Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Ezra Pound's succinct poem "Quies," the speaker addresses a character named Rullus about the absence of "another of our ancient loves." Though the poem is brief, it is pregnant with implications about the passage of time, the ephemeral nature of love, and the void that follows loss.

The opening line, "This is another of our ancient loves," evokes an atmosphere of nostalgia and melancholy. The word "another" suggests that there have been multiple instances of love, now reduced to memories. Describing these loves as "ancient" further amplifies the sense that these are not just individual events but part of a larger, perhaps cyclical, pattern of love and loss.

As the speaker advises Rullus to "Pass and be silent," there's an implicit acknowledgment of the ineffability of the situation. The speaker doesn't try to articulate the complexities of what's missing; rather, he emphasizes the ineffable emptiness that accompanies the absence of the unnamed "lady." This serves to elevate her importance, as though her absence is so significant that it's felt not just by individuals but by "the day" itself. This existential void is described vaguely as the day having "lacked a something."

The phrase "Hath lacked a something" bears a tone of understatement, as if the speaker can't-or won't-fully articulate the depth of what's missing. The repetition of "Hath lacked a something" serves to accentuate this void, amplifying its presence through its very lack of description. The line " 'Twas but margin" ends the poem enigmatically, suggesting that the lady added a kind of embellishment or extra dimension to life, much as a margin exists alongside the main body of a text but is not central to it. Yet its absence is keenly felt.

In "Quies," Pound explores the theme of absence as a space full of resonances. Although the poem's brevity and fragmented last line ("'Twas but margin") leave much unsaid, this very silence amplifies the theme of ineffable loss. What is gone is hard to define, yet its absence reshapes the emotional landscape. The passing of "ancient loves" leaves a void that is both individual and universal, reflecting the human condition's poignant blend of love, loss, and yearning.

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