Donald Justice's poem "After a Line by John Peale Bishop" explores the silent, enigmatic presence of old men—grandfathers—who seem to exist on the fringes of life, embodying a sense of timelessness and mystery. Through vivid imagery and contemplative tone, Justice delves into themes of age, silence, and the inscrutability of the past. The poem begins with a question that sets the tone for the entire piece: “Why will they never speak, / The old ones, the grandfathers?” This line immediately establishes a sense of curiosity and frustration about the silence of the elderly. The use of "never" emphasizes the perceived permanence and impenetrability of their silence. Justice describes their typical setting: “Always you find them sitting / On ruined porches, deep / In the back country, at dusk.” The image of the grandfathers on ruined porches at dusk evokes a sense of decay and the passage of time. The "back country" suggests isolation and a removal from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Dusk, a transitional time between day and night, mirrors the grandfathers' position between the past and the present. The physical actions of these men further emphasize their detachment: “Hawking and spitting.” These actions are mundane yet visceral, highlighting their grounded, almost primitive existence. The repetition of such actions suggests a routine, a life stripped down to its bare essentials. The grandfathers are compared to "peevish, discredited gods": “They might have sat there forever, / Tapping their sticks, / Peevish, discredited gods.” This comparison elevates them to a mythic status while simultaneously noting their fall from grace or relevance. The tapping of their sticks signifies impatience or irritation, perhaps a sign of their dissatisfaction with their current state or their disconnection from the world around them. Justice then turns to the perspective of the traveler encountering these silent figures: “Ask of the traveler how / At road-end they will fix / You maybe with the cold / Eye of a snake or a bird.” The traveler’s interaction with the grandfathers is marked by a chilling, animalistic gaze, likening their eyes to those of a snake or a bird. This simile suggests a sense of danger, wisdom, and inscrutability. The coldness of their gaze implies detachment and an unspoken understanding that transcends words. The grandfathers’ responses—or lack thereof—are described as “dark, oracular / Head-shakes and head-nods.” The term "oracular" imbues their gestures with a sense of prophecy or deep, hidden knowledge. Their head-shakes and nods serve as cryptic responses that leave more questions than answers, reinforcing their role as silent keepers of wisdom or secrets. In "After a Line by John Peale Bishop," Donald Justice masterfully captures the aura of mystery and quiet authority surrounding the elderly men. Through his precise and evocative language, he paints a picture of figures who, though seemingly disengaged, possess a profound and unsettling presence. The poem serves as a meditation on the silence of the past, the enigmatic nature of age, and the unspoken truths that lie beneath the surface of everyday life. |