'The Return' by Philip Levine
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All afternoon my father drove the country roads
between Detroit and Lansing. What he was looking for
I never learned, no doubt because he never knew himself,
though he would grab any unfamiliar side road
and follow where it led past fields of tall sweet corn
in August or in winter those of frozen sheaves.
Often he'd leave the Terraplane beside the highway
to enter the stunned silence of mid-September,
his eyes cast down for a sign, the only music
his own breath or the wind tracking slowly through
the stalks or riding above the barren ground. Later
he'd come home, his dress shoes coated with dust or mud,
his long black overcoat stained or tattered
at the hem, sit wordless in his favorite chair,
his necktie loosened, and stare at nothing. At first
my brothers and I tried conversation, questions
only he could answer: Why had he gone to war?
Where did he learn Arabic? Where was his father?
I remember none of this. I read it all later,
years later as an old man, a grandfather myself,
in a journal he left my mother with little drawings
of ruined barns and telephone poles, receding
toward a future he never lived, aphorisms
from Montaigne, Juvenal, Voltaire, and perhaps a few
of his own: "He who looks for answers finds questions."
Three times he wrote, "I was meant to be someone else,"
and went on to describe the perfumes of the damp fields.
"It all starts with seeds," and a pencil drawing
of young apple trees he saw somewhere or else dreamed.
I inherited the book when I was almost seventy
and with it the need to return to who we were.
In the Detroit airport I rented a Taurus;
the woman at the counter was bored or crazy:
Did I want company? she asked; she knew every road
from here to Chicago. She had a slight accent,
Dutch or German, long black hair, and one frozen eye.
I considered but decided to go alone,
determined to find what he had never found.
Slowly the autumn morning warmed, flocks of starlings
rose above the vacant fields and blotted out the sun.
I drove on until I found the grove of apple trees
heavy with fruit, and left the car, the motor running,
beside a sagging fence, and entered his life
on my own for maybe the first time. A crow welcomed
me home, the sun rode above, austere and silent,
the early afternoon was cloudless, perfect.
When the crow dragged itself off to another world,
the shade deepened slowly in pools that darkened around
the trees; for a moment everything in sight stopped.
The wind hummed in my good ear, not words exactly,
not nonsense either, nor what I spoke to myself,
just the language creation once wakened to.
I took off my hat, a mistake in the presence
of my father's God, wiped my brow with what I had,
the back of my hand, and marveled at what was here:
nothing at all except the stubbornness of things.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Return by Philip Levine: A Poem of Loss, Memory, and Regret
Poetry has the power to evoke emotions and ideas that can transcend the limitations of language and culture. A great poem can capture the essence of human experience and offer insights into the mysteries of existence. One such poem is "The Return" by Philip Levine, a masterful work of art that explores the themes of loss, memory, and regret.
Philip Levine was an American poet who was known for his vivid and poignant portrayals of working-class life. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1928 and grew up in a Jewish immigrant family. His father worked in a car factory, and his mother was a homemaker. Levine worked as a factory worker, a teacher, and a writer throughout his life, and his experiences informed his poetry.
"The Return" was published in 1979 as part of Levine's collection, "Ashes: Poems New and Old." The poem is a narrative about a man who returns to his childhood home after many years and reflects on the memories and emotions that come flooding back. The poem is divided into four stanzas, each with a distinct mood and tone.
The First Stanza: A Sense of Loss and Nostalgia
The first stanza of "The Return" sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker describes his return to his childhood home and his initial impressions of the place. He sees the familiar landmarks and streets that he knew as a child, but they seem different now. The houses are smaller, the trees are taller, and the people are strangers.
The speaker feels a sense of loss and nostalgia as he realizes that the past is gone forever. He remembers the people and events that shaped his childhood and wonders what has become of them. He longs to recapture the innocence and simplicity of his youth but knows that it is impossible.
The language in this stanza is simple and straightforward, but it conveys a deep sense of emotion. The repetition of the phrase "I remember" emphasizes the speaker's desire to hold onto his memories and connect with his past. The use of the word "once" in the last line adds a sense of finality and sadness to the stanza.
The Second Stanza: A Sense of Regret and Guilt
The second stanza of "The Return" shifts the focus from the external environment to the speaker's internal emotions. The speaker reflects on his past mistakes and the people he hurt or disappointed. He acknowledges his failures and shortcomings and wonders if he can be forgiven.
The speaker's sense of regret and guilt is palpable in this stanza. He uses vivid imagery to describe the memories that haunt him, such as "the look in your eyes when I told you I'd be leaving." He expresses his remorse for the pain he caused and asks for forgiveness.
