Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Out of Superstition" by Boris Leonidovich Pasternak explores the complexities of revisiting the past, both physically and emotionally. Set within the confines of a modest living space described as a "cubbyhole," the poem deals with the themes of memory, nostalgia, and the inevitable march of time.

The poem opens with an image of a "cubbyhole," likened to "a box / Of candied orange-peel," which serves as a metaphor for the sweetness and limitations of the past. The speaker implies that revisiting the past is akin to residing in a small, confined space-a pleasant yet ultimately unsatisfying experience. The speaker's acknowledgment that the hotel room is only a temporary abode ("Soiled by hotel rooms till I reach the morgue") suggests the transient nature of life itself.

In this place, the speaker finds themselves "Out of pure superstition," a phrase that evokes a sense of irrational but compelling need to revisit the past. The description of the wallpaper as "brown as any oak" and the "singing door" serves to animate the otherwise lifeless environment, further emphasizing the magical, almost supernatural, quality attributed to this space by the speaker.

The poem takes a turn as the speaker recounts a past relationship. The lines "I kept one hand upon the latch, you tried / To fight free of the nets," present a tension between holding on and letting go, between confinement and freedom. This struggle culminates in a moment of touch-"forelock touched enchanted forelock, and / Then lips touched violets"-as though the fleeting encounter was a magical event, almost fairytale-like in its rarity and beauty.

The partner from the past is presented as a dynamic character who challenges the speaker's stagnant emotional state. The lines "It's wrong to think-you are no Vestal: you / Brought in a chair one day, / Stood on it, took my life down from the shelf / And blew the dust away" illustrate this person as a catalyst for change. Unlike a Vestal virgin devoted to maintaining the purity of hearth and home, this individual takes the initiative to shake off the cobwebs and reawaken forgotten emotions.

Ultimately, "Out of Superstition" can be seen as an intricate dance between past and present. Pasternak masterfully weaves the themes of nostalgia and change into a tapestry of emotional complexity. He suggests that while revisiting the past can be comforting, it also runs the risk of trapping us in a state of emotional inertia. Yet, the intervention of another, even if from a past long gone, can serve to liberate us from our self-imposed emotional confines.

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