Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Jane Was With Me" by Marvin Bell captures a moment of unexpected and startling beauty amidst the mundane, using the sudden death of a squirrel during a rainstorm as a focal point for reflection on life, nature, and the transient nature of beauty. The poem skillfully weaves together the ordinary and the extraordinary, inviting readers to find wonder in the everyday and to consider the fragile balance between life and death.

The poem begins with a casual, almost anecdotal tone, grounding the reader in a specific moment shared with Jane. The description of the rain dropping "a squirrel like that" immediately introduces an element of the unexpected, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of how the natural world operates outside human expectations and norms.

Bell's use of vivid imagery to describe the rainstorm—“An upside-down embrace, / a conical explosion from the sky, / a thick flowering of sudden water”—elevates the event from a simple weather phenomenon to a moment of intense and almost mystical significance. The personification of the trees, which "grew a little," "played music," "breathed songs," and "applauded themselves," infuses the scene with a sense of animation and joy, suggesting a harmony and exuberance in nature that humans seldom witness.

The squirrel's surrender "to nothing but the beauty / of a wet tree" highlights the inherent instinct of creatures to be drawn to the aesthetic and the sublime, even at the risk of their own safety. This moment of surrender, however, leads to the squirrel's untimely death as it falls "hard onto the roof of our car / before he could set his toes." This abrupt end serves as a stark reminder of the precariousness of life and the fine line between beauty and danger.

Bell's use of the phrase "of course, of course" before describing the squirrel's fatal decision to venture too far on the tree introduces a sense of inevitability and acceptance of the natural order. It reflects a recognition that beauty and risk are often intertwined, and that the pursuit of the former can sometimes lead to unforeseen consequences.

"Jane Was With Me" is a poignant and beautifully crafted poem that invites readers to reconsider their relationship with the natural world and to appreciate the fleeting moments of beauty that surround us. Through the lens of a simple yet tragic incident, Marvin Bell offers a meditation on the complexities of existence, the allure of the natural world, and the impact of shared experiences on our understanding of life and death.

POEM TEXT: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/12/jane-was-with-me/666579/