'A Journey Through The Moonlight' by Russell Edson


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In sleep when an old man's body is no longer
aware of his boundaries, and lies flattened by
gravity like a mere of wax in its bed . . . It drips
down to the floor and moves there like a tear down a
cheek . . . Under the back door into the silver meadow,
like a pool of sperm, frosty under the moon, as if in
his first nature, boneless and absurd.

The moon lifts him up into its white field, a cloud
shaped like an old man, porous with stars.

He floats through high dark branches, a corpse tangled
in a tree on a river.

Editor 1 Interpretation

A Journey Through The Moonlight: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Russell Edson's "A Journey Through The Moonlight" is a poem that is both strange and familiar. The poem is strange in its narrative structure and surreal imagery, but it is also familiar in its exploration of themes such as death, identity, and the human condition. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve into the intricacies of the poem and explore its meaning and significance.

Introduction

The poem begins with a narrator who is on a journey through the moonlight. The narrator is not alone, as he is accompanied by a group of people who are also on the same journey. As they travel through the moonlit landscape, they encounter various strange and surreal sights, such as a "tree of bones" and "a house made of bread". The journey takes a dark turn when the group encounters a woman who has been buried alive, and they must decide whether to help her or leave her to die.

Surrealism and the Uncanny

The poem is a prime example of surrealism, a cultural movement that began in the early 20th century and sought to express the subconscious mind through art. The poem's surreal imagery, such as the tree of bones and the house made of bread, are reminiscent of the works of Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte. The poem also incorporates elements of the uncanny, a concept developed by Sigmund Freud to describe the feeling of something being both familiar and strange.

The poem's use of surrealism and the uncanny creates a dreamlike atmosphere that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. The journey through the moonlight becomes a metaphor for the journey through the subconscious mind, where the familiar becomes strange and the strange becomes familiar.

Death and Identity

One of the central themes of the poem is death. Throughout the journey, the group encounters various symbols of death, such as the tree of bones and the buried woman. These symbols represent the inevitability of death and the fear of the unknown that comes with it.

The poem also explores the theme of identity. The group of travelers are all on their own journey, and each one is grappling with their own sense of identity. The narrator, for example, struggles with his own mortality and the idea that he will one day cease to exist. The buried woman represents the fear of losing one's identity and becoming nothing more than a forgotten corpse.

The Buried Woman

The buried woman is a particularly poignant symbol within the poem. When the group encounters her, they must decide whether to help her or leave her to die. The decision they make ultimately reflects their own sense of morality and empathy.

The buried woman can be interpreted in several ways. She can represent the fear of death and the desire for immortality. She can also represent the buried traumas and emotions that we try to ignore and hide from ourselves. The decision to help or leave her can represent the struggle between our own self-interest and our sense of responsibility to others.

Conclusion

"A Journey Through The Moonlight" is a complex and thought-provoking poem that explores themes of death, identity, and morality. The poem's surreal imagery and dreamlike atmosphere create a world that is both strange and familiar, and the buried woman represents the fear and uncertainty that comes with mortality. The poem's exploration of these themes makes it a poignant and timeless work of literature that continues to resonate with readers today.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

A Journey Through The Moonlight: A Surrealistic Masterpiece

Russell Edson's "A Journey Through The Moonlight" is a surrealistic poem that takes the reader on a bizarre journey through a dreamlike landscape. The poem is a masterpiece of surrealism, a literary movement that emerged in the early 20th century and sought to explore the subconscious mind through art. In this article, we will explore the themes, imagery, and symbolism of "A Journey Through The Moonlight" and analyze how they contribute to the overall meaning of the poem.

The poem begins with the speaker describing a journey through the moonlight. The journey is not a physical one but a metaphorical one that takes the reader through the speaker's subconscious mind. The moonlight is a symbol of the subconscious, and the journey represents the speaker's attempt to explore and understand his own psyche.

The first stanza sets the tone for the poem and establishes the surrealistic imagery that will be present throughout. The speaker describes a landscape that is both familiar and strange, with trees that "walked like men" and "houses that had eyes." This imagery is typical of surrealism, which seeks to create a dreamlike atmosphere that blurs the line between reality and fantasy.

As the journey continues, the speaker encounters a series of strange and surrealistic characters. These characters are not real people but representations of the speaker's subconscious mind. The first character the speaker encounters is a "man with a bird's head." This character is a symbol of the speaker's desire to escape the constraints of reality and fly away like a bird.

The next character the speaker encounters is a "woman with a fish's tail." This character is a symbol of the speaker's desire to explore the depths of his own subconscious mind. The fish is a symbol of the unconscious, and the tail represents the speaker's desire to dive deep into his own psyche.

The third character the speaker encounters is a "man with a tree growing out of his head." This character is a symbol of the speaker's connection to nature and his desire to be rooted in the earth. The tree growing out of the man's head represents the speaker's desire to be connected to the natural world and to find his place in it.

As the journey continues, the imagery becomes more surrealistic and dreamlike. The speaker encounters a "house with a mouth" and a "dog with a human face." These images are typical of surrealism, which seeks to create a world that is both familiar and strange.

The final stanza of the poem brings the journey to a close. The speaker has reached the end of his journey and has come to a realization about himself. He realizes that he is "a man with a moon in his head." This realization is a symbol of the speaker's connection to the subconscious and his understanding of his own psyche.

The moon is a symbol of the subconscious, and the fact that the speaker has a moon in his head represents his connection to his own subconscious mind. The journey through the moonlight has allowed the speaker to explore his own psyche and come to a deeper understanding of himself.

In conclusion, "A Journey Through The Moonlight" is a surrealistic masterpiece that explores the subconscious mind through vivid imagery and symbolism. The poem takes the reader on a journey through a dreamlike landscape and introduces a series of surrealistic characters that represent the speaker's own subconscious mind. The final realization that the speaker is "a man with a moon in his head" is a powerful symbol of the speaker's connection to his own subconscious and his understanding of his own psyche. Russell Edson's "A Journey Through The Moonlight" is a must-read for anyone interested in surrealism or the exploration of the subconscious mind.

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