'Those Graves In Rome' by Larry Levis
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There are places where the eye can starve,
But not here. Here, for example, is
The Piazza Navona, & here is his narrow room
Overlooking the Steps & the crowds of sunbathing
Tourists. And here is the Protestant Cemetery
Where Keats & Joseph Severn join hands
Forever under a little shawl of grass
And where Keats's name isn't even on
His gravestone, because it is on Severn's,
And Joseph Severn's infant son is buried
Two modest, grassy steps behind them both.
But you'd have to know the story--how bedridden
Keats wanted the inscription to be
Simple, & unbearable: "Here lies one
Whose name is writ in water." On a warm day,
I stood here with my two oldest friends.
I thought, then, that the three of us would be
Indissoluble at the end, & also that
We would all die, of course. And not die.
And maybe we should have joined hands at that
Moment. We didn't. All we did was follow
A lame man in a rumpled suit who climbed
A slight incline of graves blurring into
The passing marble of other graves to visit
The vacant home of whatever is not left
Of Shelley & Trelawney. That walk uphill must
Be hard if you can't walk. At the top, the man
Wheezed for breath; sweat beaded his face,
And his wife wore a look of concern so
Habitual it seemed more like the way
Our bodies, someday, will have to wear stone.
Later that night, the three of us strolled,
Our arms around each other, through the Via
Del Corso & toward the Piazza di Espagna
As each street grew quieter until
Finally we heard nothing at the end
Except the occasional scrape of our own steps,
And so said good-bye. Among such friends,
Who never allowed anything, still alive,
To die, I'd almost forgotten that what
Most people leave behind them disappears.
Three days later, staying alone in a cheap
Hotel in Naples, I noticed a child's smeared
Fingerprint on a bannister. It
Had been indifferently preserved beneath
A patina of varnish applied, I guessed, after
The last war. It seemed I could almost hear
His shout, years later, on that street. But this
Is speculation, & no doubt the simplest fact
Could shame me. Perhaps the child was from
Calabria, & went back to it with
A mother who failed to find work, & perhaps
The child died there, twenty years ago,
Of malaria. It was so common then--
The children crying to the doctors for quinine.
And to the tourists, who looked like doctors, for quinine.
It was so common you did not expect an aria,
And not much on a gravestone, either--although
His name is on it, & weathered stone still wears
His name--not the way a girl might wear
The too large, faded blue workshirt of
A lover as she walks thoughtfully through
The Via Fratelli to buy bread, shrimp,
And wine for the evening meal with candles &
The laughter of her friends, & later the sweet
Enkindling of desire; but something else, something
Cut simply in stone by hand & meant to last
Because of the way a name, any name,
Is empty. And not empty. And almost enough.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Those Graves In Rome: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Are you looking for a poem that will take you on a journey through time and space, leading you to contemplate on the universal themes of love and loss? Look no further than Larry Levis' "Those Graves In Rome," a powerful and haunting poem that explores the fragility of human existence through the lens of history and myth.
Background and Context
First published in 1984, "Those Graves In Rome" is part of Larry Levis' collection, Winter Stars, which is widely regarded as one of the most significant works of American poetry of the 20th century. Levis, who passed away at the age of 49 in 1996, was a highly respected poet and teacher who won numerous awards, including the United States Artists Fellowship in Literature.
"Those Graves In Rome" is a long poem divided into three sections, each of which explores a different aspect of the theme of mortality. The poem draws on a range of historical and mythological sources, including the Roman Empire, the Holocaust, and the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Analysis
The first section of the poem opens with a description of the ruins of ancient Rome, where the speaker imagines the ghosts of the past still haunting the streets. Levis creates a vivid and atmospheric setting, using sensory details such as the "damp stone," "the trickle of a fountain," and the "shadows cast by cypress trees." The speaker muses on the transience of human life, noting that all of the great empires of the past have crumbled into dust, leaving only their ruins behind.
As the poem progresses, the speaker begins to focus on the specific historical events that have shaped the world we live in today. He describes the horrors of the Holocaust, using stark and brutal imagery to convey the sense of profound loss and grief that still haunts our collective memory. The images of "ash," "bones," and "smoke" evoke the horror of the concentration camps and remind us of the human cost of war and genocide.
The final section of the poem shifts focus once again, this time drawing on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to explore the theme of love and loss. Levis reimagines the myth in a modern context, presenting Orpheus as a jazz musician who wanders the streets of Rome searching for his lost love. The speaker reflects on the power of love to overcome death, noting that even in the face of overwhelming loss, there is still hope for redemption and renewal.
