Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Schuyler's poem "Coming Night" encapsulates a moment of reflection where memories, time, and impending darkness converge to create a poignant meditation on life’s fleetingness. The poem's language, sparse and unadorned, mirrors the encroaching night and the weight of the past as it shadows the present.

The poem opens with the simple statement, "It darkens brother," immediately setting a somber, contemplative tone. The darkness here is both literal and metaphorical, signaling not just the end of the day, but perhaps the nearing end of a life, a phase, or a relationship. The use of "brother" is intimate, suggesting a deep familial bond, while also invoking a broader sense of shared human experience.

The imagery of the "crutch tip" grinding against gravel is a vivid, sensory detail that evokes the harsh reality of physical limitation or injury. This grinding sound contrasts with the memory of a deer "stepping delicately along" the same path, a juxtaposition that highlights the loss of innocence and the harshness that often replaces it as one grows older. The memory of the deer, connected to a time when the speaker or the brother was "a kid," serves as a symbol of a simpler, more innocent past that is now distant.

Schuyler introduces the voice of the mother, who comments that "after thirty / decades clip by / 'and then you have the sum' / or spent it." This reflection on time emphasizes the inexorable passage of years and the idea that life is a sum of experiences, actions, and memories—some cherished, others squandered. The phrase "or spent it" introduces a note of regret or resignation, suggesting that what remains at the end of these decades is not always what one might have hoped for.

The poem then shifts to a more specific memory: "What was it like when the car / swerved on the ice, / what did you think of, / how long did you wait / in the wreck with the pain?" These lines are stark and direct, asking difficult, unanswered questions about a traumatic event. The memory of the car accident, with its suddenness and pain, contrasts with the earlier, more tranquil memories of childhood, illustrating how life can abruptly change from peaceful to perilous. The unanswered questions heighten the sense of unresolved trauma or loss, leaving the reader to imagine the fear and suffering experienced in that moment.

The final lines of the poem bring the imagery full circle: "I see the sumacs by the turning space / turn their lank leaves, / the railway moves to us / and the willows below us / and think of you turning nineteen, / of the deer, the sumac, trains, a wreck." Here, Schuyler weaves together the natural imagery of the sumacs and willows with the more mechanical image of the railway. The movement of the railway toward the speaker symbolizes the inevitable approach of time and fate. The reflection on the brother turning nineteen links the present moment with a specific point in the past, blending memories of youth with the more sobering events that followed.

The mention of the deer, sumac, trains, and the wreck in the final line serves as a poignant summary of the poem's themes. These elements, seemingly disparate, are all tied together by the shared experiences and memories that shape the speaker's consciousness. The poem suggests that life is a collection of such moments, both beautiful and tragic, all of which contribute to the "sum" that the mother mentions earlier.

"Coming Night" is a meditation on the passage of time, the inevitability of change, and the way in which memories—both joyful and painful—coalesce to form the fabric of our lives. Schuyler's spare, evocative language captures the quiet, reflective mood of the poem, making it a powerful exploration of memory, loss, and the inexorable march of time.

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