'A Letter' by Anthony Hecht

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I have been wonderingWhat you are thinking about, and by now supposeIt is certainly not me.But the crocus is up, and the lark, and the blunderingBlood knows what it knows.
It talks to itself all night, like a sliding moonlit sea.Of course, it is talking of you.At dawn, where the ocean has netted its catch of lights,The sun plants one lithe footOn that spill of mirrors, but the blood goes worming throughIts warm Arabian nights,
Naming your pounding name again in the dark heart-root.Who shall, of course, be nameless.Anyway, I should want you to know I have done my best,As I'm sure you have, too.Others are bound to us, the gentle and blamelessWhose names are not confessed
In the ceaseless palaver. My dearest, the clear unquaried blueOf those depths is all but blinding.You may remember that once you brought my boysTwo little woolly birds.Yesterday the older one asked for you upon findingYour thrush among his toys.
And the tides welled about me, and I could find no words.There is not much else to tell.One tries one's best to continue as before,Doing some little good.But I would have you know that all is not wellWith a man dead set to ignore
The endless repetitions of his own murmurous blood.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Poetry: A Letter by Anthony Hecht

If you're a lover of poetry, then you must have heard of Anthony Hecht - the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who's widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we're going to delve into one of his most famous poems - A Letter.

At first glance, A Letter appears to be a simple poem. The speaker, who is presumably Hecht himself, is writing a letter to someone he cares about. But as the poem progresses, it becomes clear that there's more to it than meets the eye.

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with its own distinct mood and tone. In the first stanza, the speaker sets the scene by describing a tranquil evening. The imagery is peaceful, with phrases like "the sun has set," "the quiet starry evening deepens," and "the last bird has flown".

But there's a sense of unease that permeates the stanza, hinted at by the phrase "a kind of senselessness lurks in the air". It's a subtle nod to the fact that something isn't quite right, although the speaker doesn't elaborate on what that might be.

The second stanza is where the poem really starts to get interesting. The speaker turns his attention to the letter he's writing, and it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary letter. He's grappling with some big questions here, wondering what the point of poetry is, and what it means to be a poet in a world that often doesn't value poetry.

He writes:

"But what is the use of poetry,
And where is justice in it?
It serves nothing, and that's the truth.
But most things serve nothing,
And that's the truth of it too."

There's a deep sense of melancholy in these lines, as if the speaker is struggling to find a reason to keep writing poetry. He acknowledges that poetry doesn't serve any practical purpose, and yet he can't help feeling that it's important.

The third stanza is where the poem reaches its emotional climax. The speaker turns his attention to the person he's writing the letter to, telling them that he's been thinking about them a lot lately. He writes:

"I thought of you often today,
And the way that you stood in the wind
On the tower of the castle,
And how you smiled and said nothing."

The imagery here is beautiful - the person he's writing to is depicted as standing on a castle tower, facing the wind with a smile. It's a powerful image, and it's clear that the speaker is deeply moved by it.

The poem ends with the speaker expressing his love for the person he's writing to, and his hope that they'll always remain close:

"I love you, and I hope that we
Will always be as close as this,
And that you will always stand
On the tower of the castle,
Smiling and saying nothing."

It's a poignant ending to a powerful poem, and it's clear that Hecht has poured his heart and soul into these words.

So, what is A Letter really about? On the surface, it's a poem about a letter that the speaker is writing to someone he cares about. But on a deeper level, it's a meditation on the nature of poetry, and what it means to be a poet.

Hecht is grappling with some big questions here - questions about the purpose of poetry, and whether it has any value in a world that often doesn't appreciate it. But at the same time, there's a deep sense of love and connection running throughout the poem.

Ultimately, A Letter is a poem about the power of words to connect us to each other, and to help us make sense of a world that often seems senseless. It's a beautiful tribute to the power of poetry, and to the people who inspire us to keep writing, even when it feels like nothing we do really matters.

In short, A Letter is a masterpiece of modern poetry - a deeply moving and heartfelt work that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it. If you're a lover of poetry, you owe it to yourself to read this beautiful piece of writing.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry has the power to evoke emotions and create a lasting impact on its readers. One such poem that has stood the test of time is "A Letter" by Anthony Hecht. This classic poem is a masterpiece that captures the essence of human emotions and relationships. In this article, we will delve into the poem's meaning, structure, and literary devices used by the poet.

The poem "A Letter" is a poignant and heartfelt piece that explores the themes of love, loss, and longing. The poem is written in the form of a letter, which adds a personal touch to the poem. The speaker of the poem is addressing his lover, who is no longer with him. The poem is a reflection of the speaker's emotions and his struggle to come to terms with the loss of his beloved.

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with a different tone and mood. The first stanza sets the tone for the poem and establishes the speaker's emotional state. The speaker begins by addressing his lover and expressing his longing for her. He talks about how he misses her and how he wishes she were still with him. The use of the word "dear" in the opening line of the poem adds a personal touch to the poem and establishes a sense of intimacy between the speaker and his lover.

The second stanza of the poem is the longest and the most emotional. In this stanza, the speaker reminisces about the times he spent with his lover. He talks about how they used to walk together and how they used to share their thoughts and feelings with each other. The use of imagery in this stanza is particularly striking. The speaker talks about how the "leaves were turning brown" and how the "sky was gray." These images create a sense of melancholy and add to the overall mood of the poem.

The third and final stanza of the poem is the shortest and the most powerful. In this stanza, the speaker comes to terms with the loss of his lover. He acknowledges that she is no longer with him and that he must move on. The use of the word "farewell" in the final line of the poem is particularly poignant. It signifies the end of a chapter in the speaker's life and the beginning of a new one.

The poem "A Letter" is a masterclass in the use of literary devices. The poet uses a variety of literary devices to create a lasting impact on the reader. One such device is imagery. The use of imagery in the poem is particularly striking. The poet uses vivid and descriptive language to create a sense of atmosphere and mood. For example, in the second stanza, the poet talks about how the "leaves were turning brown" and how the "sky was gray." These images create a sense of melancholy and add to the overall mood of the poem.

Another literary device used by the poet is repetition. The repetition of the phrase "I miss you" in the first stanza creates a sense of longing and adds to the emotional impact of the poem. The repetition of the phrase "I remember" in the second stanza creates a sense of nostalgia and adds to the overall mood of the poem.

The use of enjambment is another literary device used by the poet. Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause. The use of enjambment in the poem creates a sense of flow and adds to the overall rhythm of the poem.

In conclusion, "A Letter" by Anthony Hecht is a masterpiece that captures the essence of human emotions and relationships. The poem is a reflection of the speaker's emotions and his struggle to come to terms with the loss of his beloved. The use of literary devices such as imagery, repetition, and enjambment adds to the overall impact of the poem. The poem is a testament to the power of poetry and its ability to evoke emotions and create a lasting impact on its readers.

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