Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In César Vallejo's "Trilce: 18," the poet paints a vivid picture of confinement, both physical and psychological, while also alluding to the existential crisis that often accompanies such limitation. The very first lines introduce us to the "four walls of the cell," immediately instilling a sense of spatial restriction. The walls "never fail to add up to the same number," echoing the monotonous, unyielding nature of imprisonment. This isn't just about a physical space; it's about the confining reality of human existence.

The walls are described as "Seedbeds of nerves, evil aperture," turning them into active agents that exacerbate the speaker's suffering. The lines "How it snatches from its four corners / At the daily chained extremities!" convey the idea that these walls are relentless in exerting their oppressive force, stretching the speaker's already frazzled nerves to the breaking point. This is a prison that is as psychological as it is physical.

The turnkey, the keeper of "innumerable keys," is summoned not as an enemy but as a fellow sufferer. The speaker suggests that if the turnkey were to truly understand the nature of this confinement, "We should both be against them, we two, / More two than ever. And neither should you weep." The condition of confinement becomes a collective human predicament, a shared existential plight that transcends individual roles and responsibilities.

As the poem progresses, the nature of the walls changes. They gain "Something of mothers already dead," a line replete with implications about origin, loss, and the weight of history. The walls are transformed into ghostly maternal figures, "Each leading a child by the hand / Down bromine steps." This maternal aspect of the walls adds a deeper layer of tragedy; the very barriers that confine also nurture, complicating the speaker's emotional landscape. They are simultaneously comforting and terrifying, embodying the complexity of human relationships and the paradoxes inherent in existence itself.

The poem concludes on a note of profound isolation and search for meaning: "And I am left alone, / The right hand upraised, which serves for both, / Seeking the third arm / Which, between my where and my when. / Must look for man's powerless superiority." Here, the speaker recognizes his solitude and yearns for a way out-a "third arm" that might offer escape or, at least, a new way to engage with the world. This "third arm" can be interpreted as an existential quest for purpose or meaning, the search for something that transcends the physical and emotional walls that confine us.

The phrase "man's powerless superiority" sums up the great paradox Vallejo examines throughout the poem: the idea that human beings are simultaneously capable of great understanding and yet bound by limitations they cannot overcome. In "Trilce: 18," Vallejo delves into the depths of human confinement, be it physical, emotional, or existential, but he also gestures toward the shared nature of this predicament, urging the reader to consider the walls that enclose us all.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...