This poem focuses on a man leaving the woman he loves to go off to war. I could definitely connect with this feeling having to send a loved one off to the Middle East. It was a gut wrenching feeling. I can relate to the verse that said:
"Then slow again, till I ceased to see
That flexible form, that nebulous white;
And she who was more than my life to me
Had vanished quite." (Lines 13-16)
What a way to describe that scene! In my experience I felt transfixed, I could not force myself to move until I couldn't see any glimple of them at all.
The writer goes on the say:
"We have penned new plans since that fiar fond day,
And in season she will appear again--
Perhaps in the same soft white array--
But never as then!" (Lines 17-20)
The writers suggest the couple already has plans for the next reunion. She could possibly be wearing the same attire, but it seems he feels the emotions he feels today may not be the same then or that the agony of the wait could be difficult to get through.
I really enjoyed the poem! I feel this poem could possibly bring focus to the emotions military families experience when their loved ones go off to defend our country.
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Great post! I wrote about this one too. The way he described his experience made it easy for me to relate to it as well; which made it even more enjoyable to me.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I'm so sorry you had to send a loved one off. I can't even imagine. I freaked when my sister went to college. What you said about being transfixed struck a chord with me. I have felt that before, namely when I moved a thousand miles away from the only home I'd ever known. I'll never forget the last time I hugged my best friend. I rarely hugged anyone, but it was so sad-- not that I showed it. I barely processed it then. But as I reflect I can practically see the scene in slow motion, and it's just so sad. I KNOW my best friend and I have changed drastically since I left, but life is life. It's extremely bittersweet. Like I said before, I'm so grateful I never had to experience something as hard as sending a loved one to war. That's the ultimate, and Hardy conveys that masterfully.
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteI think you do an excellent job in your posts of connecting the readings to your own experiences, sharing with your readers the emotional resonances of the poems. You do that particularly well in your post on this poem. I hope your reunion is much happier than the fairly bleak projections Hardy's speaker has for his!
I forgot how much I like this poem. It's so sad, with so much uncertainty, yet I can't help liking it. I like the way you touch on the fact that when they meet again it may not be the same. The pureness of their relationship (from the repeating of her in white) seems in jeopardy. I hope your reunion is not as traumatizing!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you are able to relate to the poem. I can't understand how it feels to send a loved one overseas and I believe that it would be heartbreaking as you describe. And I hope that everything will work out fine for you
ReplyDelete