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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

DEPARTURE, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

Carolyn Forché's poem "Departure" is a haunting exploration of transience, identity, and the lingering presence of the past as one embarks on a journey. Through evocative imagery and introspective reflections, Forché captures the emotional complexity of leaving behind familiar landscapes and stepping into the unknown.

The poem begins with the visceral imagery of a train journey: "We take it with us, the cry of a train slicing a field leaving its stiff suture." The metaphor of the train slicing through the field suggests a sharp, definitive break, leaving behind a "stiff suture," which conveys both a physical and emotional scar. This act of departure is not merely a physical movement but a poignant severance from the past.

Forché describes the "distant tenderness" felt as the rails slip behind and the view from the windows touches the field. This moment creates a surreal sense of connection with the past, as if "the dead are awake and so reach for each other." The imagery blurs the lines between the living and the dead, the present and the past, suggesting that memories and lost connections linger just out of reach.

The intimate scene of "Your hand cups the light of a match to your mouth, to mine" evokes a moment of shared warmth and fragility. The matchlight, fleeting and delicate, symbolizes the tenuous hold on identity and memory. The speaker's desire to ask if "the dead hold their mouths in their hands like this to know what is left of them" highlights a yearning to understand how the remnants of the past are preserved and acknowledged.

The poem transitions to the physical and metaphorical baggage carried during the journey: "Between us, a tissue of smoke, a bundle of belongings, luggage that will seem to float beside us." This smoke symbolizes the ephemeral nature of their connection and the intangible weight of their shared experiences. The "currency we will change and change again" alludes to the shifting identities and the constant adaptation required in new environments.

Forché introduces elements of transformation and disguise: "Here is the name of a friend who will take you in, the papers of a man who vanished, the one you will become when the man you have been disappears." These lines suggest a necessity for reinvention, for assuming new identities as one leaves behind the old self. The mention of the man who vanished and the new identity to be adopted underscores the theme of loss and the need for survival.

The poem concludes with a poignant reflection on identity and memory: "I am the woman whose photograph you will not recognize, whose face emptied your eyes, whose eyes were brief, like the smallest of cities we slipped through." This self-description conveys a sense of fading significance, as the speaker's identity becomes a fleeting memory, much like the small towns glimpsed momentarily through the train windows. The metaphor of eyes being "brief" emphasizes the transient nature of recognition and the ephemeral connections formed during travel.

"Departure" by Carolyn Forché is a powerful meditation on the themes of loss, identity, and the enduring presence of the past. Through its rich, evocative imagery and introspective tone, the poem captures the emotional complexity of leaving behind a familiar world and stepping into a new one, where identities shift and memories linger like smoke. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own journeys, the baggage they carry, and the ways in which they transform as they move through different stages of life.


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