Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Breath of Night" by Randall Jarrell captures the natural world at the threshold between day and night, and does so in a way that casts a larger metaphysical net around the observed phenomena. The poem's brevity belies its complexity, as it deals with themes of transition, strife, and the interconnectedness of all life.

The poem opens with the rising moon, which serves as a transitional symbol between day and night, casting its illuminative power on the "red cubs rolling / In the ferns by the rotten oak." Jarrell's choice of words is particularly evocative: "rotten oak" suggests decay, but it exists alongside the vitality of the red cubs. There is a balance between life and death, growth and decay, all of which are observed under the moon's impartial gaze.

As the poem continues, various creatures make their appearances-deer, rabbits, and a cock-which further animate the moonlit scene. They each engage in activities that define them, threading and hopping through the landscape. However, the cock's crowing disrupts the tranquil scene, reminding us of the impending dawn and another transition. Jarrell employs vivid imagery, where deer "thread the blossoming rows" and rabbits "Hop by the well-curb," grounding the metaphysical elements of the poem in tactile experiences.

The poem then takes a darker turn with the entrance of the owl, whose "soft cry / Runs like a breath through the forest." The owl's cry-often a symbol of wisdom in literature-here serves as a portent, a reminder of mortality that "runs" through the forest like a shudder. It's a sign of an ever-present Strife that even the beauty of nature cannot escape from.

The concluding lInesgeneralize the specific observations, likening the earthly struggles to the "Strife that moves the stars." The phrase "though death is hushed, though joy / Obscures, like night, their wars," serves as a poignant reminder that all life is subject to universal forces. The poem thus implies that despite the beauty and the fleeting moments of peace, there exists an inherent conflict or strife in the universe itself, affecting everything from the red cubs to the distant stars.

In "The Breath of Night," Randall Jarrell succeeds in creating a vivid tableau that captures the essence of a world in transition. From the rising moon to the crowing cock and the crying owl, he paints a picture both serene and unsettling. The tension between beauty and an omnipresent strife becomes the poem's most lasting impression, leaving the reader with an unsettling yet profoundly realistic insight into the natural world. This sense of inherent conflict, mirrored in both microcosmic and macrocosmic scales, speaks to Jarrell's ability to find the extraordinary within the ordinary, the universal within the specific.

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