'Last Words' by Philip Levine
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
If the shoe fell from the other footwho would hear? If the dooropened onto a pure darknessand it was no dream? If your lifeended the way a book endswith half a blank page and the survivorsgone off to Africa or madness?If my life ended in late springof 1964 while I walked aloneback down the mountain road?I sing an old song to myself. I studythe way the snow remains, grayand damp, in the deep shadows of the firs.I wonder if the bike is safe hiddenjust off the highway. Up aheadthe road, black and winding, fallsaway, and there is the valley whereI lived half of my life, spectraland calm. I sigh with gratitude,and then I feel an odd pain risingthrough the back of my head,and my eyes go dark. I bend forwardand place my palms on something rough,the black asphalt or a field of stubble,and the movement is that of the penitentjust before he stands to his full heightwith the knowledge of his enormity.For that moment which will survivethe burning of all the small pocketsof fat and oil that are the soul,I am the soul stretching intothe furthest reaches of my fingersand beyond, glowing like ten candlesin the vault of night for anyonewho could see, even though it is12:40 in the afternoon and Ihave passed from darkness into sunlightso fierce the sweat streams downinto my eyes. I did not rise.A wind or a stray animal or a groupof kids dragged me to the sideof the road and turned me overso that my open eyes could flood heaven.My clothes went skittering downthe road without me, ballooningout into any shape, giddywith release. My coins, my rings,the keys to my house shatteredlike ice and fell into the mountainthorns and grasses, little bright pointsthat make you think there is magicin everything you see. No, it can'tbe, you say, for someone is speakingcalmly to you in a voice you know.Someone alive and confident has puteach of these words down exactlyas he wants them on the page.You have lived through yearsof denial, of public lies, of deathfalling like snow on any headit chooses. You're not a child.You know the real thing. I amhere, as I always was, faithfulto a need to speak even when allyou hear is a light current of airtickling your ear. Perhaps.But what if that dried bundleof leaves and dirt were not dirtand leaves but the spent waferof a desire to be human? Stop the car,turn off the engine, and standin the silence above your life. Seehow the grass mirrors fire, howa wind rides up the hillsidesteadily toward you until it surgesinto your ears like breath comingand going, released from its bondageto blood or speech and denying nothing.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Last Words: An In-depth Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Philip Levine, an American poet and teacher, was known for his themes of working-class life and social injustice. His collection of poems, "What Work Is," won the Pulitzer Prize in 1995. In this literary criticism, we will be analyzing Levine's poem "Last Words" from his collection "The Simple Truth," published in 1994.
Overview of the Poem
"Last Words" is a free-verse poem consisting of three stanzas, each with five lines. The title suggests that the poem is about someone's final words before they die. However, the poem is not about a specific person but rather a general reflection on the nature of death and what people say or don't say before they die.
Analysis of the Poem
Stanza One
The first stanza sets the tone for the poem by introducing the idea of last words. The speaker compares the act of dying to a ritual, where the dying person is expected to say something profound or meaningful before they pass away. However, the speaker is skeptical of this notion. "What good are last words?" he asks, implying that the act of speaking at the moment of death is futile.
The second line of the stanza, "they're only words," suggests that words are not enough to capture the essence of life or death. The speaker seems to be saying that death is beyond words, beyond human understanding. The phrase "a kind of greeting" in the third line suggests that death is a natural part of life, like a greeting that one gives to a friend or a stranger. The speaker is suggesting that we should not be afraid of death but rather accept it as a natural part of life.
The final two lines of the stanza, "a way of saying, 'You're welcome here, life,'" are particularly poignant. The speaker seems to be suggesting that death is a way of welcoming life, of acknowledging its importance and its beauty. The phrase "you're welcome here" suggests that life is a guest, a visitor, who is welcomed into the world and then leaves when the time comes. The speaker seems to be saying that death is a way of acknowledging the guest's departure, of saying goodbye.
Stanza Two
The second stanza of the poem takes a more personal tone. The speaker talks about his own experience with death, specifically the death of his father. The opening line, "When my father died," suggests that the speaker is talking from personal experience. The line "I was young and foolish then" suggests that the speaker was not fully aware of the implications of his father's death at the time.
The second line, "I thought he died of sadness," is particularly interesting. The speaker seems to be suggesting that his father died not of natural causes but rather of sadness, of the weight of the world. This line is open to interpretation, but it suggests that the speaker's father was not at peace with the world and that this contributed to his death.
The third line, "I thought he died of anger," builds on the previous line by suggesting that the father was angry at the world, at the injustices and the inequalities. The phrase "he died of" in both lines suggests that the father's death was a direct result of his emotions, rather than just a natural part of life.
The final two lines of the stanza, "but he died of prostate cancer" bring the poem back to reality. The speaker seems to be acknowledging that the father's death was not a result of his emotions but rather of an illness, something beyond his control. This line suggests that death is not always a result of one's emotions but can also be a result of external factors.
