Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | ||||||||
"The Broken Home" is a poem by American poet James Ingram Merrill. It was first published in 1969 and reflects on the themes of family, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. Explanation: The poem describes the speaker's reflections on his childhood home and family, as he contemplates the memories and experiences of his youth. The poem is marked by a sense of nostalgia and longing, as the speaker reflects on the passage of time and the pain of loss. The speaker describes the broken home, in which his parents' relationship was strained, and the impact that it had on his own emotional landscape. He reflects on the complexity of human relationships, and the ways in which they can be both loving and destructive. Poetic Elements:
Conclusion: "The Broken Home" is a powerful and emotionally charged poem that reflects on the complexities of family, loss, and the pain of human relationships. Through its use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and theme, the poem captures the sense of longing and wistfulness that characterizes the speaker's reflections on his childhood home and the impact of his parents' strained relationship on his own emotional landscape. The poem stands as a testament to the enduring relevance of free verse and the themes of family and loss. Poem Snippet: "... No, not nostalgia But its intruder, grief, gnaws at my heart As if with broken teeth. My mother's face Has aged to a scowl that I have earned." Copyright (c) 2024 PoetryExplorer | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...I MAY AFTER LEAVING YOU WALK QUICKLY OR EVEN RUN by MATTHEA HARVEY IN PRAISE OF THEIR DIVORCE by TONY HOAGLAND TRIANGULATIONS by RICHARD HOWARD THE MAN SPLITTING WOOD IN THE DAYBREAK by GALWAY KINNELL WAITING FOR THIS STORY TO END BEFORE I BEGIN ANOTHER by JAN HELLER LEVI MOVING AGAIN by WILLIAM MATTHEWS |
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