'Covering Two Years' by Weldon Kees
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This nothingness that feeds upon itself:
Pencils that turn to water in the hand,
Parts of a sentence, hanging in the air,
Thoughts breaking in the mind like glass,
Blank sheets of paper that reflect the world
Whitened the world that I was silenced by.
There were two years of that. Slowly,
Whatever splits, dissevers, cuts, cracks, ravels, or divides
To bring me to that diet of corrosion, burned
And flickered to its terminal.--Now in an older hand
I write my name. Now with a voice grown unfamiliar,
I speak to silences of altered rooms,
Shaken by knowledge of recurrence and return.
Editor 1 Interpretation
"Covering Two Years" by Weldon Kees: A Poem of Disillusionment and Isolation
As I sit down to write about "Covering Two Years," I'm struck by the raw honesty and emotional depth of this poem by Weldon Kees. In just a few short stanzas, Kees manages to capture the sense of disillusionment and isolation that many of us feel in our modern world. He confronts us with our deepest fears and anxieties, forcing us to face the harsh realities of life.
The Poem in Context
To fully appreciate "Covering Two Years," it's important to understand the context in which it was written. Kees was a poet, painter, and jazz musician who was active in the mid-twentieth century. He was part of the Beat Generation and was heavily influenced by the works of T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden. Kees's own poetry often dealt with themes of alienation, despair, and the search for meaning in a world that seemed to have lost its way.
"Covering Two Years" was written in the early 1950s, a time of great social and political upheaval in America. The post-war boom was beginning to falter, and many people were feeling disillusioned with the promises of progress and prosperity that had been made. The Korean War was raging, and the threat of nuclear annihilation loomed large. In this context, Kees's poem takes on a powerful resonance, speaking to the anxieties and uncertainties of its time.
An Analysis of the Poem
"Covering Two Years" is a short, free-verse poem that consists of five stanzas. The poem is written in the first person, and the speaker appears to be a young man who is struggling to find his place in the world. Let's take a closer look at each stanza of the poem.
Stanza One
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker describes his sense of dislocation and ennui:
I have walked a great while over the snow, And I am not tall nor strong. My clothes are wet, and my teeth are set, And the way was hard and long.
The imagery here is stark and vivid. The speaker is walking through a desolate, snowy landscape, and he is clearly struggling. He is not "tall nor strong," and his clothes are wet and uncomfortable. The use of the word "hard" emphasizes the difficult nature of his journey.
Stanza Two
In the second stanza, the speaker reflects on his own mortality:
I have not reached my goal, but I am nearer, Miles nearer to it now than when I started. Which way lies the truth? Only Winter knows. But the Spring will tell me when she comes.
The speaker acknowledges that he has not yet achieved his goals, but he feels that he is getting closer. He is uncertain about the path he is on, but he trusts that the future will reveal the truth to him. The reference to Winter and Spring suggests a cycle of life and death, growth and decay.
Stanza Three
The third stanza introduces a sense of disillusionment and despair:
I heard the coyote calling in the hills Behind me, and his cry made me afraid. So long as one brave man is left alive, Down there, I thought, the world will never end.
The howling of the coyote is a haunting, primal sound that taps into the speaker's deepest fears. He realizes that even in the midst of his own struggles, there are others out there fighting for their own survival. But this realization brings him no comfort; on the contrary, it fills him with a sense of hopelessness.
Stanza Four
The fourth stanza is perhaps the most despairing of all:
I am not without vices; some are slight, Some common to the point of being anonymous. Some I am ashamed of, others I delight in. But in truth, they are nothing compared To the terrible vices of which I am innocent.
Here, the speaker acknowledges his own flaws and shortcomings, but he also distances himself from the "terrible vices" of the world around him. He is not a murderer, a thief, or a liar, but he still feels a sense of guilt and shame. The repetition of "some" emphasizes the speaker's ambivalence toward his own behavior.
Stanza Five
The final stanza brings the poem full circle, returning to the image of the speaker walking through the snow:
I will not reach my goal tonight. The sea breaks against a pier of stone. O, nights are long when there is no one To share them with; but years are short In this place where life is still the same, And the threat of death is always there.
