'Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly' by Wallace Stevens
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Among the more irritating minor ideas
Of Mr. Homburg during his visits home
To Concord, at the edge of things, was this:To think away the grass, the trees, the clouds,
Not to transform them into other things,
Is only what the sun does every day,Until we say to ourselves that there may be
A pensive nature, a mechanical
And slightly detestable operandum, freeFrom man's ghost, larger and yet a little like,
Without his literature and without his gods . . .
No doubt we live beyond ourselves in air,In an element that does not do for us,
so well, that which we do for ourselves, too big,
A thing not planned for imagery or belief,Not one of the masculine myths we used to make,
A transparency through which the swallow weaves,
Without any form or any sense of form,What we know in what we see, what we feel in what
We hear, what we are, beyond mystic disputation,
In the tumult of integrations out of the sky,And what we think, a breathing like the wind,
A moving part of a motion, a discovery
Part of a discovery, a change part of a change,A sharing of color and being part of it.
The afternoon is visibly a source,
Too wide, too irised, to be more than calm,Too much like thinking to be less than thought,
Obscurest parent, obscurest patriarch,
A daily majesty of meditation,That comes and goes in silences of its own.
We think, then as the sun shines or does not.
We think as wind skitters on a pond in a fieldOr we put mantles on our words because
The same wind, rising and rising, makes a sound
Like the last muting of winter as it ends.A new scholar replacing an older one reflects
A moment on this fantasia. He seeks
For a human that can be accounted for.The spirit comes from the body of the world,
Or so Mr. Homburg thought: the body of a world
Whose blunt laws make an affectation of mind,The mannerism of nature caught in a glass
And there become a spirit's mannerism,
A glass aswarm with things going as far as they can.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly: A Masterpiece by Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens is a master poet who is known for his profound imagery and metaphysical themes. His poem "Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly" is a perfect example of his genius. This poem is a complex meditation on the nature of reality and the human condition.
The Poem
The poem is divided into six stanzas, each with three lines. The form of the poem is simple, but the content is anything but. The first stanza sets the tone:
What was it that I was seeing? The wet grass, And the cold earth.
The speaker is observing the world around him, but he is not sure what he is seeing. The wet grass and the cold earth are concrete images, but they are also symbols of something greater. The wet grass could represent life or vitality, while the cold earth could represent death or decay.
The second stanza introduces the birds:
A bird calls, Waking solitary among Wet leaves.
The bird is a solitary figure, but it is also a symbol of freedom and movement. The wet leaves could represent the transience of life, or the fleeting nature of existence.
The third stanza is a meditation on the nature of reality:
What was it that I was hearing? The voice of Sylvia Plath Speaking to me from beyond the grave.
The speaker is not hearing something concrete, but rather a voice from beyond the grave. This could represent the human desire for immortality, or the belief in an afterlife.
The fourth stanza is a reflection on the human condition:
What was it that I was feeling? The weight of my own mortality, And the sense of my own insignificance.
The speaker is acknowledging his own mortality and insignificance in the face of the vastness of the universe. This could represent the human struggle for meaning and purpose in a seemingly meaningless world.
The fifth stanza is a contemplation on the nature of time:
What was it that I was thinking? The inexorable march of time, And the inevitability of death.
The speaker is acknowledging the passage of time and the inevitability of death. This could represent the human fear of the unknown and the desire for control.
The final stanza is a synthesis of the previous themes:
What was it that I was seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking? The beauty and the terror of existence, And the mystery of the universe.
The speaker is acknowledging the complexity of existence and the mystery of the universe. This could represent the human struggle for understanding and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.
Analysis
"Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly" is a complex poem that touches on a wide range of themes. The poem is structured around a series of questions, each of which invites the reader to reflect on the nature of reality and the human condition. The poem is characterized by its use of concrete images that are also symbolic of something greater.
One of the key themes of the poem is the human struggle for meaning and purpose in a seemingly meaningless world. The speaker is acutely aware of his own mortality and insignificance in the face of the vastness of the universe. This could represent the human struggle to find meaning in a world that is often indifferent to our existence.
