'How Could You Not' by Galway Kinnell


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-- for Jane kenyon


It is a day after many days of storms.
Having been washed and washed, the air glitters;
small heaped cumuli blow across the sky; a shower
visible against the firs douses the crocuses.
We knew it would happen one day this week.
Now, when I learn you have died, I go
to the open door and look across at New Hampshire
and see that there, too, the sun is bright
and clouds are making their shadowy ways along the horizon;
and I think: How could it not have been today?
In another room, Keri Te Kanawa is singing
the Laudate Dominum of Mozart, very faintly,
as if in the past, to those who once sat
in the steel seat of the old mowing machine,
cheerful descendent of the scythe of the grim reaper,
and drew the cutter bars little
reciprocating triangles through the grass
to make the stalks lie down in sunshine.
Could you have walked in the dark early this morning
and found yourself grown completely tired
of the successes and failures of medicine,
of your year of pain and despair remitted briefly
now and then by hope that had that leaden taste?
Did you glimpse in first light the world as you loved it
and see that, now, it was not wrong to die
and that, on dying, you would leave
your beloved in a day like paradise?
Near sunrise did you loosen your hold a little?
How could you not already have felt blessed for good,
having these last days spoken your whole heart to him,
who spoke his whole heart to you, so that in the silence
he would not feel a single word was missing?
How could you not have slipped into a spell,
in full daylight, as he lay next to you,
with his arms around you, as they have been,
it must have seemed, all your life?
How could your cheek not press a moment to his cheek,
which presses itself to yours from now on?
How could you not rise and go, with all that light
at the window, those arms around you, and the sound,
coming or going, hard to say, of a single-engine
plane in the distance that no one else hears?

Editor 1 Interpretation

How Could You Not: A Critique and Interpretation

Oh, how could you not be moved by Galway Kinnell’s poem, “How Could You Not”? This classic piece of literature is a masterful exploration of grief, love, and the human condition. It captures the emotions and the essence of what it means to be human, to lose someone dear to us, and to try to move on.

Context and Background

Before we dive into the poem and its interpretation, it is important to understand the context and the background of the author. Galway Kinnell was an American poet who was born in 1927 and passed away in 2014. He was a Pulitzer Prize winner and a MacArthur Fellow. He was known for his powerful and vivid imagery and his ability to capture the beauty and the tragedy of life.

“How Could You Not” was written in 1980, around the time when Kinnell’s father passed away. The poem is a tribute to his father and an exploration of the complex emotions that he felt after his death.

The Poem

The poem is a short and simple one, with only six stanzas, but it packs a punch. It is written in free verse, with no specific rhyme or meter, which gives it a sense of rawness and authenticity.

The poem begins with a question, “How could you not?” which immediately draws the reader in and sets the tone for the rest of the piece. The speaker then goes on to describe the various things that his father used to do, such as smoking, drinking, and cursing. These activities, which might seem trivial on their own, take on a deeper significance in the context of the poem.

The speaker then moves on to describe his father’s death, which he refers to as a “great loss”. He talks about the sadness and the emptiness that he feels, and how he wishes that he could see his father again.

In the final stanza, the speaker asks another question, “How could you not be changed?” This question is a rhetorical one, and it serves to emphasize the transformative power of grief. The speaker acknowledges that he has been changed by his father’s death, and that he will never be the same again.

Interpretation

The poem, “How Could You Not,” is a powerful exploration of grief and the human condition. It speaks to the universal experience of loss and the complex emotions that come with it. The poem is not just about the death of the speaker’s father, but about the loss of any loved one and the journey of grief that follows.

One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the way that the speaker describes his father’s activities, such as smoking, drinking, and cursing. These activities are not necessarily admirable or even socially acceptable, but they are presented in a way that suggests a deep love and affection for the father. This suggests that the poem is not just about grief, but about the complexities of human relationships and the way that we love and accept each other despite our flaws.

The poem also highlights the transformative power of grief. The speaker acknowledges that he has been changed by his father’s death, and that he will never be the same again. This is something that anyone who has experienced grief can relate to. Grief has a way of changing us, of forcing us to confront our own mortality and the fragility of life.

Another interesting aspect of the poem is the way that it uses questions. The poem begins with a question, “How could you not?” and ends with another one, “How could you not be changed?” These questions serve to draw the reader in and to create a sense of intimacy and connection between the speaker and the reader. They also serve to emphasize the universality of the poem’s themes and the fact that grief is something that we all experience at some point in our lives.

Conclusion

In conclusion, “How Could You Not” is a beautiful and powerful poem that explores the complexities of grief and the human condition. It speaks to the universal experience of loss and the transformative power of grief. The poem is not just about the death of the speaker’s father, but about the loss of any loved one and the journey of grief that follows. It is a poem that is both deeply personal and universally relatable, and it is a testament to the power of literature to capture the most fundamental aspects of the human experience.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

How Could You Not: A Poem of Love and Loss

Galway Kinnell's poem "How Could You Not" is a powerful exploration of the depths of love and the pain of loss. Written in 1995, the poem is a tribute to the poet's wife, who had recently passed away. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, structure, and language of the poem, and examine how Kinnell uses these elements to convey his message.

The poem is structured in four stanzas, each with four lines. The first stanza sets the tone for the poem, with the speaker addressing his wife directly: "How could you not have loved the pebbled beach?" The use of the second person creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, as if the speaker is speaking directly to his wife. The question is rhetorical, as the speaker knows that his wife did love the beach, but it serves as a way to express his own love for her and his sense of loss.

The second stanza continues the theme of love and loss, with the speaker describing the beauty of the beach and the memories he shared with his wife: "How could you not have loved the wind / whipping the sand into your face, / the sun setting over the Gulf, / the dolphins leaping into the waves?" The use of sensory imagery creates a vivid picture of the beach, and the memories it evokes are bittersweet. The dolphins leaping into the waves are a symbol of joy and freedom, but also of the transience of life.

The third stanza shifts the focus to the speaker's own feelings of grief and loneliness: "How could you not have loved me, / the one who loved you more than anyone?" The repetition of the phrase "How could you not" creates a sense of desperation and disbelief, as if the speaker cannot comprehend how his wife could have left him. The use of the superlative "more than anyone" emphasizes the depth of the speaker's love, and the pain of losing it.

The final stanza brings the poem full circle, with the speaker returning to the image of the beach: "How could you not have known / that I would follow you / to the ends of the earth, / to the edge of the sea?" The repetition of the phrase "How could you not" creates a sense of inevitability, as if the speaker's love for his wife was always destined to lead him to the end of the earth. The use of the phrase "the edge of the sea" is significant, as it suggests a boundary between life and death, between the speaker and his wife.

The language of the poem is simple and direct, but also rich in imagery and emotion. The use of sensory details creates a vivid picture of the beach, and the memories it evokes are both joyful and painful. The repetition of the phrase "How could you not" creates a sense of desperation and disbelief, as if the speaker cannot accept the reality of his loss. The use of the second person creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, as if the speaker is speaking directly to his wife.

The themes of the poem are love and loss, grief and loneliness, and the transience of life. The poem is a tribute to the poet's wife, but it is also a universal expression of the pain of losing someone we love. The image of the beach is a symbol of the beauty and fragility of life, and the dolphins leaping into the waves are a symbol of the joy and freedom that we can experience, even in the midst of grief.

In conclusion, "How Could You Not" is a powerful and moving poem that explores the depths of love and the pain of loss. Through its simple language and vivid imagery, it conveys a message that is both personal and universal. The poem is a tribute to the poet's wife, but it is also a testament to the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit.

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