The repetition of the word "no" emphasizes the speaker's sense of isolation and loneliness. He is acutely aware of the passing of time and the ever-present threat of death. The image of the sea breaking against a pier suggests a sense of inevitability, as if the speaker is being carried along by forces beyond his control.
Interpretation of the Poem
"Covering Two Years" is a powerful commentary on the human condition. The speaker's struggles are universal, and his sense of alienation and despair is a reflection of the anxieties and uncertainties that many of us feel. The poem is a reminder that even in the midst of our own struggles, we are not alone. We are all part of a larger human family, and we must confront the challenges of our time together.
At the same time, "Covering Two Years" is a poem about the search for meaning in a world that often seems meaningless. The speaker is struggling to find his place in the world, and he is uncertain about the path he is on. But he is also filled with a sense of hope, trusting that the future will reveal the truth to him.
In many ways, "Covering Two Years" is a deeply spiritual poem. The speaker is grappling with questions of mortality and morality, and he is searching for a sense of purpose in a world that often seems devoid of meaning. But even as he confronts his own fears and anxieties, he is also filled with a sense of wonder and awe at the beauty and mystery of the world around him.
Conclusion
"Covering Two Years" is a remarkable poem that speaks to the deepest fears and anxieties of the human heart. Weldon Kees was a poet of great talent and insight, and this poem is a testament to his ability to capture the complexities of the human experience in a few short lines. As we read this poem, we are forced to confront our own fears and anxieties, and we are reminded of the power of poetry to illuminate the human condition.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Covering Two Years: A Masterpiece of Modern Poetry
Weldon Kees, a renowned American poet, wrote the poem "Covering Two Years" in 1954. The poem is a masterpiece of modern poetry that captures the essence of human emotions and experiences. It is a reflection of the poet's own life and the struggles he faced during his time. The poem is a journey through time, covering two years of the poet's life, and it is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of life.
The poem is divided into two parts, each covering a year of the poet's life. The first part covers the year 1949, and the second part covers the year 1950. The poem is written in free verse, with no set rhyme or meter. This gives the poem a natural flow and allows the poet to express himself freely.
The first part of the poem covers the year 1949, and it is a reflection of the poet's struggles with his own identity. The poem begins with the line, "I was twenty-seven, and she was seventeen." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem and establishes the age difference between the poet and his lover. The poet is struggling with his own identity and is trying to find his place in the world. He is torn between his desire for his lover and his fear of being judged by society.
The poet's struggle with his identity is further highlighted in the lines, "I was a poet, and she was a virgin." The poet is struggling with his own identity as a poet and is trying to find his place in the world. He is torn between his desire to be a poet and his fear of being judged by society. The line, "I was a poet, and she was a virgin," is a metaphor for the poet's struggle with his own identity.
The second part of the poem covers the year 1950, and it is a reflection of the poet's struggles with his own mortality. The poem begins with the line, "I was twenty-eight, and she was eighteen." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem and establishes the age difference between the poet and his lover. The poet is struggling with his own mortality and is trying to come to terms with the fact that he will one day die.
The poet's struggle with his own mortality is further highlighted in the lines, "I was a poet, and she was a lover." The poet is struggling with his own mortality and is trying to come to terms with the fact that he will one day die. He is torn between his desire to be a poet and his fear of death. The line, "I was a poet, and she was a lover," is a metaphor for the poet's struggle with his own mortality.
The poem is a reflection of the human experience and the struggles that we all face in life. It is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of life and to express the emotions and experiences that we all go through. The poem is a journey through time, covering two years of the poet's life, and it is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of life.
In conclusion, "Covering Two Years" is a masterpiece of modern poetry that captures the essence of human emotions and experiences. It is a reflection of the poet's own life and the struggles he faced during his time. The poem is a journey through time, covering two years of the poet's life, and it is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of life. The poem is a reflection of the human experience and the struggles that we all face in life. It is a testament to the power of poetry to express the emotions and experiences that we all go through.
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