Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Afternoon of a Pawnbroker" is a poem by Kenneth Fearing, an American poet and novelist who was active in the mid-20th century. The poem is a vivid and dark portrayal of a pawnbroker and his surroundings.

Explanation:

The poem begins with a description of the pawnbroker, who is bald and sitting in the dust of his shop. He eats bread from a tin cup while a fly buzzes around him. The scene is quiet and still, suggesting a sense of lethargy and stagnation.

Customers come to the shop with their possessions, which they leave with the pawnbroker in exchange for money. The pawnbroker is described as moving slowly, like a pawn, suggesting that he is trapped in his role and powerless to change his circumstances.

As the day wears on, the sun fades away and the pawnbroker falls asleep. The final stanza describes the pawnbroker's heart as a stone, suggesting a sense of emotional numbness and resignation.

The overall effect of the poem is to create a powerful sense of the oppressive and bleak atmosphere of the pawn shop, with the pawnbroker portrayed as a tragic figure trapped in a cycle of poverty and powerlessness.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem consists of six stanzas, each with four lines. The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB.
• Imagery: The poem is full of vivid imagery, particularly in its descriptions of the pawnbroker and his surroundings.
• Metaphor: The pawnbroker is metaphorically compared to a pawn, suggesting that he is trapped and powerless in his position.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is bleak and melancholy, reflecting the drab and oppressive atmosphere of the pawn shop.

Conclusion:

"Afternoon of a Pawnbroker" is a powerful and evocative poem that portrays the drab and oppressive atmosphere of a pawn shop. Fearing's use of vivid imagery and metaphor creates a sense of resignation and powerlessness, with the pawnbroker portrayed as a tragic figure trapped in his circumstances.

Poem Snippet:

"The pawnbroker sits

In the dust of his shop,

Bald as a gleaming egg,

And carefully eats

Bread from a tin cup."