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AT THE AIRPORT, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

Howard Nemerov's poem "At the Airport" captures the transitory and liminal experience of air travel, portraying the airport as a space where people are suspended between destinations and realities. Through vivid imagery and reflective language, Nemerov explores themes of uncertainty, disconnection, and the human condition in the modern world.

The poem opens with a metaphorical gate "where nowhere and night begin," setting the scene for the airport as a threshold to the unknown. This gate serves as a passage to both literal destinations and existential ambiguity. The arrival of "a hundred" people who "suddenly appear and lose / Themselves in the hot and crowded waiting room" highlights the chaotic and impersonal nature of the airport environment. Individuals, despite their numbers, become anonymous and absorbed into the collective throng, losing their distinct identities in the process.

As another "hundred herd up toward the gate," the imagery evokes a sense of flocking or migration, underscoring the routine and mechanical aspects of modern travel. The passengers wait "patiently" for the "way be opened / To nowhere and night," emphasizing the passive and often resigned nature of waiting in transit. The "voice recites / The intermittent litany of numbers / And the holy names of distant destinations," likening airport announcements to a form of ritualistic chant. This comparison elevates the mundane act of boarding a flight to a quasi-religious experience, filled with anticipation and reverence for the journey ahead.

Nemerov poignantly acknowledges the inherent uncertainty of travel: "None going out can be certain of getting there. / None getting there can be certain of being loved / Enough." These lines encapsulate the existential doubt that accompanies human journeys, both physical and emotional. The uncertainty of reaching one's destination and the anxiety about acceptance and love at the end of the journey reflect deeper concerns about life and relationships.

The imagery of passengers being "sealed in the silver tube / And lifted up to be fed and cosseted" evokes the surreal experience of air travel. The airplane becomes a cocoon of artificial comfort, isolating travelers from the outside world. The "upholstered cell of warmth and light" represents a temporary refuge from reality, yet it also underscores the sense of confinement and detachment from the earth below.

The poem concludes with the airplane as it "shatters the darkness, neither here nor there," capturing the liminal state of being in transit. This final image emphasizes the suspension of time and space experienced during flight, where passengers exist in a state of in-betweenness. The plane's movement through the night sky symbolizes a journey through uncertainty, with no guarantee of what awaits at the destination.

In "At the Airport," Howard Nemerov masterfully captures the essence of air travel as a metaphor for the human experience of uncertainty and transience. The poem's imagery and reflective tone invite readers to contemplate the nature of modern journeys and the existential questions they evoke. Through his exploration of the airport as a space of transition, Nemerov highlights the shared human condition of seeking, waiting, and navigating the unknown.


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