Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem "Vespertina Cognitio" by Natasha Trethewey captures a reflective moment at dusk, embodying contemplations that are as expansive as they are fleeting. Drawing upon images of nature-the pelicans, the shrimpers, the lone gull-the poem delves into the cyclical yet unpredictable nature of existence itself. It does this while also commenting subtly on the heaviness of human life, hinted at through the "dark thoughts" that cross the mind like the shadows of the pelicans on the sand.

The work opens with pelicans gliding "in threes," immediately engaging the reader with a natural setting but also implying a deeper significance-three pelicans, a number often loaded with symbolic meanings in religion and mythology. As these birds move, their shadows cast "dark thoughts crossing the mind," serving as metaphors for the more somber or weighty considerations that glide through human consciousness. The use of the word "overhead" suggests a dual meaning: literally above, in the sky, but also metaphorically, as these thoughts hang over us.

The shrimpers, in their never-ending toil, also serve as a metaphor for life's constant struggles and uncertainties. They hoist their nets, "weighing the harvest / against the day's losses." Here, Trethewey introduces a somber note of reckoning, a tallying up of gains and losses that is both literal and metaphorical. The "day's losses" could refer to the shrimpers' catch, or more broadly to the irrevocable loss that accompanies the passage of time.

The tone of the poem shifts subtly in its final lines. The concentration of a "lone gull / circling what's thrown back" encapsulates the idea of focusing on what's left, on what can still be salvaged or redeemed-even if it is merely debris, the discarded remnants of life. It is worth noting that the gull is "lone," perhaps emphasizing solitude as an integral part of reflection or even existential angst.

The poem closes with an evocative description of "this dredging," which serves as an effective metaphor for the act of living itself. The "rhythm of what goes out, / comes back, comes back, comes back" echoes the tides, but also reflects the relentless cycle of effort and disappointment, success and failure, joy and sorrow that constitutes human existence. It's a potent ending that captures the oscillating movements of life and the heaviness that often weighs down the human spirit.

"Vespertina Cognitio" masterfully uses natural images to delve into the complexities of human emotion and existence, examining the balance of life's daily harvest against its losses. With keen observations and emotionally resonant imagery, Trethewey engages the reader in an intimate dialogue with the self, framed by the vast, indifferent backdrop of nature and time.

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