Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Lastness: 5" by Galway Kinnell captures a moment of profound reflection through the lens of a Bach concert, weaving themes of mortality, memory, and the enduring power of music. The poem is steeped in sensory details and vivid imagery that convey a sense of both beauty and melancholy.

The opening line, "That Bach concert I went to so long ago," immediately situates the reader in a memory, setting a nostalgic tone. The mention of "the chandeliered room / of ladies and gentlemen who would never die" evokes an image of elegance and timelessness, suggesting a moment frozen in time, immune to the ravages of mortality. This nostalgic setting creates a poignant contrast with the theme of lastness, highlighting the ephemeral nature of human existence.

As the poem progresses, the focus shifts from the audience to the music itself. "The voices go out, / the room becomes hushed," indicates a transition from the chatter and life of the room to the solemnity and stillness that precede the performance. The violinist is then introduced, and Kinnell describes him with striking imagery: "puts the irreversible sorrow of his face / into the opened palm / of the wood." This personification of the violin and the act of playing it imbue the music with deep emotion and a sense of inevitability, as if the sorrow is an integral part of the instrument and the performance.

The description of the music beginning is both visceral and ethereal: "a shower of rosin, / the bow-hairs listening down all their length / to the wail." The image of rosin, a substance used to increase friction on the bow, falling like a shower, adds a tactile dimension to the scene. The bow-hairs "listening" to the wail suggests a sensitivity and responsiveness in the act of playing, as if the instrument itself is alive and attuned to the music's emotional resonance.

Kinnell then delves into the "sexual wail / of the back-alleys and blood strings we have lived." This line introduces a raw, primal element to the music, linking it to the visceral experiences of life. The "back-alleys" and "blood strings" evoke images of hidden, gritty aspects of human existence, suggesting that the music taps into deep, often unspoken emotions and experiences. The use of "sexual wail" underscores the intensity and passion inherent in both the music and the human condition.

The final lines of the poem bring the focus to the materiality of the instrument: "still crying, / still singing, from the sliced intestine / of cat." This stark, almost jarring image reminds the reader of the origins of the violin strings, grounding the ethereal beauty of the music in the physical reality of its creation. It serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of life and death, beauty and suffering.

"Lastness: 5" is a meditation on the enduring power of art and memory. Through its vivid imagery and emotional depth, the poem explores the ways in which music can encapsulate the full spectrum of human experience, from sorrow to passion, and how these experiences linger in our memories, even as time marches on. Kinnell's juxtaposition of the ethereal and the material, the timeless and the transient, creates a rich, multilayered reflection on the nature of existence and the lasting impact of art.

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