Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Flower Arrangements" by Howard Nemerov is a contemplative poem that uses the metaphor of fading flowers to explore themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the nature of existence. Through the simple act of observing flowers brought by a friend, Nemerov delves into the delicate and inevitable process of decline and the lingering curiosity about where life goes once it fades away.

The poem begins with the straightforward observation: "The flowers that a friend brings twice a week / Or even oftener accumulate / In plastic cups beside me on the table." This sets up a scene of routine and accumulation, suggesting a regular and almost ritualistic act of bringing beauty into the speaker's space. The plastic cups, mundane and disposable, contrast with the transient beauty of the flowers, emphasizing the theme of impermanence.

Nemerov then reveals a personal tendency to neglect the flowers: "Not only I forget to throw them out, / But also I've a curiosity, / Fading a bit myself, to watch them fade." This admission connects the speaker's own experience of aging with the wilting flowers, hinting at a shared journey towards decline. The curiosity to watch the flowers fade reflects a deeper philosophical inquiry into the nature of life and death.

The poet describes the flowers' fading process with admiration: "They do it with much delicacy and style. / Shrinking into themselves, they keep their cool / And colors many days." This personification attributes a graceful dignity to the flowers, suggesting that there is beauty even in decline. The flowers' gradual drying and diminishing are noted as being "imperceptible / But for the instance of the followers / Arranged beside them in the order of / Their severance and exile from the earth." This imagery emphasizes the continuity of life and death, with each new batch of flowers following the same inevitable path as the ones before them.

Nemerov poignantly notes that the flowers are "In death already though they know it not," drawing a parallel to human beings who may be unaware or in denial of their own mortality. The detailed description of the flowers' final stages—"At last the petals shrivel, fold and fall, / The colors grow pastel and pale, the stems / Go brittle and the green starts turning brown"—captures the inevitable decline in vivid detail. The phrase "The fireworks are over" suggests that the brief, vibrant display of life has ended, leaving behind a quieter, more subdued existence.

The poem concludes with the speaker reflecting on the disposal of the flowers: "From time to time I throw a cup away, / Wondering where lives go when they go out." This final line encapsulates the central existential question posed by the poem. The act of throwing away the flowers prompts the speaker to ponder the ultimate fate of all living things. The use of "wondering" conveys an ongoing, unresolved curiosity about the nature of life and death, and where the essence of life might go once it has "gone out."

"Flower Arrangements" by Howard Nemerov masterfully uses the metaphor of fading flowers to explore deep philosophical questions about life, death, and the passage of time. Through its detailed observations and reflective tone, the poem invites readers to consider the beauty and inevitability of decline, as well as the enduring mystery of what lies beyond.

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