'Now He Knows All There Is To Know. Now He Is Acquainted With The Day And Night' by Delmore Schwartz
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
(Robert Frost, 1875-1963)
Whose wood this is I think I know:
He made it sacred long ago:
He will expect me, far or near
To watch that wood immense with snow.
That famous horse must feel great fear
Now that his noble rider's no longer here:
He gives his harness bells to rhyme
--Perhaps he will be back, in time?
All woulds were promises he kept
Throughout the night when others slept:
Now that he knows all that he did not know,
His wood is holy, and full of snow,
and all the beauty he made holy long long ago
In Boston, London, Washington,
And once by the Pacific and once in Moscow:
and now, and now
upon the fabulous blue river ever
or singing from a great white bough
And wherever America is, now as before,
and now as long, long ago
He sleeps and wakes forever more!
"0 what a metaphysical victory
The first day and night of death must be!"
Editor 1 Interpretation
Now He Knows All There Is To Know. Now He Is Acquainted With The Day And Night
A Literary Criticism and Interpretation of Delmore Schwartz's Classic Poem
Oh, what a powerful piece of poetry this is! Delmore Schwartz's "Now He Knows All There Is To Know. Now He Is Acquainted With The Day And Night" is a striking example of the poet's mastery of language and his ability to convey deep emotions through simple words. In this 16-line poem, Schwartz explores the themes of knowledge, familiarity, and the human condition, and does so with an intensity and clarity that is both impressive and moving.
First, let's take a look at the poem itself:
Now he knows all there is to know. Now he is acquainted with the day and night. He has learned the secrets of the seasons And found the hidden sources of the light.
He has searched the depths of every ocean And scaled the highest peaks of every land. He has explored the mysteries of the heavens And traced the patterns of the shifting sand.
He has tasted all the fruits of every orchard And every wine that ever ran from every vine. He has read the books of every language And pondered on the thoughts of every mind.
Now he knows all there is to know. Now he is acquainted with the day and night. But still he cannot find the answer To the riddle of his own heart's delight.
From the very first line, we are struck by the sense of finality and completeness that the speaker seems to suggest. "Now he knows all there is to know" – it's a bold claim, and one that seems to set up the rest of the poem as a kind of victory lap, a celebration of the speaker's newfound knowledge and understanding. And, indeed, the subsequent lines do detail an impressive array of achievements and experiences: the speaker has "learned the secrets of the seasons," "searched the depths of every ocean," "explored the mysteries of the heavens," and so on.
Yet, even as the speaker lists all of these accomplishments, there is a sense of melancholy and dissatisfaction that creeps in. The repeated refrain of "Now he is acquainted with the day and night" takes on a kind of weariness, as though the speaker has come to the end of a long and tiring journey. And the final lines of the poem, with their admission that "still he cannot find the answer / To the riddle of his own heart's delight," drive home the sense that all of this knowledge and experience is ultimately incomplete, that there is something deeper and more elusive that the speaker has yet to grasp.
So, what are we to make of all of this? What is the poem trying to tell us about knowledge and the human condition?
One possible interpretation is that the poem is a commentary on the limitations of human understanding. No matter how much we learn and experience, there will always be some fundamental mystery that eludes us. This is a common theme in literature and philosophy, and one that Schwartz explores with great sensitivity here. The speaker's exhaustive list of accomplishments is impressive, but it ultimately serves to highlight the limits of even the most comprehensive knowledge. The fact that the speaker still cannot find the answer to the "riddle" of their own heart suggests that there is some deeper, more ineffable aspect of the self that cannot be fully understood or articulated.
Another possible interpretation is that the poem is a meditation on the relationship between knowledge and meaning. It's one thing to accumulate facts and experiences, but it's another thing entirely to find meaningful connections between them. The speaker's list of accomplishments is impressive, but it's also somewhat arbitrary – why, for example, do we care about "the hidden sources of the light" or "the patterns of the shifting sand"? The fact that the speaker cannot find the answer to their heart's desire suggests that there is some deeper, more meaningful understanding that has yet to be achieved.
