'The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude' by Conrad Aiken
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Wind blows. Snow falls. The great clock in its tower
Ticks with reverberant coil and tolls the hour:
At the deep sudden stroke the pigeons fly . . .
The fine snow flutes the cracks between the flagstones.
We close our coats, and hurry, and search the sky.
We are like music, each voice of it pursuing
A golden separate dream, remote, persistent,
Climbing to fire, receding to hoarse despair.
What do you whisper, brother? What do you tell me? . . .
We pass each other, are lost, and do not care.
One mounts up to beauty, serenely singing,
Forgetful of the steps that cry behind him;
One drifts slowly down from a waking dream.
One, foreseeing, lingers forever unmoving . . .
Upward and downward, past him there, we stream.
One has death in his eyes: and walks more slowly.
Death, among jonquils, told him a freezing secret.
A cloud blows over his eyes, he ponders earth.
He sees in the world a forest of sunlit jonquils:
A slow black poison huddles beneath that mirth.
Death, from street to alley, from door to window,
Cries out his news,—of unplumbed worlds approaching,
Of a cloud of darkness soon to destroy the tower.
But why comes death,—he asks,—in a world so perfect?
Or why the minute's grey in the golden hour?
Music, a sudden glissando, sinister, troubled,
A drift of wind-torn petals, before him passes
Down jangled streets, and dies.
The bodies of old and young, of maimed and lovely,
Are slowly borne to earth, with a dirge of cries.
Down cobbled streets they come; down huddled stairways;
Through silent halls; through carven golden doorways;
From freezing rooms as bare as rock.
The curtains are closed across deserted windows.
Earth streams out of the shovel; the pebbles knock.
Mary, whose hands rejoiced to move in sunlight;
Silent Elaine; grave Anne, who sang so clearly;
Fugitive Helen, who loved and walked alone;
Miriam too soon dead, darkly remembered;
Childless Ruth, who sorrowed, but could not atone;
Jean, whose laughter flashed over depths of terror,
And Eloise, who desired to love but dared not;
Doris, who turned alone to the dark and cried,—
They are blown away like windflung chords of music,
They drift away; the sudden music has died.
And one, with death in his eyes, comes walking slowly
And sees the shadow of death in many faces,
And thinks the world is strange.
He desires immortal music and spring forever,
And beauty that knows no change.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude - A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Conrad Aiken's "The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" is a haunting poem that explores the themes of death, decay, and the passage of time. The poem is one of the many installments of "The House Of Dust" series, which tells the story of a house that has been abandoned by its inhabitants and left to the mercy of time and nature.
In this particular poem, Aiken takes us on a journey through the house's abandoned cellar, where we encounter a series of coffins that have been left to decay over the years. The poem is divided into two parts, the first of which describes the coffins in vivid detail, while the second part explores the emotions and thoughts that arise from these images.
Structure and Form
Before delving into the themes and interpretations of the poem, it is important to examine its structure and form. "The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" is written in free verse, with no specific rhyme or meter. The poem is divided into two parts, each of which consists of eleven stanzas. Each stanza is composed of four lines, with the exception of the last stanza of the second part, which has five lines.
The use of free verse allows Aiken to experiment with language and imagery, creating a sense of fluidity that mirrors the passage of time. The lack of a specific rhyme or meter also gives the poem a sense of unpredictability, as the reader never knows what to expect from one stanza to the next.
Imagery and Symbolism
One of the most striking aspects of "The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" is its vivid and haunting imagery. Aiken describes the coffins in such detail that the reader can almost smell the decay and feel the chill of the cellar. The use of sensory language creates a sense of immersion, as if the reader is standing in the cellar alongside the coffins.
The coffins themselves are also rich with symbolism. They represent the passage of time, as well as the inevitability of death. The fact that they have been left to decay in the cellar of an abandoned house suggests that they have been forgotten by the living, and that the dead have been left to rot without any form of remembrance or respect.
The imagery of the coffins is also linked to the theme of decay. Aiken describes them as "rotten," "mouldy," and "crumbling," emphasizing their state of disrepair. This decay serves as a metaphor for the decay that is inherent in all living things, and suggests that even the most grand and powerful structures will eventually fall to ruin.
Themes and Interpretations
"The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" explores a number of themes that are interconnected with one another. These themes include death, decay, time, and memory.
Death is perhaps the most obvious theme in the poem. The coffins represent the dead, and Aiken's description of them emphasizes the finality and inevitability of death. However, the poem also suggests that death is not necessarily the end, as the coffins continue to exist, even in their state of decay.
Decay is closely linked to the theme of death, as it represents the physical breakdown of the body after death. However, decay is also linked to the passage of time, as it is something that occurs gradually over a long period of time. The fact that the coffins have been left to decay in the cellar of an abandoned house suggests that time has passed them by, and that they are no longer relevant or important to the living.
Time is another key theme in the poem. The coffins represent the passage of time, as they have been left to decay over a long period of time. However, time is also linked to memory, as it is through memory that we are able to remember the past and to make sense of the present. The fact that the coffins have been left to decay without any form of remembrance or respect suggests that memory has also been forgotten, and that the past has been lost.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" is a haunting poem that explores the themes of death, decay, time, and memory. Through vivid imagery and powerful symbolism, Aiken creates a sense of immersion that draws the reader into the abandoned cellar of the house, where the coffins lie forgotten and decaying. The poem is a powerful reminder of the inevitability of death and the passage of time, and serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of memory and remembrance.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude is a classic poem written by Conrad Aiken. This poem is a part of the House of Dust series, which is a collection of poems that explore the themes of love, loss, and death. In this particular poem, Aiken takes us on a journey through a cemetery, where we see rows of coffins and the memories they hold.
The poem begins with a description of the cemetery, which is a place of silence and stillness. The graves are marked with stones, and the coffins are lined up in rows. Aiken describes the coffins as "mute witnesses" to the lives that once inhabited them. The coffins are a reminder of the inevitability of death and the transience of life.
As we move through the cemetery, Aiken takes us on a journey through the memories that the coffins hold. He describes the coffins as "little houses of the dead," each one holding a story of a life that has passed. The coffins are a reminder of the people who once lived and loved, and who are now gone.
Aiken's use of imagery is particularly powerful in this poem. He describes the coffins as "little houses of the dead," which creates a sense of intimacy and familiarity. The image of a house is something that we can all relate to, and it makes the idea of death seem less frightening and more familiar.
The poem also explores the idea of memory and how it is tied to death. Aiken describes the coffins as "mute witnesses" to the lives that once inhabited them. The coffins are a reminder of the memories that we hold onto, even after the people we love have passed away. The memories are a way of keeping the people we love alive, even after they are gone.
The poem also explores the idea of time and how it is tied to death. Aiken describes the coffins as "little houses of the dead," which suggests that time has stopped for the people who once inhabited them. The coffins are a reminder that time is fleeting and that we must make the most of the time that we have.
Overall, The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude is a powerful and moving poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and death. Aiken's use of imagery and language is particularly effective in creating a sense of intimacy and familiarity with the idea of death. The poem is a reminder that death is a natural part of life, and that we must make the most of the time that we have.
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