Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"After Long Silence" by Jane Hirshfield explores the intricate relationship between language, thought, and the ineffable, the experiences that remain just beyond the reach of expression. It delves into the complexities of human behavior, examining the tension between the unspeakable and the spoken, and the transformations that occur when moving from one state to another.

The poem begins with a striking image: "Politeness fades, / a small anchovy gleam / leaving the upturned pot in the dish rack / after the moon has wandered out the window." This scene signifies the end of a social facade, marked by the moon's departure. The "anchovy gleam" is a minute, perhaps overlooked, detail, that, once gone, symbolizes the absence of pretense. The line sets the stage for an exploration of what is left when social niceties and external expectations fall away.

"One of the late freedoms, there is the dark. / The leftover soup put away as well." Here, Hirshfield refers to darkness as one of the "late freedoms," perhaps suggesting that it is an elemental, undiluted state. This is the time when leftover soup, or unfinished business, is put away. There is a kind of liberation in this darkness, a time when unnecessary distinctions and posturing are set aside.

The next lines explore these distinctions directly: "Whether a goat's / quiet face should be called noble / or indifferent. The difference between a right rigor and pride." Hirshfield points to the nuance required to understand these differences, be it the expression of a goat or the thin line separating rigor from pride. These are not just semantic distinctions; they shape how we understand and interact with the world.

"The untranslatable thought must be the most precise." This line is intriguing, as it presents a paradox. Typically, precision in thought allows for translation into words. However, Hirshfield argues the opposite: some thoughts are so precise, so exact in their encapsulation of an emotion, experience, or idea, that they defy translation. They can't be rendered into another medium without loss of nuance or meaning.

The concluding line, "Yet words are not the end of thought, they are where it begins," perfectly captures the delicate balance that the poem investigates. While words may fail to express the full range of human thought and experience, they serve as the starting point, the gateway into the labyrinth of human consciousness.

Hirshfield's poem is an elegant meditation on the limitations and possibilities of language, illustrating how words can both define and defy our understanding of the world. It raises questions about the nature of thought, the shortcomings of language, and the indistinct areas that lie in between. This intricately crafted poem is a foray into the depths of human thought, forcing the reader to confront the imprecisions and potentials of their own internal landscapes.

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