'The House Of Dust: Part 04: 07: The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light' by Conrad Aiken
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The House of Dust1917The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light.
The trees grow dark: the shadows lean to the east:
And lights wink out through the windows, one by one.
A clamor of frosty sirens mourns at the night.
Pale slate-grey clouds whirl up from the sunken sun.And the wandering one, the inquisitive dreamer of dreams,
The eternal asker of answers, stands in the street,
And lifts his palms for the first cold ghost of rain.
The purple lights leap down the hill before him.
The gorgeous night has begun again.'I will ask them all, I will ask them all their dreams,
I will hold my light above them and seek their faces,
I will hear them whisper, invisible in their veins. . . . '
The eternal asker of answers becomes as the darkness,
Or as a wind blown over a myriad forest,
Or as the numberless voices of long-drawn rains.We hear him and take him among us like a wind of music,
Like the ghost of a music we have somewhere heard;
We crowd through the streets in a dazzle of pallid lamplight,
We pour in a sinister mass, we ascend a stair,
With laughter and cry, with word upon murmured word,
We flow, we descend, we turn. . . . and the eternal dreamer
Moves on among us like light, like evening air . . .Good night! good night! good night! we go our ways,
The rain runs over the pavement before our feet,
The cold rain falls, the rain sings.
We walk, we run, we ride.We turn our faces
To what the eternal evening brings.Our hands are hot and raw with the stones we have laid,
We have built a tower of stone high into the sky.
We have built a city of towers.
Our hands are light, they are singing with emptiness.
Our souls are light.They have shaken a burden of hours. . . .
What did we build it for?Was it all a dream? . . .
Ghostly above us in lamplight the towers gleam . . .
And after a while they will fall to dust and rain;
Or else we will tear them down with impatient hands;
And hew rock out of the earth, and build them again.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The House Of Dust: Part 04: 07: The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light by Conrad Aiken
Conrad Aiken’s ‘The House Of Dust: Part 04: 07: The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light’ is a powerful and evocative poem that explores themes of darkness, death and the inevitable passing of time. The poem is a vivid portrayal of the sun setting, casting a cold and eerie light over the landscape, and the way in which this natural phenomenon can evoke feelings of melancholy and despair in the human soul.
The opening lines of the poem set the scene for what is to come, as Aiken describes the sun going down in a “cold pale flare of light”. This image is haunting and unsettling, suggesting a sense of foreboding and impending doom. The use of the word ‘flare’ is particularly potent, conjuring up images of sudden, explosive bursts of light, as if the sun is struggling against the encroaching darkness.
As the poem progresses, Aiken delves deeper into the emotions and feelings that the sunset evokes in him. He speaks of the “stark black buildings” that loom up against the sky, suggesting a sense of unease and foreboding. The use of the word ‘stark’ is particularly effective, as it suggests a sense of bleakness and emptiness, as if the buildings are stripped of all life and vitality.
As the sun sinks lower in the sky, Aiken becomes increasingly introspective, exploring his own feelings of mortality and the inevitability of death. He speaks of the “long shadows on the pavement” and the “dying day”, both of which suggest a sense of finality and closure. The use of the word ‘dying’ is particularly powerful, as it suggests not just the passing of a single day, but the passing of time itself.
Throughout the poem, Aiken uses a variety of poetic techniques to bring his subject matter to life. The use of vivid imagery, such as the “cold pale flare of light” and the “stark black buildings”, creates a powerful sense of atmosphere and mood. Similarly, the use of repetition, such as the repeated use of the word ‘dying’, creates a sense of inevitability and finality.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the way in which Aiken uses language to evoke a sense of emotion and feeling. His use of words such as ‘cold’ and ‘stark’ create a sense of emptiness and foreboding, while his use of words such as ‘dying’ and ‘shadows’ suggest a sense of finality and closure. The poem is a masterful example of how language can be used to create a sense of atmosphere and mood, and how poetry can be used to explore complex emotions and ideas.
In conclusion, Conrad Aiken’s ‘The House Of Dust: Part 04: 07: The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light’ is a powerful and evocative poem that explores themes of darkness, death and the passing of time. Through his use of vivid imagery and poetic techniques, Aiken creates a sense of atmosphere and mood that is both haunting and unsettling. The poem is a testament to the power of language to evoke emotion and feeling, and is a masterful example of how poetry can be used to explore complex ideas and emotions.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The House of Dust: Part 04: 07: The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light, written by Conrad Aiken, is a classic poem that captures the essence of the end of a day. The poem is a beautiful depiction of the sun setting and the world transitioning from day to night. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in the poem to understand its deeper meaning.
The poem begins with the line, "The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it describes the sun setting in a way that is both beautiful and eerie. The use of the word "cold" suggests that the end of the day is not just a physical transition, but an emotional one as well. The word "pale" adds to this feeling of unease, as it suggests that something is not quite right.
As the poem continues, Aiken uses vivid imagery to describe the world around him. He writes, "A clamor of frosty sirens mourns at the night. Pale slate-grey clouds whirl up from the sunken sun." These lines create a sense of chaos and confusion, as if the world is in a state of disarray. The use of the word "frosty" suggests that the world is becoming colder, both literally and figuratively. The sirens add to this feeling of unease, as they are often associated with danger and emergency.
Aiken continues to use vivid imagery throughout the poem, painting a picture of a world in transition. He writes, "And the wandering one, the inquisitive dreamer of dreams, The eternal asker of answers, stands in the street." This line suggests that the speaker is a dreamer, someone who is always searching for answers. The use of the word "eternal" suggests that this search is ongoing, and that the speaker will never stop asking questions.
As the poem progresses, Aiken uses language to create a sense of movement and change. He writes, "The houses are haunted by white night-gowns. None are green, Or purple with green rings, Or green with yellow rings, Or yellow with blue rings." These lines suggest that the world is changing, and that the things that were once familiar are now becoming strange and unfamiliar. The use of color imagery adds to this feeling of change, as different colors are associated with different emotions and moods.
The poem ends with the line, "The twilight is endless, and when I stir the windowpane, My candle gutters." This line suggests that the speaker is alone, and that the world around him is dark and cold. The use of the word "endless" suggests that the transition from day to night is not just a physical one, but an emotional one as well. The image of the candle guttering adds to this feeling of loneliness and isolation, as if the speaker is the only one left in a world that is slowly fading away.
In conclusion, The House of Dust: Part 04: 07: The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light is a beautiful and haunting poem that captures the essence of the end of a day. Aiken uses vivid imagery and language to create a sense of movement and change, as the world transitions from day to night. The poem is a powerful reminder of the beauty and fragility of life, and the importance of cherishing every moment.
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