Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov’s poem "Companions" explores the loss of a once-animistic view of the world, where gods and spirits inhabited everyday objects and natural phenomena. This reflective piece delves into themes of memory, loss, and the evolution of human perception from a state of enchantment to one of abstraction and rationality.

The poem opens with a nostalgic statement: "There used to be gods in everything, and now they've gone." This line sets the tone for the entire poem, indicating a shift from a world rich with mythological presence to one devoid of these spiritual companions. The speaker recalls a specific memory of a small god "in a green-gray stone" with "still eyes of a toad" that would silently observe him. This intimate memory emphasizes the personal connection the speaker once felt with the natural world.

Another god inhabited "the branch of an elm that hung across the road," which "creaked" at the speaker on windless days. The anthropomorphism here suggests a deeper, almost conversational relationship between the speaker and the world around him. The speaker now reflects that perhaps this creaking god "might have wanted praise" for its efforts to communicate, symbolizing the human desire to find meaning and communication in the natural world.

The poem then delves into speculative empathy: "Maybe he wanted help, maybe they all cried out / As they could, or stared helpless to enter into thought." This speculation extends to a broader interpretation, where the gods or spirits might have been seeking understanding and connection with humans, asking to be "read," "answered," or "taught." In return, these gods would reveal deeper truths about human nature and the cosmos, bridging the gap between the mundane and the divine.

However, Nemerov acknowledges the potential folly in such interpretations: "That's but interpretation, the deep folly of man / To think that things can squeak at him more than things can." This self-aware critique highlights the human tendency to project meaning and consciousness onto inanimate objects and natural phenomena, a practice rooted in both wisdom and folly.

Despite this recognition, the speaker admits that these voices "came up out of the ground / And got into my head," suggesting that the enchantment of the world was once a powerful and pervasive experience. The speaker and these voices "went a certain way / Together on that road," indicating a shared journey of understanding and imagination that was eventually abandoned.

The poem concludes with a sense of regret and loss: "I must have done, I guess, to have grown so abstract / That all the lonely summer night's become but fact." This shift to abstraction reflects the speaker's transition from a world imbued with spiritual significance to one dominated by rational, factual perception. The poignant final lines capture this sense of loss, as the speaker no longer listens to the cricket's signals or reads the "glowworms' constellations when they glisten," signifying a disconnection from the once-enchanted world.

"Companions" by Howard Nemerov poignantly captures the evolution from a mythopoetic worldview to one of abstraction and rationality. Through vivid memories and introspective reflection, the poem explores the loss of enchantment and the human yearning for deeper connections with the natural world. Nemerov's nuanced portrayal invites readers to consider their own relationship with nature and the balance between rationality and imagination in their perceptions of the world.

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