Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alice Fulton's "Call the Mainland" is a reflective and introspective poem that juxtaposes the natural world with human emotions and intellectual pursuits. Through the vivid imagery of birds and their dawn chorus, Fulton explores themes of perception, emotion, and the complex relationship between nature and humanity.

The poem opens with a striking observation: "Nature hates a choir." This statement sets the tone for the exploration of the solitary and individualistic nature of birds' songs, as opposed to the collective harmony often associated with choirs. Fulton notes the absence of a "chorus in the country every dawn," suggesting that the natural world operates on individual expressions rather than synchronized unity. The birds, having spent the night viewing the earth as an "opaque, unstarred space," greet the morning with a "vivacious soundscape," reflecting their amazement that the world remains intact.

Fulton then pauses to reflect on her own tendency to project human emotions onto the birds' songs. She acknowledges this projection, recognizing that she is "coating the birds' tones with emotion" and hearing them as her own. This self-awareness highlights the common human practice of anthropomorphizing nature, attributing human-like feelings and motivations to non-human entities.

Despite this awareness, Fulton entertains the possibility that birds might experience some form of emotion. She suggests that birds could feel a "resonance of glad" in their "hollow bones" and that their hearts might "shake" with the will to live another day. This idea emphasizes the connection between physical sensation and emotional experience, blurring the line between human and animal emotions.

Fulton delves into the concept of emotion manifesting in the body, noting that "the body speeds / its reflexes and is moved." She describes how physical responses can evoke memories and emotions, likening them to "sleepers between bouts of sleep." This connection between the physical and emotional realms underscores the deep, instinctual nature of feelings.

In contrast, Fulton describes intellectual pleasures as more detached and serene. She notes that such delights are "intellect selective, without cardiac effect," highlighting the difference between emotional and cerebral experiences. The mind's pleasure in a "Borges story or elegant proof in math" is described as a "bliss that doesn't shift / across the blood-brain barrier," suggesting a more isolated and less visceral form of enjoyment.

The poem returns to the birds, acknowledging their role as independent actors in the natural world. Fulton admires their ability to "sound your own agenda in polyphonic overlay," appreciating their individual contributions to the dawn chorus. She notes that birds will never understand themselves as "symbols / of the sublime" and that their music resists the structure of "unison or climax." This recognition of the birds' pure, unselfconscious expression contrasts with human tendencies to seek meaning and order.

Fulton concludes with a gentle, almost whimsical farewell to the birds: "tell them I said hi." This closing line reinforces the theme of connection and separation, acknowledging the inherent distance between human perceptions and the natural world.

"Call the Mainland" by Alice Fulton is a meditation on the intersection of nature, emotion, and intellect. Through the metaphor of birds and their dawn chorus, Fulton explores how humans perceive and project emotions onto the natural world, while also recognizing the distinct and independent existence of nature. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own interactions with and interpretations of the world around them, highlighting the beauty and complexity of both human and non-human experiences.

Copyright (c) 2024 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...