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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
In "Violet," John Hollander crafts a lyrical meditation on the themes of culmination, the continuity of life, and the ephemeral nature of existence. Through rich imagery and reflective musings, the poem explores how finality and continuity intertwine in the natural and human world. The poem opens with the acknowledgment that every song's beginning inherently contains its end: "At the song's beginning / Even as our voices / Rise we know the last words / And what it will sound like / To sing them at the end." This recognition of the end within the beginning sets the tone for the poem, emphasizing a cyclical view of life and art. The "cold fiddler" who hums the final chords as he begins each piece underscores this inevitability, suggesting an acceptance of the full arc of creation. Hollander introduces Jack, a figure who represents human endeavor and creation, yet who cannot foresee the ultimate outcome: "Jack, looking out of / The house that our song had / Him build, can see no cock / Crowing in the morn at / Break of ultimate day." This uncertainty about the future contrasts with the earlier acceptance of life's cycles, highlighting the tension between human effort and the unknown. In the setting of a field of "yet ungathered grain," the poem suggests a moment of potential and possibility. There is "time to chant / The epic of whispers / In the light of a last / Candle," a fragile yet enduring symbol of hope and persistence. The candle's flame, "a frail flame shaking / In a simulacrum / Of respiration," symbolizes the delicate nature of life and creativity, flickering yet persistent. The imagery of carrying the candle "set / Down inside a pitcher / Out into the field" evokes a sense of journey and exploration. The candle, like "a star reflected / In a cup of water," illuminates without truly lighting a path, symbolizing an inner light that guides without overt direction. This light, reflecting on the surface of water, represents a moment of beauty and clarity that exists within the transience of life. At the "easternmost / Edge of the sunset world," the imagery of starlings perched like musical notes on wires against the sky suggests a silent composition, a natural symphony that exists without sound. The "mown oatfield" becomes a canvas for the night, hinting at the transient and impermanent text left by the day's end. The poem culminates in a vision of a "tree of light" and a "bush / Unconsumed by its fire," biblical allusions that evoke themes of revelation and enduring presence. The "branches of flame given / Sevenfold tongue" suggest a completeness and perfection in the natural world's continuous cycle of renewal and decay. Hollander's imagery of "smashed vessels / Of oil, of blood and stain" being recomposed into "Wine of grass and juice of / Violet" symbolizes transformation and the blending of different elements into a new whole. The final "white" at the "point of / Sky water and field all / Plunged in their own deep well / Of color" suggests a unity and synthesis of diverse parts into a harmonious end. The poem closes with a call for clarity and continuity: "If clear water is to / Give light, let it be here. / And if sound beyond breath / Of candle flame endure." This plea for enduring light and sound reflects a hope for lasting presence beyond physical existence. The "undersong / Filling this vast chamber / Of continuing air" symbolizes the persistent, underlying harmony that permeates life, culminating in the "flickering of / Cantillation, quickened / Soon in the ringing dew." "Violet" is a profound exploration of the interplay between finality and continuity, using rich, evocative imagery to reflect on the transient yet enduring aspects of existence. Through its meditative tone and intricate symbolism, the poem invites readers to consider the delicate balance between the ephemeral and the eternal in the natural and human world.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE APOLLO TRIO by CONRAD AIKEN BAD GIRL SINGING by MARK JARMAN CHAMBER MUSIC: 4 by JAMES JOYCE CHAMBER MUSIC: 5 by JAMES JOYCE CHAMBER MUSIC: 28 by JAMES JOYCE THE SONG OF THE NIGHTINGALE IS LIKE THE SCENT OF SYRINGA by MINA LOY REGARDING (MOST) SONGS by THOMAS LUX SENT ON A SHEET OF PAPER WITH A HEART SHAPE CUT OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF IT by JOHN HOLLANDER |
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