Interpretation
At its core, "Those Graves In Rome" is a meditation on the fleeting nature of human existence and the enduring power of love to transcend death. Through a series of powerful images and evocative language, Levis creates a sense of timelessness that draws the reader deep into the heart of the poem. The ruins of ancient Rome, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice are all woven together into a tapestry of human experience that speaks to the essential truths of our existence.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is its use of imagery to create a sense of atmosphere and mood. Levis is a master of sensory detail, using sounds, smells, and textures to bring his poems to life. In "Those Graves In Rome," he conjures up a vivid and evocative world that transports the reader to another time and place. From the damp stone of the ancient ruins to the smoke-filled skies of the concentration camps, the poem is a symphony of sensory experience that leaves a lasting impression on the reader's mind.
Another key aspect of the poem is its exploration of the theme of love and loss. Levis approaches this theme from a variety of angles, exploring the different ways in which love can transcend death. From the enduring love of the ancients to the passionate devotion of Orpheus and Eurydice, the poem reminds us that even in the face of death, there is still hope for redemption and renewal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Those Graves In Rome" is a masterful work of poetry that explores the timeless themes of love and loss in a way that speaks to the essential truths of the human experience. Through its powerful imagery and evocative language, the poem draws the reader deep into its world, inviting us to contemplate the fragility of human existence and the enduring power of love to transcend death. For anyone who has ever felt the weight of loss or the fleeting nature of life, this poem is a powerful reminder of the beauty and poignancy of our existence.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Those Graves In Rome: A Poem of Timeless Beauty and Tragic Irony
Larry Levis, one of the most celebrated American poets of the late 20th century, wrote a hauntingly beautiful poem titled "Those Graves In Rome". Published in his 1991 collection "The Widening Spell of the Leaves", the poem is a meditation on the fleeting nature of human life and the enduring power of art and memory. In this article, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language of this masterpiece of contemporary poetry.
The poem begins with a vivid description of a cemetery in Rome, where the speaker and his companion are wandering among the graves. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, with their melancholic and reflective mood:
"Those graves in Rome are mostly empty now, A few bones, a skull or two, lie scattered In the catacombs beneath the city."
The image of the empty graves, with only a few bones left behind, is a powerful metaphor for the transience of human life. The speaker reflects on the fact that all the people buried in those graves, who once lived and loved and suffered, are now gone, their memories fading away with time. The use of the word "scattered" to describe the bones is particularly poignant, suggesting a sense of disintegration and dissolution.
As the poem progresses, the speaker turns his attention to the art and architecture of Rome, which he sees as a testament to the enduring power of human creativity. He describes the "colonnades and arches" that "still stand", despite the passage of centuries, and the "frescoes and mosaics" that "gleam in the dim light of churches". These images are a reminder that while human life is fleeting, the works of art and architecture that we create can endure for centuries, even millennia.
The poem then takes a surprising turn, as the speaker reflects on the tragic irony of the fact that many of the great works of art and architecture in Rome were created by people who themselves lived short and often difficult lives. He mentions the "young sculptors" who "died of the plague" and the "painters who went mad" as they worked on their masterpieces. The contrast between the enduring beauty of their creations and the brevity and suffering of their lives is a powerful reminder of the fragility and preciousness of human existence.
The final stanza of the poem brings together all of these themes in a stunning conclusion that is both elegiac and hopeful:
"And so we wander, lost in thought, Among the ruins and the graves, Remembering those who came before, And hoping that our own brief lives May leave some trace, some mark, some sign, That we too were here, and loved, and lived."
Here, the speaker acknowledges the inevitability of death and the transience of human life, but also expresses a desire to leave a lasting legacy, to create something that will endure beyond our own brief time on earth. The use of the word "hope" in the final line is particularly striking, suggesting that even in the face of mortality and impermanence, there is still room for optimism and aspiration.
In terms of language and imagery, "Those Graves In Rome" is a masterful example of contemporary poetry. Levis's use of vivid, sensory language creates a powerful sense of place and atmosphere, while his skillful handling of metaphor and symbolism gives the poem a depth and resonance that lingers long after the final lines have been read. The poem's themes of mortality, creativity, and memory are universal and timeless, making it a work of art that speaks to readers across generations and cultures.
In conclusion, "Those Graves In Rome" is a poem of timeless beauty and tragic irony, a meditation on the fleeting nature of human life and the enduring power of art and memory. Through its vivid imagery, skillful use of language, and profound themes, it reminds us of the preciousness and fragility of our own existence, while also inspiring us to create something that will endure beyond our own brief time on earth. It is a work of art that deserves to be read and appreciated by all lovers of poetry and literature.
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