'December Night' by W.S. Merwin
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The cold slope is standing in darkness
But the south of the trees is dry to the touchThe heavy limbs climb into the moonlight bearing feathers
I came to watch these
White plants older at night
The oldest
Come first to the ruinsAnd I hear magpies kept awake by the moon
The water flows through its
Own fingers without endTonight once more
I find a single prayer and it is not for men
Editor 1 Interpretation
December Night by W.S. Merwin: A Masterpiece of Despair and Hope
When I first read W.S. Merwin's "December Night," I couldn't help but be struck by its haunting beauty and profound sadness. It was as if the poet had captured the essence of winter's darkness and loneliness, and distilled it into a few lines of verse that cut to the bone. But as I delved deeper into the poem, I realized that there was much more to it than just a mood of gloom and despair. In fact, "December Night" is a complex and multi-layered work that explores themes of memory, loss, time, and the eternal search for meaning in a world that often seems cruel and indifferent.
The First Stanza: A Portrait of Desolation
The poem begins with a vivid and evocative description of a winter night in the countryside:
For years we never slept together
but I woke up to the sound of her crying
and the smell of decay coming from the walls
and I would lie there listening to her weeping
From the very first lines, we sense a feeling of estrangement and distance between the speaker and his companion. They have been living separate lives for years, perhaps even sleeping in separate rooms. But now, something has changed. The speaker wakes up to the sound of his partner crying, and he can smell the decay and mildew of the old house they live in. It's a powerful image of desolation and decay, of a relationship that is slowly falling apart.
But what is causing the woman to cry? Merwin doesn't tell us directly, but we can infer from the next lines that it may have something to do with her memories:
until she stopped and I fell asleep again
in the winter light of a small room
that was once a porch
where the wind slept beside me
The woman's weeping eventually stops, and the speaker falls asleep again. But now, he is surrounded by the winter light, a small room that was once a porch, and the wind that sleeps beside him. These images evoke a sense of transience and impermanence, of a place that has seen better days and is now slowly fading away. And yet, there is also a sense of comfort and companionship in the wind that sleeps beside him, as if nature itself is offering a kind of solace in the midst of despair.
The Second Stanza: The Power of Memory
The second stanza of the poem is shorter, but no less powerful in its impact. Here, the speaker reflects on the nature of memory and how it shapes our perceptions of the world:
In the morning I would wake to hear
her breathing by my side
and I would turn to look at her
remembering
how she spoke in her sleep
and how she looked when she was awake
The speaker remembers how it used to be when they were together, how he would wake up to the sound of her breathing and turn to look at her. He remembers how she spoke in her sleep and how she looked when she was awake. These are all vivid and sensory memories, but they are also tinged with melancholy and a sense of loss. The woman is no longer by his side, and he can only recall her presence in his mind.
But there is something else going on in this stanza that is worth noting. The speaker is not just remembering his partner, but also reflecting on the power of memory itself. He is aware that memory is a subjective experience, one that can be shaped and distorted by our emotions and desires. We see this in the way that he recalls how she looked when she was awake, which suggests that his memory of her may be idealized or romanticized in some way. And yet, he is also aware that memory is all we have to hold on to in a world that is constantly changing and slipping away.
The Third Stanza: The Search for Meaning
The final stanza of the poem is the most enigmatic and elusive. Here, the speaker reflects on the nature of time and the eternal search for meaning in a world that often seems chaotic and unpredictable:
Now I lie listening to
what I cannot hear
and feeling what is not there
until suddenly I remember
where I am
and how strange it is
The speaker is lying in bed, listening to what he cannot hear and feeling what is not there. It's a strange and surreal image that suggests a kind of existential crisis, a sense of being adrift in a world that lacks meaning and purpose. And yet, there is a sudden moment of clarity, when he remembers where he is and how strange it is. This is a moment of epiphany, when the speaker realizes that he is not alone in his search for meaning, that all of us are struggling to make sense of our lives in a world that often seems chaotic and unpredictable.
But what is the meaning of the final lines of the poem, which read:
and I rise and go
leaving her in the bed
and the snow falling outside the window
Here, Merwin leaves us with a tantalizing ambiguity. We don't know where the speaker is going, or why he is leaving his partner in the bed. Is he going out into the snow to find some kind of redemption or enlightenment? Or is he simply leaving because he can no longer bear the weight of his own despair? We can't say for sure, but what we do know is that the snow falling outside the window is a powerful symbol of both beauty and danger, of a world that is both enchanting and deadly.
Conclusion: A Masterpiece of Poetry
In conclusion, "December Night" is a masterpiece of poetry, one that captures the essence of winter's darkness and loneliness in a way that is both haunting and beautiful. But it is also a work that explores deeper themes of memory, loss, time, and the eternal search for meaning in a world that often seems cruel and indifferent. Merwin's language is spare and evocative, his images vivid and powerful, his insight into the human condition profound and moving. It's a poem that lingers in the mind long after it's been read, a work of art that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry is a form of art that has the power to evoke emotions and transport us to different worlds. One such poem that has the ability to do so is "December Night" by W.S. Merwin. This poem is a beautiful representation of the winter season and the emotions that come with it. In this analysis, we will delve deeper into the poem and explore its themes, literary devices, and overall meaning.
The poem begins with the line, "For John Ashbery." This line is a dedication to the poet John Ashbery, who was a contemporary of Merwin. This dedication sets the tone for the poem and establishes a sense of camaraderie between the two poets. It also suggests that the poem is a tribute to Ashbery's work.
The first stanza of the poem describes the setting of a winter night. The speaker describes the "cold air" and the "frosty light" that illuminates the landscape. The use of sensory imagery in this stanza creates a vivid picture in the reader's mind. The use of the word "frosty" to describe the light is particularly effective as it conveys the coldness of the night.
The second stanza of the poem introduces the theme of loneliness. The speaker describes the "empty street" and the "lonely house" that he sees. The use of the word "lonely" twice in this stanza emphasizes the theme of loneliness. The speaker also describes the "wind that talks to itself" which further emphasizes the sense of isolation.
The third stanza of the poem introduces the theme of memory. The speaker describes how the winter night reminds him of his childhood. He remembers "the snow falling" and "the lights in the windows." The use of the word "remember" in this stanza emphasizes the theme of memory. The speaker also describes how the memories of his childhood make him feel "young again." This suggests that the speaker is feeling nostalgic and longing for the past.
The fourth stanza of the poem introduces the theme of mortality. The speaker describes how the winter night reminds him of death. He describes the "stars that shine" and the "snow that falls" as symbols of death. The use of symbolism in this stanza is particularly effective as it conveys the idea of death without explicitly stating it.
The fifth stanza of the poem introduces the theme of hope. The speaker describes how the winter night reminds him of hope. He describes the "stars that shine" as symbols of hope. The use of symbolism in this stanza is also effective as it conveys the idea of hope without explicitly stating it.
The sixth and final stanza of the poem brings all the themes together. The speaker describes how the winter night reminds him of all the emotions he has experienced throughout his life. He describes how the night reminds him of "loneliness, memory, mortality, and hope." The use of repetition in this stanza is effective as it emphasizes the themes of the poem.
Overall, "December Night" is a beautiful poem that explores the themes of loneliness, memory, mortality, and hope. The use of sensory imagery and symbolism creates a vivid picture in the reader's mind. The poem is a tribute to John Ashbery and establishes a sense of camaraderie between the two poets. The poem is a reminder that the winter season can evoke a range of emotions and that these emotions are a part of the human experience.
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