Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Ghost" is a poem written by Robinson Jeffers, published in 1928 in his collection "Roan Stallion, Tamar and Other Poems." The poem explores themes of mortality, the transience of life, and the passing of time.

Explanation:

In "Ghost," the speaker is walking through a field on a "windy night" when he sees a ghostly figure "come gliding and swaying" towards him. As the figure gets closer, the speaker realizes that it is the ghost of a woman who had once lived in the area. The ghost tells the speaker that she is "nothing now but a mist of the mountains" and that her life on earth was brief and fleeting. She laments the fact that she never had the chance to truly live and experience all that life had to offer. The speaker listens sympathetically to her story and acknowledges the sadness and beauty of the passing of time.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem consists of three stanzas of varying lengths, with irregular line lengths and no consistent rhyme scheme.
• Imagery: The poem is rich in vivid, sensory imagery, particularly in its descriptions of the ghostly figure and the natural landscape.
• Personification: The ghost is personified throughout the poem, with the speaker attributing emotions and thoughts to her as if she were a living being.
• Symbolism: The ghost can be seen as a symbol of the transience of life and the passing of time.

Summary:

"Ghost" is a haunting and poignant meditation on mortality and the fleeting nature of life. Through the figure of the ghost, Jeffers captures the sadness and beauty of the human experience and reminds us of the importance of cherishing every moment of our brief time on earth.

Poem Snippet:

"The windy night is loud with ghosts,
The stars flicker and are gone,
The graves are shivering in their sleep,
And the earth swells up like a river in spate."