Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"In Time" by William Stanley Merwin is a poignant exploration of human intimacy set against an apocalyptic backdrop. While the outside world descends into chaos, signaled by "explosions not far away" and "loudspeakers telling us" of "vast fires," the poem's speakers retreat into a realm of quiet domesticity and connection, epitomizing the human capacity to seek solace in each other even in the direst circumstances.

At first glance, the setting appears grim and hopeless, full of foreboding signals: explosions, fires, and warnings to "stay indoors and make no signals." These are images and sounds of a world on the brink, either of war or some other catastrophe. However, the home in which the characters reside becomes a sanctuary. A single candle illuminates the room, a faint but vital light that starkly contrasts with the "vast fires on the backwater" and serves as a flickering beacon of humanity and life.

The domestic details, such as the "high boots" they put on "to be ready for wherever we might have to go," bring a sense of immediacy and tactile realism to the narrative. These are people preparing for the worst, but they're also grounded in the real and the now, represented by the "oysters" and the "small table." Merwin captures the sensuality and sacredness of the simple act of "feeding them to each other" as if the characters are engaged in a ritual that reaffirms their commitment to one another. They feed each other "first with the fork / then from our mouths to each other," amplifying the intimacy and shared experience as they use different methods to partake in the same activity.

And then they dance. There's no music, but the dance is a humanizing, graceful act that sets them apart from the crumbling world. The dance isn't just a physical movement; it's a spiritual, existential one. As they "started to dance without music," they create their own world, separate from the cacophony outside. The act of dancing "around and around in circles" might symbolize the cyclical nature of life and time, a renewal of sorts. Moreover, as they begin to hum, they create their own music, their own harmony amidst the discord.

The poem closes with a reflection on how this event happened "all those years all those nights ago," which adds another layer to the narrative. The memory, now tinged with nostalgia, remains a critical moment of unity and shared experience, preserved through time. It also suggests a world that did not end, a dawn that followed the dark, allowing the memory to be recounted.

"In Time" is not just a poem about the end of the world; it's a poem about what makes the world worth living in-the connections we form, the love we share, and the small but significant rituals that define our humanity. It asks us to consider what we would do if we thought the world was ending, and in answering this question, it reveals what is truly important.

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