Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem "Whenever I Go There" by William Stanley Merwin is a contemplative piece that grapples with the themes of change, loss, and the impermanence of life. The poem captures the essence of dislocation and the unsettling realization that the familiar has been altered or has vanished altogether. The atmosphere is one of haunting desolation, infused with a mournful sense of estrangement from one's own surroundings, and even from oneself.

The opening line, "Whenever I go there everything is changed," confronts the reader with a disquieting truth about life: the inevitability of change. The speaker finds that even the "stamps on the bandages" and "the titles / Of the professors of water" have changed, revealing how time's passage affects even the most seemingly unchangeable aspects of life. Merwin cleverly refers to "professors of water," as if water, something so basic and elemental, now requires interpretation or study, suggesting an estrangement from even fundamental experiences.

The "portrait of Glare" and "the reasons for / The white mourning" further allude to altered or lost realities. While "Glare" and "white mourning" remain undefined, their obscurity lends them an emblematic quality. They could represent anything from personal experiences and memories to broader societal and cultural shifts. What's most salient is that the speaker feels disconnected from these once-familiar landmarks in a world that's increasingly strange and unrecognizable.

"In new rocks new insects are sitting / With the lights off," these lines convey the idea that life continues to evolve, often in inscrutable ways. Nature, in its relentless transformation, seems indifferent to human attempts at understanding or preservation.

This sensation of disruption is encapsulated in the line, "And once more I remember that the beginning / Is broken." Here, the speaker touches on an existential dilemma: the brokenness that is inherent in existence itself, making everything transient, everything a subject to loss or change.

"No wonder the addresses are torn / To which I make my way eating the silence of animals / Offering snow to the darkness," the speaker ventures forward despite the loss, consuming the "silence of animals," perhaps implying an acceptance of a more primal, less articulate understanding of the world. "Offering snow to the darkness" has an air of ritualistic resignation, as if recognizing that certain offerings-whether they are sacrifices, efforts, or hopes-are bound to be swallowed by the larger, unresponsive void of existence.

The closing lines, "Today belongs to few and tomorrow to no one," resonate as a melancholic truth, acknowledging the fleeting nature of human life against the backdrop of eternal change. This notion harks back to the overarching theme of the poem: the dislocating and disorienting impact of change, a universal constant.

Through this intricately layered poem, Merwin invites the reader into a meditative space to reflect on the transitory and often inscrutable nature of life. He creates an emotional landscape where the reader can explore the complexities of change and impermanence, making "Whenever I Go There" a poignant statement on the human condition.

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