I felt that this poem had a lot of irony. It takes a place so calm and serene but it ends with someone's sad realization. And a part of it doesn't make sense and it makes me wonder why James Wright thinks that his life is wasted. The poem also has a sing-songish rhythm to it until the final sentence. Also the imagery pulls in more than just sight but also the noises around him. Everything about it reminds me of a place where all you need to do is to just relax. It makes me ask a lot of questions though. Like what is he trying to say that being relaxed can not be a good thing. That sometimes when you are calm and in a calm space it makes you think about life. I guess that’s what Wright was doing in this poem. He was trying to figure out what was going on in his life.
Wow great analysis I enjoyed this poem too and I didn't even think about the sounds being portrayed to the reader. I didn't understand why he thinks his life is wasted to, but you're probably right, he's thinking along the lines of the larger meaning of life and compared to that I guess it just seems to him like his is wasted.
ReplyDeleteI have read this poem before and it continues to mesmerize me. I agree with your comment about the irony and surprise in the poem--the entire poem creates one mood, then there is a violent turn in the last line. The way I see it is that the speaker is watching things move and time pass around him while he remains still. As nature continues on its course, he feels as though he has wasted his own time and hasn't accomplished anything in comparison.
ReplyDeleteHe personifies things to make them more beautiful than they are. "The cowbells follow one another" instead of "the cows were moving." He paints a beautiful image with his figurative language and I feel like at the end there is a sort of sigh. I don't feel as if it is incredibly brash or harsh I think it has longing in it. But also sort of a 'oh well here's to tomorrow' feel. I liked the poem.
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