Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Otherwise" is a poem by Jane Kenyon, an American poet known for her spare, meditative style. The poem was published in 1996, shortly after Kenyon's death from leukemia. "Otherwise" reflects on the themes of mortality, loss, and the power of love to sustain us in the face of adversity.

Explanation:

In "Otherwise," Jane Kenyon reflects on the inevitability of death and the importance of living fully in the present moment. She acknowledges the pain and grief that come with loss, but also celebrates the small joys and pleasures of everyday life. The poem affirms the power of love to sustain us, even in the face of adversity and death.

Poetic Elements:

• Tone: meditative, reflective, and accepting
• Imagery: the natural world, the passing of time, the inevitability of death
• Symbolism: the "otherwise" world as a symbol of the unknown and the afterlife
• Metaphor: life as a "gift"
• Personification: time as a "thief"
• Alliteration: "beauty before me, beauty behind me"
• Structure: "Otherwise" is a five-stanza poem, with each stanza containing four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, with the first and third lines rhyming with each other, and the second and fourth lines rhyming with each other. The poem has a regular meter and is written in iambic pentameter.

Conclusion:

In "Otherwise," Jane Kenyon reflects on the inevitability of death and the importance of living fully in the present moment. The poem celebrates the small joys and pleasures of everyday life and affirms the power of love to sustain us, even in the face of adversity and death.

Poem Snippet:

"Instructions for living a life:

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it."