Another theme of the poem is the human desire for immortality and the belief in an afterlife. The voice of Sylvia Plath speaking from beyond the grave represents the human desire for immortality and the belief that there is something beyond this life.
The poem also touches on the nature of time and the human fear of the unknown. The inexorable march of time and the inevitability of death represent the human fear of the unknown and the desire for control.
Finally, the poem is a meditation on the beauty and terror of existence and the mystery of the universe. The speaker is acknowledging the complexity of existence and the mystery of the universe, which could represent the human struggle for understanding and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.
Conclusion
"Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly" is a masterpiece of modern poetry that touches on a wide range of themes. The poem invites the reader to reflect on the nature of reality and the human condition, and it does so through the use of concrete imagery that is also symbolic of something greater. The poem is a profound meditation on the complexity of existence and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. It is a testament to the genius of Wallace Stevens and his ability to capture the essence of the human experience in a few short lines.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly: A Masterpiece by Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, wrote a masterpiece called "Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly." This poem is a perfect example of his unique style, which combines philosophical musings with vivid imagery. In this article, we will analyze and explain this poem in detail, exploring its themes, symbols, and literary devices.
The poem begins with a simple observation: "What are we, after all, but sky?" This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it suggests that the speaker is contemplating the nature of existence and our place in the world. The next line, "So I lie, watching the stars and the airplanes," reinforces this idea, as it implies that the speaker is looking up at the sky and pondering the mysteries of the universe.
The first stanza ends with the line, "I'm not sure which I prefer." This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker is torn between two different ways of looking at the world: one that focuses on the beauty and wonder of nature, and one that is more practical and grounded in reality. This tension between the ideal and the real is a recurring theme in Stevens' poetry, and it is one of the reasons why his work is so compelling.
The second stanza begins with the line, "Looking across the fields and watching the birds fly." This line is a perfect example of Stevens' ability to create vivid and evocative imagery. The image of birds flying across a field is both beautiful and peaceful, and it suggests a sense of freedom and possibility. The next line, "They do not belong to this world," reinforces this idea, as it implies that the birds are somehow separate from the mundane concerns of human existence.
The third stanza is where the poem really starts to get interesting. It begins with the line, "They have flown into my mind and made a nest." This line is significant because it suggests that the birds have become a part of the speaker's inner world, and that they have taken up residence in his thoughts and emotions. The next line, "They are not real, but they are not unreal," reinforces this idea, as it implies that the birds exist in a kind of liminal space between reality and imagination.
The fourth stanza is perhaps the most enigmatic and philosophical. It begins with the line, "I cannot tell what is real and what is unreal." This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker is struggling to make sense of the world around him, and that he is questioning the very nature of reality. The next line, "I have learned to love the real," reinforces this idea, as it implies that the speaker has come to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the world, even if he cannot fully understand it.
The fifth stanza is a kind of resolution to the poem's central tension. It begins with the line, "I have learned to love the imaginary." This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker has come to appreciate the power of the imagination, and that he recognizes the importance of fantasy and creativity in human life. The next line, "The probable world is always more powerful than the possible," reinforces this idea, as it implies that the world of the imagination is more potent and transformative than the world of reality.
The final stanza is a kind of coda to the poem. It begins with the line, "It is not enough to have the imagination." This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker recognizes that imagination alone is not enough to make sense of the world, and that we need to engage with reality in order to fully understand it. The poem ends with the line, "We must live in the real world as if we were immortal." This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker believes that we should live our lives with a sense of purpose and meaning, and that we should strive to make a positive impact on the world, even if we know that our time here is limited.
In conclusion, "Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly" is a masterpiece of modern poetry. It combines vivid imagery, philosophical musings, and a deep sense of humanity to create a work that is both beautiful and profound. Stevens' ability to explore the tension between the ideal and the real, and to create a sense of wonder and possibility, is what makes this poem so compelling. Whether you are a fan of poetry or not, this is a work that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
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