Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"My Mother's Garden" by Paula Closson Buck is a poem that weaves the intricate relationship between nature, time, and human emotion, centered around the image of a mother's garden. The poem begins with the "finity of feeling," a phrase that suggests the limits and boundaries of emotional experiences, immediately juxtaposed with the image of ants performing their "ritual," a natural, cyclic, and seemingly endless activity. This contrast sets the tone for the exploration of temporal and emotional themes throughout the poem.

The reference to "six o'clock" and the "pink's defoliation" introduces the specific time of day—likely evening—when the garden transitions from daylight to dusk, underscoring the ephemeral nature of beauty and life itself. The imagery of the mother's arm, "pale as the belly of a fish," evokes a sense of delicacy and vulnerability, further emphasized by the allusion to Chekhov's "The Lady with the Dog," a story that explores themes of love, loneliness, and the complexities of human relationships.

The poem's mention of "the hour carps in the shallows" and the detailed setting with "rhubarb and columbine" grounded in the mother's gardening activities, suggests a meditation on the passage of time and its impact on both the natural world and human endeavors. The mother's presence in the garden, "creeping with her trowel," portrays her as both caretaker and participant in the cyclical processes of growth, decay, and renewal.

The phrase "What little has survived the blunder" hints at loss and perhaps the mistakes or misfortunes that affect both gardens and lives. The disappearance of "the swimmer's clothes from the grassy bank" serves as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of moments and experiences, emphasizing the transient beauty of the garden and life itself.

The final stanza reflects on the mother's connection to the garden during "these palest hours," suggesting that her true essence or identity is most apparent in this serene and contemplative setting. The vivid description of the garden at dusk, with the sun described as "coxcomb red," amidst "perennials amid the sumptuous vegetables," captures the lush, vibrant life of the garden as a parallel to the mother's own inner life and emotional depth.

Overall, "My Mother's Garden" is a poignant exploration of the intersections between nature, time, and human emotion, using the garden as a metaphor for the complexities of life and the enduring beauty found within fleeting moments. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own relationships with nature and the ways in which it mirrors the human condition.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Acquiescent_Villa/tj1ZwQY0Ue0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=MY%20MOTHER%27S