Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mark Jarman's poem "The Children" explores the contrast between the vivid, sensory experiences of childhood and the often detached, forward-looking perspective of adulthood. Through evocative imagery and reflective commentary, Jarman delves into themes of memory, perception, and the passage of time.

The poem begins by situating the children in a specific, natural setting: "The children are hiding among the raspberry canes. / They look big to one another, the garden small." This image captures the innocence and immediacy of childhood, where the world is experienced in a direct and unfiltered way. The children's perception of size—seeing each other as big and the garden as small—emphasizes their immersion in the present moment.

Jarman then describes the sensory experience of eating raspberries: "Already in their mouths this soft fruit / That lasts so briefly in the supermarket / Tastes like the past." The fleeting nature of the raspberries, both in terms of their physical existence and their evocation of memory, serves as a metaphor for the transient nature of childhood. The mention of the supermarket underscores the contrast between the natural, ephemeral experiences of the garden and the more commercial, transient experiences of adulthood.

The poem introduces an element of danger and mystery with the description of the wall: "The gritty wall, / Behind the veil of leaves, is hollow. / There are yellow wasps inside it." The children’s awareness of the wall's hardness and the presence of wasps symbolizes their nascent understanding of the world’s complexities and potential dangers. Despite their young age, "The children know. / They know the wall is hard, although it hums." This knowledge, both intuitive and experiential, highlights the deep impressions that childhood experiences leave on us.

The poem then shifts to a reflective, adult perspective: "When did we forget? But we were never / Children, never found where they were hiding / And hid with them, never followed / The wasp down into its nest / With a fingertip that still tingles." This rhetorical question and subsequent musings suggest a sense of loss and disconnection from the immediacy and vividness of childhood experiences. The adult speaker acknowledges a separation from the playful curiosity and physical engagement of youth.

Jarman contrasts the children's focus on the present with the adult preoccupation with the future: "We lie in bed at night, thinking about / The future, always the future, always forgetting / That it will be the past, hard and hollow, / Veiled and humming, soon enough." This reflection on the cyclical nature of time emphasizes how adults often overlook the present moment, fixating instead on what is to come. The imagery of the future becoming the past, "hard and hollow, / Veiled and humming," echoes the earlier description of the wall, suggesting that the essence of experiences—both good and bad—remains embedded in memory, shaping our perception of the world.

In "The Children," Mark Jarman masterfully captures the stark differences between the rich, sensory world of childhood and the more abstract, anticipatory world of adulthood. Through vivid imagery and introspective commentary, the poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences and the ways in which the passage of time shapes our understanding of life. The poem serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of staying connected to the present moment and the enduring impact of our earliest memories.

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