" implies a transition, an exit beyond reach, further emphasizing their irreversible disappearance.

In the third stanza, Webb deepens the sense of fading memory: "One by one, like grade school friends, / They move away and fade out of our memories." The comparison to childhood friendships is particularly affecting, as it evokes the way people gradually lose touch with those they once knew well. The list of vanished species continues—"Portuguese ibex; Blue buck; Aurochs; Oregon bison; Spanish imperial eagle; Japanese wolf; Hawksbill Sea turtle; Cape lion; Heath hen; Raiatea thrush."—creating a rhythmic dirge of names. The reference to memory suggests that extinction is not just an ecological event but a failure of human recognition, as species vanish from both the earth and collective awareness.

The fourth stanza takes on a more urgent tone: "One by one, like children at a fire drill, / they march outside, / And keep marching, though teachers cry, ?Come back!?" This image is striking in its implication of catastrophe—fire drills prepare for disaster, yet here, the children (the animals) do not return. The inclusion of "though teachers cry, ?Come back!?" introduces a note of regret, as if humanity realizes too late what is being lost. The animals listed—"Waved albatross; White-bearded spider monkey; Pygmy chimpanzee; Australian night parrot; Turquoise parakeet; Indian cheetah; Korean tiger; Eastern harbor seal; Ceylon elephant; Great Indian rhinoceros."—highlight the ongoing nature of extinction, suggesting that this is not a phenomenon of the past but a crisis unfolding in real time.

The final stanza shifts into theatrical imagery: "One by one, like actors after a play that ran for years / And wowed the world, they link their hands and bow / Before the curtain falls." This metaphor transforms extinction into a performance’s end, framing these animals not as passive victims but as central figures in a grand, tragic drama. The "play that ran for years" evokes the deep history of life on earth, while "wowed the world" acknowledges the wonder and beauty these creatures once inspired. Yet, in contrast to the usual applause following a performance, there is only silence as they take their final bow. The phrase "before the curtain falls" reinforces the idea of irrevocability—once the curtain drops, the show is over.

"Animals Are Leaving" is a powerful elegy for the disappearing species of the world, made all the more affecting by Webb’s decision to frame their loss in human terms. By likening extinction to familiar departures—a party ending, childhood friends fading, schoolchildren marching away—he forces the reader to confront these absences on a deeply personal level. The poem serves not only as a lament but also as a quiet indictment of humanity’s failure to prevent these losses. Through its careful structure, rhythmic listing of species, and evocative metaphors, "Animals Are Leaving" captures both the sorrow of extinction and the unsettling realization that, for many, these departures barely register at all.

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