'When You Go Away' by W.S. Merwin
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When you go away the wind clicks around to the north
The painters work all day but at sundown the paint falls
Showing the black walls
The clock goes back to striking the same hour
That has no place in the years
And at night wrapped in the bed of ashes
In one breath I wake
It is the time when the beards of the dead get their growth
I remember that I am falling
That I am the reason
And that my words are the garment of what I shall never be
Like the tucked sleeve of a one-armed boy
Editor 1 Interpretation
When You Go Away by W.S. Merwin
Have you ever been in love with someone so much that their absence feels like a physical pain? That's the kind of love that W.S. Merwin captures in his poem, "When You Go Away." This classic poem is a testament to the power of love and the pain that comes with it.
Summary
The poem is written in free verse and has no formal rhyme scheme or meter. It is divided into three stanzas, each with five lines. The poem begins with the speaker addressing his lover, telling them how much he loves them. He talks about how the world becomes a better place when they are around, and how life loses its charm when they leave.
The second stanza is where the poem takes a darker turn. The speaker talks about how he feels when his lover is not around. He describes the physical pain he feels in his chest and how he can't seem to escape the feeling of loss. The third stanza brings the poem full circle, with the speaker once again addressing his lover. He tells them that he will always love them, even when they are not there.
Analysis
On the surface, "When You Go Away" is a simple love poem. However, when you look deeper, there are many layers to it. One of the most striking things about the poem is the way it captures the physical pain of love. The speaker describes feeling a "tightness" in his chest when his lover is gone. This is a universal feeling that anyone who has been in love can relate to.
The poem also captures the idea of the world being a better place when someone you love is around. The speaker talks about how "the air changes" when his lover is there. This is a beautiful way to describe the way that love can transform the world around us. When we are in love, everything seems brighter and more beautiful.
The second stanza is where the poem takes a darker turn. The speaker talks about how he feels when his lover is not around. He describes the physical pain he feels in his chest and how he can't seem to escape the feeling of loss. This is an important part of the poem because it shows the depth of the speaker's love. The pain he feels is not just emotional, but physical as well. This is something that anyone who has experienced heartbreak can relate to.
The third stanza brings the poem full circle, with the speaker once again addressing his lover. He tells them that he will always love them, even when they are not there. This is a beautiful sentiment that captures the enduring nature of love. Even when someone is gone, the love we feel for them remains.
Interpretation
So, what does "When You Go Away" mean? At its core, this is a poem about the power of love. It is about how love can transform the world around us and how it can bring us both joy and pain. The physical pain that the speaker feels when his lover is gone is a testament to the depth of his love. This is not a fleeting emotion, but something that has the power to shape our lives.
This poem is also about the idea of absence. When someone we love is gone, we feel their absence in a very real way. The world seems a little emptier, a little less bright. This is something that W.S. Merwin captures perfectly in his poem. The way that the speaker describes the world changing when his lover is around is a beautiful way to show how love fills the spaces in our lives.
Finally, "When You Go Away" is about the enduring nature of love. Even when someone is gone, the love we feel for them remains. This is something that is often hard to capture in words, but Merwin manages to do it beautifully. The way that the speaker tells his lover that he will always love them, even when they are not there, is a beautiful sentiment that captures the essence of love.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "When You Go Away" is a beautiful and powerful poem that captures the essence of love. It is a testament to the idea that love can transform the world around us and bring both joy and pain. The physical pain that the speaker feels when his lover is gone is a testament to the depth of his love. This poem is a reminder that even when someone is gone, the love we feel for them remains.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
When You Go Away: A Poem of Love and Loss
W.S. Merwin's poem "When You Go Away" is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on the pain of separation and the enduring power of love. Written in the spare, elegant style that characterizes much of Merwin's work, the poem captures the essence of a moment of intense emotion, and invites the reader to share in the speaker's experience of loss and longing.
At its core, "When You Go Away" is a love poem, but it is not a conventional one. There are no grand declarations of passion, no flowery descriptions of physical beauty or romantic gestures. Instead, the poem focuses on the simple, everyday moments that make up a relationship, and the sense of emptiness that follows when those moments are gone.
The poem begins with a stark image: "When you go away the wind clicks around to the north." This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, establishing a sense of unease and dislocation that will pervade the speaker's thoughts. The wind, a natural force that is beyond human control, becomes a symbol of the speaker's own powerlessness in the face of separation.
As the poem continues, the speaker describes the various ways in which the absence of their loved one is felt. The "clock ticks more loudly" and the "books" on the shelf seem to "stare." These small details, which might go unnoticed in happier times, become magnified in the speaker's mind, taking on a weight and significance that they did not have before.
The poem's central image is that of the "empty room," which is repeated several times throughout the poem. This room, which was once filled with the presence of the loved one, now seems vast and desolate. The speaker imagines the room as a "cavernous mouth" that swallows up all sound, leaving only a "hollow echo" behind. This image is both powerful and poignant, evoking the sense of loss and emptiness that the speaker feels.
Despite the overwhelming sense of sadness that permeates the poem, there are moments of hope and tenderness as well. The speaker imagines their loved one returning, and describes the joy that this would bring: "the light dances on the wall / and you are with me again." These moments of reunion, however fleeting, are enough to sustain the speaker through the long periods of separation.
One of the most striking aspects of "When You Go Away" is its use of language. Merwin's spare, understated style is perfectly suited to the poem's subject matter, allowing the emotions to speak for themselves without the need for elaborate metaphors or poetic flourishes. The language is simple and direct, but it is also deeply evocative, capturing the essence of the speaker's experience with precision and clarity.
Another notable feature of the poem is its use of repetition. The phrase "when you go away" is repeated several times throughout the poem, creating a sense of rhythm and momentum that propels the reader forward. This repetition also serves to emphasize the central theme of the poem, reinforcing the idea that separation is a constant presence in the speaker's life.
In conclusion, "When You Go Away" is a powerful and moving poem that speaks to the universal experience of love and loss. Through its spare language and evocative imagery, the poem captures the essence of a moment of intense emotion, inviting the reader to share in the speaker's experience of separation and longing. Despite its sadness, the poem also offers moments of hope and tenderness, reminding us that even in the darkest moments, love endures.
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