Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Passage Over Water" by Robert Duncan is a hauntingly evocative poem that navigates the emotional and symbolic terrains of separation, loss, and existential isolation. Set against the backdrop of a sea voyage, the poem uses the imagery of a journey over water to delve into the depths of personal and collective memory, exploring the fragility of human connections and the inexorable drift towards solitude.

The poem opens with a vivid scene: "We have gone out in boats upon the sea at night, lost, and the vast waters close traps of fear about us." This setting immediately establishes a sense of vulnerability and disorientation, capturing the feeling of being adrift not only in physical space but also in the uncertainties of life. The sea becomes a metaphor for the subconscious or the unknown depths of the human psyche, with its latent fears and unresolved conflicts.

Duncan's depiction of the boats being "driven apart" underscores the theme of separation and the isolation that often follows. The individuals in the poem find themselves "alone at last under the incalculable sky, listless, diseased with stars," which suggests a profound alienation from the world and from each other, emphasized by the overwhelming presence of the universe.

The command to "Let the oars be idle, my love, and forget at this time" introduces a resigned acceptance of their drift into the "heart of our dream." The dream here may represent an escape from reality or a deeper foray into the inner realms of desire and fear. The imagery of a knife defining boundaries that cannot be crossed evokes the painful limitations and barriers within their relationship, cutting through the silence and symbolizing the unresolved tensions between the speakers.

The plea to forget "depth-bombs, death and promises we made" is a call to abandon the remnants of a tumultuous past marked by violence ("gardens laid waste") and destruction ("the rooms where we had come together bombd"). These images of devastation reflect the external chaos that mirrors the internal emotional landscape of the speakers, suggesting a world—and a relationship—irrevocably altered by unspecified cataclysms.

As the poem progresses, the tone shifts to one of resignation and somber reflection. The speaker senses the partner's withdrawal as a palpable loss: "your love turns back. I feel your absence like the ringing of bells silenced." The use of salt over the eyes and the scales of salt between them symbolizes tears, bitterness, and perhaps the preservation of painful memories.

The concluding lines, "There is a dry crash of cement. The light fails, falls into the ruins of cities upon the distant shore and within the indestructible night I am alone," capture the finality of the separation. The imagery of failing light and ruined cities suggests a broader commentary on decay and the decline of civilizations, possibly alluding to historical or personal apocalypses. Ultimately, the speaker is left in "the indestructible night," a metaphor for the enduring nature of darkness, both literal and metaphorical, in which the speaker is irrevocably isolated.

"Passage Over Water" is a deeply introspective poem that weaves together the personal and the universal into a rich tapestry of imagery and emotion. Through the metaphor of a sea journey, Duncan explores the themes of separation, memory, and existential solitude, delivering a powerful meditation on the human condition.

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