Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Courtesy" by Elinor Wylie, the speaker reflects on themes of sacrifice, loss, and the quiet acceptance of life's hardships. The poem presents a journey from deprivation and personal suffering to a form of peaceful acceptance, where the speaker finds solace in nature and the rituals of gratitude. Wylie uses imagery of nature, physical actions, and metaphorical references to articulate the speaker's emotional evolution, culminating in a sense of reconciliation and humility.

The poem begins with the speaker describing the act of “conceiving that this delight alone / Must be the corner stone / For all my building,” which suggests the speaker’s realization that a certain kind of personal delight or fulfillment is fundamental to their understanding of life. This "corner stone" is not material or external, but something deeply internal—possibly a realization about the nature of love, loss, or human connection. However, this ideal is then "stripped bare of you," indicating that the speaker has experienced a loss, a separation, and that what was once whole and fulfilling is now absent. Despite this deprivation, the speaker finds the experience "fair," meaning that they have accepted the loss and found some degree of peace in it.

The speaker then describes an act of personal submission or sacrifice, as they kneel “down to bow / My brow upon the brow / Of granite.” The "granite" represents something hard and unyielding, a symbol of the speaker’s acceptance of their hardship. This action reflects a willingness to endure, to give homage to something difficult and unchangeable. In doing so, the speaker “fills [their] empty hand / With running pulse of sand,” signifying that even in emptiness, there is something fluid and transient—perhaps an acknowledgment that life is ephemeral, and what is lost can never truly be grasped or held.

The speaker continues to interact with elements of nature—“twined my fingers in a bough of leaves” and “let the water twist / Its coolness round my wrist,”—seeking comfort and connection in the natural world. The imagery here evokes a sense of return to the simple, soothing rhythms of the earth. The actions of touching leaves and feeling the coolness of water symbolize an attempt to ground oneself, to seek renewal through nature. These acts offer temporary respite from the internal turmoil, a form of solace and calm in the face of life’s uncertainties.

In the subsequent lines, “I have kissed the comfortable moss / For cushioning a cross / Of racking timber sharp as childbirth bed,” the speaker draws a parallel between the physical discomfort of their emotional journey and the cross, an instrument of suffering and sacrifice. The "comfortable moss" provides a soft cushion for the weight of this cross, suggesting that even in suffering, there can be moments of relief. The metaphor of "childbirth bed" implies that the pain is generative—it brings forth growth or a new understanding, though it is still painful. This acceptance of pain is part of the speaker’s journey toward peace.

The speaker then moves from the personal to the collective, with the invocation, “Let us return again / Together; let us kneel upon the grass / In quiet clear as glass.” This suggests a desire for communal reconciliation or a return to simplicity, where both the speaker and another (perhaps a loved one or humanity in general) can find peace together. The stillness of nature—the “clear as glass” quiet of the grass—provides a backdrop for this humility and reverence, a setting where “stiff necks” and “stubborn knees” bend in “courteous obsequies.” The word "obsequies" refers to rituals or ceremonies, often associated with funerals, implying a reverence for something that has passed.

The speaker’s thoughts then turn to the "poor wolf, but late mistitled Pride." The wolf, traditionally a symbol of untamed nature, has been "mistitled" as pride, suggesting that what was once seen as strength or dignity is, in fact, a beast to be laid to rest. The speaker reflects on being thankful “for the silence of the trees,” perhaps implying that the cessation of conflict or pride has brought peace, as the trees have been silent in the aftermath. This is a subtle contrast to the earlier turmoil represented by the "chattering" of the trees when the speaker was sad, suggesting a shift from dissonance to harmony.

“Courtesy” is ultimately a meditation on acceptance, sacrifice, and finding peace in the wake of loss or hardship. Through vivid natural imagery and symbolic gestures, the speaker articulates a journey from emotional pain to quiet reconciliation. The actions of kneeling, kissing moss, and embracing nature reflect an effort to transcend the personal suffering and connect with something larger, whether it be the natural world, a community, or a spiritual understanding. Wylie’s use of nature, ritual, and metaphor highlights the complexity of human emotion, ultimately offering a vision of peace through acceptance and humility.

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