Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's poem "One Last Draw of the Pipe" intertwines personal memory, folklore, and historical allusion to create a haunting meditation on death, memory, and the persistence of the past. Through the recurring motif of "draw," the poem explores the connections between the living and the dead, the real and the imagined, and the ways in which history and memory continue to shape the present.

The poem begins with an epigraph from a letter by W.B. Yeats to Douglas Hyde, in which Yeats recounts a piece of Roscommon folklore: the tradition of placing pipes filled with tobacco on graves, presumably for the deceased to take "one last draw." This introduction situates the poem within the context of Irish tradition and superstition, setting the stage for the exploration of how the past lingers in the present. The reference to this "wild American indian kind of business" also hints at the universal nature of such rituals—crossing cultural boundaries and revealing a shared human fascination with the afterlife.

The poem’s structure is defined by the repetition of the word "draw," which serves multiple purposes: it evokes the physical act of drawing on a pipe, the drawing of a picture or memory, and the drawing of a weapon or attention. This repetition creates a rhythmic pull, drawing the reader through the poem’s narrative and thematic layers.

The speaker reflects on an event from the late 1950s, vividly recalling a moment when he was helping a neighbor with green hay, only to be confronted by a "freshly dug hole"—presumably a grave. The setting is rural, and the imagery is stark, yet there is a sense of normalcy in this scene, as if such encounters with death are a part of everyday life. The repetition of the word "draw" in these early lines serves to connect the speaker’s memory with the folklore mentioned in the epigraph, suggesting that the act of drawing on a pipe—both literally and metaphorically—serves as a bridge between the living and the dead.

As the poem progresses, the focus shifts to the ghost of the newly buried, who is imagined to be torn between taking "one last draw" of the pipe and hurriedly covering the grave with "a veil of thatch and pine boughs." This image evokes a sense of urgency and unease, as if the ghost is trying to complete one last task before being fully laid to rest. The mention of the ghost "drawing a bead" on the speaker adds a sense of threat, as if the dead are not entirely at peace and might still have unfinished business with the living.

The poem then moves into a broader historical context with the mention of Sitting Bull, the famous Lakota leader, and his "old trick pony" that would "draw himself up and raise one hoof" in response to the sound of gunfire. This reference to Sitting Bull, whose death marked the end of a significant chapter in Native American history, serves as a powerful parallel to the Irish folklore of the pipe. Both traditions involve rituals and memories tied to death and the ways in which the living commemorate and interact with those who have passed. The image of the pony, trained to perform in Buffalo Bill's circus, also introduces the idea of how history can be manipulated or reduced to spectacle, even as it continues to echo through time.

The poem concludes with the ominous sound of something "coming down" on the speaker's "yew-bough roof," a final, unsettling image that leaves the reader with a sense of impending doom or inevitability. The yew tree, traditionally associated with death and immortality in both Irish and broader European culture, adds to the sense that the past is closing in on the present, that the boundary between life and death is porous and constantly shifting.

"One Last Draw of the Pipe" is a meditation on the persistence of memory and the ways in which the past continues to influence the present. Through its rich imagery and careful repetition, the poem explores the tension between the desire to move on and the pull of what has been left behind. Muldoon’s use of folklore and historical reference creates a complex, layered narrative that suggests that the dead are never truly gone, and that their presence lingers in the rituals, memories, and stories we continue to tell.

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