Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Perishable, It Said" by Jane Hirshfield delves into the emotional and existential complexities arising from a single word: perishable. A meditation on transience, the poem opens with the speaker's interaction with a plastic container marked with an expiration date. The mundane object prompts a deep self-examination and a profound revelation about the transient nature of life.

Hirshfield's choice of starting the poem with a commonplace household item-the plastic container-is significant. It illustrates how philosophical or existential questions can be triggered by the most ordinary events. The container is marked "perishable," reminding the consumer of the limited lifespan of its contents. The message, seemingly trivial, opens up a chasm of contemplation.

The speaker looks at various aspects of life, "now at the back of each hand, / now inside the knees," as if searching for their own expiry date. Hirshfield's choice of words-"back of each hand," "inside the knees," "sole"-implies an intimate, almost invasive scrutiny. It's as if the speaker wants to see the signs of their own perishability, a momentary confrontation with mortality. The speaker's gaze then shifts from self to surroundings, examining tomato plants and jays, wooden tables and stones, coffee cups and foods. Through this widening lens, the poem implicates everything in the cycle of life and decay.

The structure of the poem enhances its thematic focus. Written in free verse, the poem allows for abrupt transitions and sudden insights. There's a natural flow from object to self, self to environment, and finally from the tangible to the emotional ("hunger, sorrow, fears").

Surprisingly, this litany of perishable things culminates not in despair but in "strange happiness." There's an acceptance of life's fleeting moments, evoked by a metaphor that compares this happiness to "a man with strong hands and strong mouth"-suggesting intensity, passion, and an almost voracious engagement with life. This acceptance of transience as a natural aspect of existence is what makes the poem deeply Buddhist in its outlook, echoing Hirshfield's own interest in Zen Buddhism.

The notion of perishability, then, rather than generating fear or sorrow, heightens the speaker's experience of the present: "inside that hour with its perishing perfumes and clashings." By acknowledging the impermanence of all things, the speaker finds a heightened appreciation for the here and now, akin to a kind of enlightened mindfulness.

In "Perishable, It Said," Hirshfield constructs a compelling narrative around the idea of life's impermanence, reminding us that the awareness of mortality can serve not as a source of fear, but as an invitation to embrace life more fully. The poem turns a casual, everyday moment into a profound, life-altering experience, marking it as a quintessential example of Hirshfield's ability to find the infinite in the infinitesimal.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...