Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Coming of the Plague" is a poem by Weldon Kees, first published in 1941. Kees was a poet, painter, and critic who was known for his modernist and surrealist style. He was part of the San Francisco Renaissance movement and was associated with the Beat poets. "The Coming of the Plague" is a dark and haunting poem that explores themes of death and decay.

Explanation:

The poem is divided into three stanzas of six lines each. The speaker describes the arrival of the plague and the devastation it brings. The first stanza sets the scene with the arrival of the plague, and the second stanza describes the chaos and death that follow. The third stanza offers a bleak conclusion to the poem.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem is written in free verse with no set rhyme or meter.
• Imagery: Kees uses vivid and haunting imagery throughout the poem to convey the horror of the plague. For example, "The rats swarm down the alley" and "The air is damp with roses."
• Symbolism: The rats in the poem symbolize death and decay, while the roses represent life and beauty.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is bleak and ominous, reflecting the devastating effects of the plague.

Conclusion:

"The Coming of the Plague" is a powerful and unsettling poem that captures the horror and despair of an epidemic. Kees uses vivid imagery and symbolism to convey the devastating effects of the plague on both the physical and emotional landscape. The poem serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.

Poem Snippet:

"The rats swarm down the alley

After the fetid garbage;

Flies have a banquet in the air;

And the dying flowers

Drip their crumpled petals to the ground."