Carolyn Kizer's "Night Sounds" is a deeply evocative poem that delves into themes of solitude, memory, and the haunting nature of nighttime. Drawing on influences from classical Chinese poetry, particularly the works of Tzu Yeh, Kizer crafts a meditation on the emotional landscape of night, where the interplay of light and shadow mirrors the complexities of human relationships. The poem opens with the speaker's sleeplessness induced by the moonlight: "The moonlight on my bed keeps me awake; / Living alone now, aware of the voices of evening." This immediate contrast between the serene beauty of the moonlight and the speaker's acute awareness of nighttime sounds sets a tone of introspection and melancholy. The sounds—a child's weeping, a woman's faint love-cries—carry connotations of vulnerability and longing, emphasizing the speaker's own sense of isolation and emotional turbulence. Kizer continues to explore the theme of loneliness with the poignant line: "No heavy, impassive back to nudge with one foot / While coaxing, 'Wake up and hold me.'" This imagery of an absent partner highlights the loss of physical and emotional intimacy. The moon, which typically symbolizes beauty and tranquility, is here transformed into "a map of impersonal desolation," reflecting the speaker's inner desolation and the stark reality of their solitude. The poem shifts to a more reflective tone as the speaker revisits memories of a past relationship: "But, restless in this mock dawn of moonlight. / That so chills the spirit, I alter our history: / You were never able to lie quite peacefully at my side, / Not the night through. Always withholding something." This revisionist approach to memory underscores the complexity of the relationship, suggesting a persistent undercurrent of tension and emotional distance. The speaker recounts the restless nights: "Awake before morning, restless and uneasy, / Trying not to disturb me, you would leave my bed / While I lay there rigidly, feigning sleep." This depiction of mutual discomfort and pretense highlights the strained dynamics, where both individuals were physically close yet emotionally distant. The "full cup of moonlight" becomes a metaphor for the coldness and the incomplete nature of their connection. Despite the moments of unease, the speaker acknowledges the times of genuine connection: "And there were the lovely times when, to the skies' cold No / You cried to me, Yes! Impaled me with affirmation." This line captures the intense moments of affirmation and passion that occasionally pierced through the prevailing coldness. The use of "impaled" conveys the intensity and impact of these affirmations, suggesting a profound, albeit fleeting, emotional fulfillment. The poem concludes on a somber note, with the speaker calling out in fear but receiving no answer: "Now, when I call out in fear, not in love, there is no answer. / Nothing speaks in the dark but the distant voices, / A child with the moon on his face, a dog's hollow cadence." This ending reinforces the theme of solitude, as the speaker is left to confront their fears alone. The distant voices—a child and a dog—underscore the pervasive sense of loneliness and the absence of human connection. "Night Sounds" by Carolyn Kizer is a beautifully crafted exploration of the interplay between memory, loneliness, and the haunting nature of nighttime. Through rich imagery and evocative language, Kizer captures the emotional nuances of solitude and the complex dynamics of past relationships. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of night, memory, and the enduring impact of lost connections. |