Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In the poem "Sonnet" by Stephane Mallarme, the reader is confronted with a complex tapestry of emotional and symbolic intricacies. This is a narrative of longing, separation, and perhaps reconciliation that transcends the boundaries of life and death. Utilizing elements such as seasons, time, and the hearth as metaphors, Mallarmé deftly exposes the intertwined feelings of despair and hope.

The opening lines introduce the setting of "forgotten woods" in winter, which serves as a metaphor for desolation and abandonment, immediately setting the tone of melancholy. The image of someone "lonely captive of the threshold" expands upon this feeling, capturing an emotional state of in-betweenness, an existence at the margins-either of society, or perhaps of life and death.

The "twin grave" that "is to be our pride" introduces the notion that the bond between the speaker and the addressee transcends death, a bond that is simultaneously both sorrowful and dignifying. The "lack of thick bouquets" adds to the tone of neglect and sorrow but also hints at a preference for simplicity in remembering the deceased.

The shift to Midnight, with its "vacant number," introduces an element of existential contemplation. Time, in its emptiness, draws attention to the loneliness of the vigil, to the effort of staying awake "until within the ancient armchair, my/Shade is illumined by the final ember." This can be read as an image of the soul, or 'Shade', waiting to be acknowledged or brought to light by the consciousness or memory of the living.

The next lines explore the responsibilities and perhaps the limitations of memory or visitation to the dead. The speaker suggests that an excess of "flowers" or sentimentalism may not be what the departed soul wishes for. Instead, the soul seems to be seeking a simpler, more profound connection: the lifting of "the stone" may be an act of acknowledgement, a way to recognize and validate the experiences and complexities of the deceased's life. The term "power that has decayed" could refer to the weakening of the soul after death or perhaps the diminishing influence of the person's life on the living.

The concluding lines present an intimate scene of reunion. The "bright hearth" contrasts sharply with the winter coldness, serving as a symbol of warmth, life, and possibly spiritual enlightenment. This is where the speaker's "Soul" finally finds some rest, trembling as it is seated. The "murmurs evening-long repeated" of the speaker's "name" from the lips of the addressee offer a beautiful, haunting close. This act of naming serves as a potent reminder of identity, of existence, and of the bonds that tie people together across the divides of time, space, and even death.

Structure: Stephane Mallarme's "Sonnet" does not conform to the traditional Petrarchan or Shakespearean sonnet forms. The Petrarchan sonnet is traditionally divided into an octave and a sestet, while the Shakespearean sonnet is composed of three quatrains and a final rhymed couplet. Mallarmé's poem seems to disregard these formal divisions, but it maintains the 14-line structure, which is a defining characteristic of a sonnet. In any analysis of Mallarmé, it's crucial to take into account the innovative ways he engages with form, which are deeply entwined with the poem's thematic content. In "Sonnet," the breaking away from the traditional sonnet form can be seen as an expression of the emotional and existential complexities the poem is exploring. Just as the speaker in the poem defies the conventional expectations of life and death, of love and mourning, the form of the poem defies our conventional expectations of what a sonnet should be. This is all part of Mallarmé's artistic vision, which invites us to engage more profoundly with the world, its forms, and its meanings.

In this sonnet, Mallarmé has woven a rich, complex poem that does not shy away from tackling the subjects of mortality, memory, and the afterlife. It presents a multi-layered emotional landscape, painting both the bleakness of human existence and the potential for deep, almost mystical connections between human souls.

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