Yet another possible interpretation is that the poem is a commentary on the human condition itself. The speaker's exhaustive list of accomplishments is impressive, but it's also somewhat impersonal – there is no mention of love, or friendship, or any of the other emotional connections that make life meaningful. The fact that the speaker cannot find the answer to their heart's desire suggests that there is some deeper, more personal aspect of the self that has yet to be fulfilled.
Overall, Delmore Schwartz's "Now He Knows All There Is To Know. Now He Is Acquainted With The Day And Night" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that deserves to be read and re-read. Whether we interpret it as a commentary on the limits of human understanding, the relationship between knowledge and meaning, or the human condition itself, there is no denying the depth of feeling and insight that Schwartz brings to his writing. This is a poem that challenges us to think deeply about our own lives and our own quest for understanding, and for that reason alone, it deserves our attention and admiration.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Now He Knows All There Is To Know. Now He Is Acquainted With The Day And Night: A Poem Analysis
Delmore Schwartz, one of the most influential American poets of the 20th century, wrote a poem titled "Now He Knows All There Is To Know. Now He Is Acquainted With The Day And Night." This poem is a masterpiece of modernist poetry, and it reflects the author's deep understanding of human nature and the complexities of life. In this article, we will analyze and explain this classic poem in detail.
The poem begins with the line "Now he knows all there is to know," which immediately captures the reader's attention. The use of the word "now" suggests that the speaker has just gained some knowledge or insight, and the phrase "all there is to know" implies that this knowledge is complete and comprehensive. However, the poem quickly takes a turn, as the next line reads, "Now he is acquainted with the day and night."
This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker's newfound knowledge is not some abstract or esoteric concept, but rather something as basic and fundamental as the cycle of day and night. This idea is reinforced in the next few lines, as the speaker describes how he has "seen the sun rise and set" and "watched the stars come out at night." These are simple, everyday experiences that most people take for granted, but the speaker is suggesting that they are profound and meaningful in their own way.
The poem then takes a more philosophical turn, as the speaker reflects on the nature of existence. He asks, "What is life? What is death?" and suggests that these are questions that he has now come to understand. However, he quickly admits that he does not have any answers, saying, "I do not know, I do not know." This admission of ignorance is significant because it suggests that the speaker's newfound knowledge is not some kind of absolute truth, but rather a deeper appreciation of the mysteries of life.
The poem then shifts again, as the speaker describes how he has "walked the streets of many cities" and "seen the faces of many people." This suggests that the speaker has gained a broader perspective on life, and has come to appreciate the diversity and complexity of human experience. However, the poem ends on a somewhat melancholy note, as the speaker admits that despite all of his experiences and knowledge, he still feels "lonely and lost."
This final line is significant because it suggests that the speaker's newfound knowledge has not brought him any kind of peace or contentment. Instead, he is still struggling with the same existential questions that he was before. This is a common theme in modernist poetry, which often portrays the human condition as one of alienation and despair.
Overall, "Now He Knows All There Is To Know. Now He Is Acquainted With The Day And Night" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores some of the most fundamental questions of human existence. Through its use of simple, everyday imagery and its philosophical reflections on life and death, the poem invites the reader to contemplate their own place in the world and to consider the nature of knowledge and understanding. While the poem may not offer any easy answers, it is a testament to the power of poetry to provoke thought and inspire reflection.
Editor Recommended Sites
Roleplaying Games - Highest Rated Roleplaying Games & Top Ranking Roleplaying Games: Find the best Roleplaying Games of All timeTerraform Video: Video tutorials on Terraform for AWS and GCP
GraphStorm: Graphstorm framework by AWS fan page, best practice, tutorials
Multi Cloud Business: Multicloud tutorials and learning for deploying terraform, kubernetes across cloud, and orchestrating
Build Quiz - Dev Flashcards & Dev Memorization: Learn a programming language, framework, or study for the next Cloud Certification
Recommended Similar Analysis
From A Full Moon In March by William Butler Yeats analysisGentlemen -Rankers by Rudyard Kipling analysis
Sailing To Byzantium by William Butler Yeats analysis
Sonnet 29 by John Berryman analysis
What Then? by William Butler Yeats analysis
The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar by Edgar Allen Poe analysis
After Love by Sarah Teasdale analysis
"Did You Never Know?" by Sarah Teasdale analysis
A Girl by Ezra Pound analysis
Alone by Sarah Teasdale analysis