When I thought about it even further, after discussing this book in class and looking back at the poetry itself, I began to better understand just how distinct the three sections of The Shadow of Sirius are.
The poems of the first section seem to be in the present, like Merwin wanted the reader to experience those memories right along with him. These poems were about specific events, not just the fact that "oh, something happened that he'll remember." We create those memories right along with Merwin. We walk right behind him as he is eight years old, walking through his future home for the first time in “Child Light.” We see his last few moments of innocence as Merwin himself sees them. It’s almost like we’re standing at the bow of the ship with Merwin in “Europe” as he views the coast of Spain for the first time. I found this poem especially powerful in just how much we are connected to the narrator, how even though most of his readers have never been to Europe before, I’m sure we can all still close our eyes and imagine that sight of mountains forming over the horizon.
Part two is explicitly about memories, dedicated to what I believe are three of Merwin’s dogs that have died (the line in “Dream of Koa Returning” that mentions “long amber fur” helps to validate this theory). The fact that this section is so short helps to show that sometimes people (or animals) are in your life for a short time, that before you know it they’re gone.
The third section, the most moving in my opinion, talks of old age, of losing memories and dying. As the first section talks about spring and new beginnings, the third one talks of the shift to autumn, to fading memories. “Youth of Grass” is a prime example of Merwin’s use of dying plantlife to signify dying memories, with a narrator who is surprised to find that a field has not stayed green forever like he had originally thought, but that has since turned to brown. Just as the seasons wax and wane, so does memory.
The poem “Recognitions” has to be my favorite out of the entire book, and I think it helps to illustrate the theme of the third section. A wave and an ash tree, two seemingly unrelated objects, have suddenly been thrust into a familial relationship by Merwin, albeit an odd one. They had been “separated since they were children,” and even though most of their memories of being together were gone, they still went on believing that each other existed. This goes to show, although memories may start to fade, sometimes they can hold on, and that small amount might be enough.
I loved the tone of the poetry throughout the book, and I don’t think that he could have written about with subject matter with anything else. His voice had a somber tone for the most part, but he ended many of his poems on an almost hopeful note. As I read the words it was so easy to see the wistfulness in his voice, the yearn for some of those memories back. The book itself ends on a very quiet note, almost like a whisper: “here is where they all sing the first daylight// whether or not there is anyone listening.”
After our class discussions, I also realized that the book was split up into those three sections. I re-read some of the poems and you can tell that each section has a lot to do with his memories. These memories are very specific to time periods in Merwin’s life. I never realized the connection of the second part of the book and his three dogs. I went back to the poem that you mentioned and read it again and I saw the same lines and thought exactly what you thought. I also liked the part of your response where you talked about a pet being a special part of someone’s life, even if it is only for a short amount of time.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the tone of Merwin’s poetry. I agree that there is a somber and mellow tone to his work, and it has a distressing effect on the reader. Reading his poetry made me think of a whisper as well. His work seemed soft and gentle. I think was also easy to see his yearning for memories and the life that he used to have. I think he describes a feeling that a lot of people have.