Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Roan Stallion" is a poem by Robinson Jeffers, first published in 1925. The poem is a celebration of the natural world and the power and beauty of a wild stallion.

Explanation:

The poem begins with a description of the stallion, which the speaker describes as "wild and wary." He notes the stallion's powerful body and his coat of mottled gray, black, and white. The speaker observes the stallion as he grazes in a meadow, noting his "supple step" and his "wild eye."

As the poem progresses, the speaker begins to identify with the stallion and to see him as a symbol of the wild and untamed spirit of nature. He compares the stallion to a "great heart" that beats with the rhythms of the natural world. He sees in the stallion a kind of purity and innocence that is lacking in human society.

The poem then takes a more philosophical turn, as the speaker reflects on the nature of existence and the human search for meaning. He suggests that the stallion, with his wild and untamed spirit, is closer to the true nature of things than human beings, who are often caught up in their own concerns and desires.

The poem concludes with a powerful image of the stallion running free across the meadow, his mane and tail streaming behind him. The speaker sees in this image a kind of transcendence, as the stallion rises above the petty concerns of human existence and connects with something larger and more profound.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem is written in free verse, with irregular line lengths and no rhyme scheme.
• Imagery: Jeffers uses vivid imagery to create a picture of the wild stallion and the natural world around him.
• Symbolism: The stallion is a powerful symbol of the wild and untamed spirit of nature, and a contrast to the more civilized and domesticated world of human society.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is reverential and philosophical, with a sense of awe and wonder at the power and beauty of the natural world.

Summary:

"Roan Stallion" is a powerful celebration of the natural world and the wild and untamed spirit of nature. Jeffers' vivid imagery and powerful symbolism create a sense of awe and wonder at the beauty and power of the stallion and the world around him. The poem invites the reader to reflect on the nature of existence and the human search for meaning, and to see in the wild stallion a kind of purity and innocence that is lacking in human society.

Poem Snippet:

"The dogwood leaves are bronzing,

The hard apples glow in the sunlight,

The year beats slowly to death.

He is twenty-five or thirty.

I admire him, I admire him

In myself, without anthropomorphizing him.

Horses, dogs, have died for us, it is a matter of record.

We know they too are alive."

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