Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Reservoir" by Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge is a multi-part poem that explores themes of distance, longing, and the elusive nature of connection through vividly drawn imagery and metaphors. Each section of the poem builds upon these themes, creating a narrative that is both evocative and hauntingly beautiful.

In the first section, Berssenbrugge introduces the imagery of a reservoir attempting to freeze over, a process that creates an "expanding map shaped like an angel." This image serves as a metaphor for the separation and longing experienced by the lovers on a coast, who continually walk toward each other but never meet. The use of the sun to redden their faces without providing warmth underscores the futility of their efforts and the emotional coldness of their separation. The poem suggests that their persistence in moving along the thin ice, believing the illusion that the "membranes are brighter than occluded flesh of interiors," keeps them trapped in a cycle of longing and separation.

The second section shifts the setting to a tundra, where the woman walks and the man drives away at an angle that matches her pace. This dance of avoidance and pursuit reflects the complexities of their relationship, where attempts to connect only lead to further separation. The imagery of the land cracking under their weight and the man's hand transforming into a mere surface, "like a map," emphasizes the fragility and superficiality of their attempts to reach each other.

In the final section, the woman's delicate approach toward the edge, "tenuous as a leaf," symbolizes a moment of vulnerability and anticipation, akin to waiting for a letter. However, the rapid freezing of the reservoir before her represents the barriers that prevent true connection and understanding. The voice that breaks her concentration, only to reveal that he had not spoken, encapsulates the miscommunications and missed connections that define their relationship.

Throughout "The Reservoir," Berssenbrugge uses natural and elemental imagery—ice, sun, lava, tundra—to convey the emotional landscape of the lovers. The poem's language and structure create a sense of movement and stasis, reflecting the paradoxical nature of their relationship. The reservoir, with its shifting states of solidity and fragility, serves as a central metaphor for the precarious balance between connection and isolation, presence and absence.

Berssenbrugge's poem is a meditation on the human condition, exploring how the desire for connection can lead us to the brink of the unknown, and how the landscapes we traverse—both physical and emotional—shape our experiences of love and longing. "The Reservoir" invites readers to reflect on the boundaries that separate us from others and the ways in which we attempt to bridge those divides, often with uncertain outcomes.

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