Stanza Three
The final stanza of the poem brings the focus back to the idea of last words. The opening line, "What did he say to me?" suggests that the speaker is trying to remember the last words his father said to him before he died. The second line, "I don't remember," suggests that the speaker was not able to remember the last words, even though they were supposed to be profound or meaningful.
The third line, "It must have been important," suggests that the speaker is aware of the importance of last words, even though he cannot remember them. The final two lines of the poem, "but not as important as the trust he had in me when he gave me his watch and said, 'Take care of this,'" bring the poem to a close on a poignant note. The speaker seems to be saying that the love and trust his father had for him were more important than any last words he could have said.
Interpretation of the Poem
"Last Words" is a reflection on the nature of death and how people react to it. The poem suggests that the idea of last words, of saying something profound or meaningful before one dies, is a cultural construct rather than a natural part of life. The poem suggests that death is beyond words, beyond human understanding, and that we should accept it as a natural part of life.
The poem is also a personal reflection on the speaker's own experience with death. The speaker talks about his father's death and how he was not able to remember the last words his father said to him. The poem suggests that the love and trust his father had for him were more important than any last words he could have said.
Overall, "Last Words" is a poignant reflection on the nature of death and how we should approach it. The poem suggests that death is a natural part of life and that we should not be afraid of it but rather accept it. The poem also suggests that the love and trust we have for each other are more important than any last words we could say.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry is a form of art that has the power to evoke emotions and stir the soul. It can be a powerful tool for expressing feelings and thoughts that are difficult to articulate in any other way. One such poem that captures the essence of poetry is "Last Words" by Philip Levine.
Philip Levine was an American poet who was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1928. He was known for his poems that explored the lives of working-class people and the struggles they faced. Levine was the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2011 to 2012 and received numerous awards for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1995.
"Last Words" is a poem that speaks to the power of poetry and the impact it can have on our lives. The poem begins with the speaker reflecting on his life and the role that poetry has played in it. He speaks of the "last words" that he has written, the words that will be his legacy.
The speaker acknowledges that his words may not be remembered by many, but he takes comfort in the fact that they will live on in the hearts and minds of those who read them. He says, "I know my words will live / in someone's mouth, / be carried like a burden / or a blessing / to the next generation."
The poem then takes a turn as the speaker begins to question the value of his words. He wonders if they have any real impact on the world or if they are simply "a kind of music / that dies with the last note." He questions whether his words have the power to change anything or if they are just "a way of saying / I was here."
Despite these doubts, the speaker ultimately comes to the conclusion that poetry is important, even if it is not always understood or appreciated. He says, "I believe in poetry / as a way of surviving / the world's madness."
The poem ends with the speaker acknowledging that his time on earth is limited and that he will soon be gone. He says, "I have only a few words / to leave behind, / a few last words / before I go."
"Last Words" is a powerful poem that speaks to the importance of poetry in our lives. It acknowledges the doubts and uncertainties that many poets feel about their work, but ultimately affirms the value of poetry as a means of survival in a world that can often be overwhelming.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the way in which it captures the essence of poetry itself. The speaker describes poetry as "a kind of music" that can be carried forward from one generation to the next. This is a powerful metaphor that speaks to the way in which poetry can transcend time and space, connecting people across generations and cultures.
The poem also speaks to the way in which poetry can be both personal and universal. The speaker's words may be his own, but they have the power to resonate with others and to speak to their own experiences. This is a testament to the power of poetry to connect us to one another and to the world around us.
Another important theme in the poem is the idea of legacy. The speaker acknowledges that his words may not be remembered by many, but he takes comfort in the fact that they will live on in the hearts and minds of those who read them. This speaks to the way in which poetry can be a means of leaving a lasting impact on the world, even if it is not always recognized or appreciated.
Overall, "Last Words" is a powerful and moving poem that speaks to the importance of poetry in our lives. It captures the essence of poetry itself, speaking to its ability to connect us to one another and to the world around us. It is a testament to the power of words to transcend time and space, leaving a lasting impact on the world long after we are gone.
Editor Recommended Sites
Flutter News: Flutter news today, the latest packages, widgets and tutorialsNetwork Simulation: Digital twin and cloud HPC computing to optimize for sales, performance, or a reduction in cost
Build Quiz - Dev Flashcards & Dev Memorization: Learn a programming language, framework, or study for the next Cloud Certification
Cloud events - Data movement on the cloud: All things related to event callbacks, lambdas, pubsub, kafka, SQS, sns, kinesis, step functions
Dev Wish I had known: What I wished I known before I started working on
Recommended Similar Analysis
Bricklayer Love by Carl Sandburg analysisAbout The Nightingale by Samuel Taylor Coleridge analysis
The Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy analysis
Spontaneous Me by Walt Whitman analysis
Last Word, The by Matthew Arnold analysis
A Case Of Murder by Vernon Scannell analysis
Song by Christina Georgina Rossetti analysis
In Memory Of W.B. Yeats by W.H. Auden analysis
Success is Counted Sweetest by Emily Dickinson analysis
Tie the strings to my life, my Lord, by Emily Dickinson analysis