Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Ingram Merrill's poem "Last Words" is a poignant reflection on the intertwining of love, memory, and mortality. In just a few short lines, Merrill encapsulates the cyclical nature of life and death, the persistence of memory, and the enduring power of love, all while evoking classical imagery that deepens the emotional resonance of the poem.

The poem opens with the speaker addressing their beloved directly: "My life, your light green eyes / Have lit on me with joy." The phrase "My life" suggests that the beloved is not just a significant other, but the very essence of the speaker's existence. The light green eyes, which "lit on me with joy," symbolize the warmth and vitality that the beloved brings into the speaker's life. This opening line establishes a tone of deep affection and connection, suggesting that the speaker's life is illuminated and made meaningful by the presence of the beloved.

Merrill then shifts to a more reflective and philosophical tone: "There's nothing I don't know, / Or shall not know again, / Over and over again." These lines convey a sense of inevitability and repetition, implying that the speaker has already experienced everything life has to offer and will continue to do so in an endless cycle. This cyclical view of existence suggests that knowledge and experience are not linear but are instead recurring, perhaps in a spiritual or eternal sense. The repetition of "over and over again" reinforces this idea of a continuous loop, where life’s lessons are learned, forgotten, and relearned across time.

The poem then moves into a temporal sequence: "It's noon, it's dawn, it's night," which underscores the passage of time and the phases of life. Noon, dawn, and night represent the different stages of life—youth, maturity, and old age or death. This progression is inevitable, and the speaker seems to acknowledge it with a calm acceptance. The next lines—"I am the dog that dies / In the deep street of Troy / Tomorrow, long ago"—introduce a powerful classical allusion to the ancient city of Troy, which is famously associated with epic tales of heroism and tragedy.

The image of "the dog that dies / In the deep street of Troy" is a poignant one. Dogs are often symbols of loyalty and companionship, and their death in the context of Troy evokes a sense of tragic inevitability and the senselessness of war and loss. The phrase "Tomorrow, long ago" paradoxically combines future and past, further emphasizing the cyclical nature of time and the inescapability of fate. It suggests that the events of tomorrow are already part of the past, blurring the boundaries between what has been and what will be.

The poem continues with a shift from the external to the internal: "Part of me dims with pain, / Becomes the stinging flies, / The bent head of the boy." Here, the speaker acknowledges the pain and suffering that are inherent in life. The "stinging flies" and the "bent head of the boy" evoke images of death and sorrow, perhaps referencing the aftermath of war, as well as the innocent victims of such conflicts. The speaker's identification with these elements suggests a deep empathy and a recognition that part of their own identity is tied to these experiences of loss and suffering.

However, the poem concludes on a more hopeful and affirming note: "Part looks into your light / And lives to tell you so." Despite the pain and the inevitability of death, the speaker finds solace and meaning in the light of the beloved's eyes. This light represents love, hope, and the enduring connection between the speaker and their beloved. The phrase "lives to tell you so" implies that as long as this connection exists, a part of the speaker will continue to live on, transcending the limitations of time and mortality.

"Last Words" is a deeply moving exploration of love, memory, and the cyclical nature of existence. Merrill's use of classical imagery and the interplay of time—blending past, present, and future—create a sense of timelessness and inevitability. The poem suggests that while life is full of pain and loss, the light of love can provide meaning and continuity, allowing us to transcend the inevitable end. In this way, Merrill offers a profound meditation on the ways in which love and memory endure, even in the face of death.

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