Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "On the Table," Andrew Motion takes the reader on a delicate journey through memory and desire. The tablecloth with "dark purple blooms" serves as a touchstone for the narrator's reflections on the summer they met their love. The themes of nostalgia, intimacy, and the passage of time are all intricately woven into the text, inviting the reader to consider the complex intersections of material objects, memories, and emotions.

The tablecloth is more than just a piece of fabric; it is a mnemonic device that evokes the dress of the narrator's beloved-a dress that the narrator never verbally acknowledged liking. The narrator's revelation that they liked the dress "whether you were inside it or not" serves a dual function. On one level, it expresses a personal aesthetic appreciation for the dress itself. On another, it subtly implies that the narrator's affection extends to the individuality of their beloved, separate from any exterior adornments.

The second stanza further explores the emotional attachments we place on material objects by pondering the dress's fate. The narrator's emotional language ("I hate-I really hate") underscores the intense feelings provoked by the mere idea of the dress being disrespected or destroyed. The visual elements of a "bum swinging those heavy flower-heads" or the dress "mouldering on a tip" illustrate a disheartening transformation of something once so intimately cherished.

The poem's structure is conventional, utilizing regular stanzas and a straightforward narrative style, but its power lies in its attention to emotional detail and the subtle implications embedded within its lines. The stylistic simplicity aids in focusing the reader's attention on the emotional complexities at hand.

In the final stanza, the poem transitions from the past to the present moment, declaring, "It's all a long time ago now, darling, a long time." Despite the intervening years, the narrator still finds themselves captivated by memories, underscored by the poignant image of them with their "head light in my hands and my glass full." The narrator still finds themselves lost in the "big drowsy petals" on the tablecloth, just as they were captivated by the dress their beloved wore.

The final lines of the poem reveal the ultimate desire-to go beyond the fabric, beyond the surface level of things, to reach the "beautiful, moon-white, warm, wanting skin" of their love. This ending serves as both an emotional climax and a plea, encapsulating the narrator's longing for the intimacy and connection that seems to be slipping away with the passage of time.

"On the Table" is an eloquent and moving depiction of the often underexpressed emotional relationships we form with everyday objects that serve as links to our pasts and emotional lives. Through the lens of the narrator's personal experience, Motion crafts a universal narrative about love, memory, and the inexorable passage of time that remains compelling long after the last line.

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