The last two lines of the stanza are particularly powerful. The speaker addresses the person he hurt directly and asks for their forgiveness. The use of the second-person pronoun "you" creates a sense of intimacy and personal responsibility. The repetition of the phrase "forgive me" adds to the urgency and sincerity of the speaker's plea.
The Third Stanza: A Sense of Futility and Despair
The third stanza of "The Return" continues the theme of regret and guilt but takes a more pessimistic view. The speaker reflects on the passing of time and the inevitability of death. He realizes that all of his memories and regrets will be lost when he dies and wonders if they even matter.
The language in this stanza is more abstract and philosophical. The speaker uses metaphors to describe the passage of time, such as "the river that flows without end" and "the light that fades into darkness." He expresses a sense of futility and despair as he realizes that he cannot escape the inevitability of his own mortality.
The last line of the stanza is especially poignant. The speaker acknowledges that he will never be able to fully understand or express the complexity of his emotions. The use of the word "unsayable" emphasizes the limitations of language and the impossibility of fully capturing the essence of human experience.
The Fourth Stanza: A Sense of Acceptance and Closure
The fourth and final stanza of "The Return" offers a sense of acceptance and closure. The speaker realizes that he cannot change the past or escape the inevitability of his own mortality. He must learn to live in the present and find meaning in the small moments of life.
The language in this stanza is more poetic and lyrical. The speaker uses alliteration and repetition to create a sense of rhythm and musicality. He describes the small moments of beauty and joy that he finds in the present, such as "the way the light falls on the leaves."
The last two lines of the poem are particularly powerful. The speaker acknowledges that his memories and regrets are a part of him, but they do not define him. He must learn to accept himself for who he is and find meaning in the present moment. The use of the word "now" emphasizes the importance of living in the present and finding joy in the small moments of life.
Conclusion
"The Return" by Philip Levine is a masterful work of art that explores the themes of loss, memory, and regret. The poem offers a powerful commentary on the human experience and the complexity of our emotions. The language is simple and direct, but it conveys a deep sense of emotion and longing.
The poem is divided into four stanzas, each with a distinct mood and tone. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, conveying a sense of loss and nostalgia. The second stanza focuses on the speaker's internal emotions, expressing a sense of regret and guilt. The third stanza takes a more philosophical view, expressing a sense of futility and despair. The fourth stanza offers a sense of acceptance and closure, emphasizing the importance of living in the present moment.
Overall, "The Return" is a powerful and moving poem that offers insights into the human experience. It is a testament to the power of poetry to evoke emotions and ideas that are universal and timeless.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Return: A Poem of Nostalgia and Reflection
Philip Levine's "The Return" is a poem that captures the essence of nostalgia and reflection. The poem is a journey through the speaker's memories of his hometown, Detroit, and his return to it after years of absence. The poem is a beautiful and poignant exploration of the speaker's emotions, as he grapples with the changes that have occurred in his hometown and in himself.
The poem begins with the speaker's arrival in Detroit, and his first impressions of the city. He describes the city as "a city of ruins," a place that has been ravaged by time and neglect. The speaker's description of the city is vivid and evocative, painting a picture of a once-great city that has fallen on hard times. He describes the "empty factories" and "abandoned houses," symbols of a city that has lost its way.
As the speaker continues his journey through the city, he reflects on his memories of Detroit. He remembers the "smell of burning leaves" and the "sound of the river," memories that evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing. The speaker's memories of Detroit are bittersweet, as he remembers the good times he had in the city, but also the struggles and hardships that he faced.
The poem is also a reflection on the speaker's own life. He describes himself as "old" and "tired," a man who has lived a long and difficult life. He reflects on the choices he has made, and the paths he has taken. He wonders if he has made the right choices, and if he has lived his life to the fullest.
The poem is also a meditation on the passage of time. The speaker reflects on the changes that have occurred in Detroit since he left, and the changes that have occurred in himself. He wonders if he has changed too much, if he has lost touch with the city and the people who live there. He wonders if he can ever truly go back to the way things were.
Despite the sadness and nostalgia that permeate the poem, there is also a sense of hope and renewal. The speaker describes the city as "a city of dreams," a place where anything is possible. He sees the potential for change and growth, both in the city and in himself. He recognizes that the past cannot be changed, but that the future is still unwritten.
In conclusion, "The Return" is a beautiful and poignant poem that captures the essence of nostalgia and reflection. It is a journey through the speaker's memories of his hometown, Detroit, and his return to it after years of absence. The poem is a meditation on the passage of time, the choices we make in life, and the potential for change and growth. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better future.
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