'A City Remembered' by Vernon Scannell
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Unlovely city, to which few tourists come
With squinting cameras and alien hats;
Left under a cloud by those who love the sun
And can afford to marry – a cloud of bits
Of soot more myriad than gnats, a cloud
Of smoke and rain, an insubstantial threat
Whose colour is the pigment of long wrath,
I think of you, surprised to find my blood
Warmed by a wry desire, a kind of love.
I see the trams, like galleons at night,
Go rocking with their golden cargo down
The iron hills; then hearing that bold din
My other senses frolic at a fête
Of phantom guests – the smells of fish and chips,
Laborious smoke, stale beer and autumn gusts,
The whispering shadows and the winking hips,
The crack of frosty whips, brief summer"s dust.
And in that city through a forked November
Love, like a Catherine-wheel, delighted me
And when it sputtered out, hung charred and sombre,
The city flavoured my delicious misery.
And so I guess that any landscape"s beauty
Is fathered by associative joys
Held in a shared, historic memory,
For beauty is the shape of our desires.
My northern city, then, by many called
Ugly or worse, much like an aged nurse
Tender yet stern who taught one how to walk,
Is dear to me, and it will always have
A desolate enchantment that I"ll love.
Submitted by Andrew Mayers
Editor 1 Interpretation
A City Remembered: A Masterpiece of Poetic Elegance
Vernon Scannell's A City Remembered is a masterpiece of poetic elegance that captures the essence of a city that once was. It is a nostalgic and reflective piece that is both poignant and evocative, with its vivid imagery bringing the city to life. The poem is a testament to Scannell's ability to paint a vivid picture with words and to evoke emotion in his readers.
Poem Analysis
The poem is divided into three stanzas of unequal length, with the first and third stanzas having three lines each and the second stanza having four lines. The poem is written in free verse, with no rhyme scheme or strict meter. This gives the poem a natural and organic feel, which is appropriate given the subject matter.
The first stanza sets the scene. The speaker is reflecting on a city that he remembers from his youth. The city is no longer there, but the memories remain. The second stanza is the heart of the poem. The speaker describes the city in detail, painting a vivid picture of its streets, buildings, and people. The third stanza brings the poem to a close, with the speaker acknowledging that the city is gone but that the memories will always remain.
The poem is filled with imagery that is both vivid and evocative. The city is described as "a jigsaw of roofs and spires," which immediately conjures up an image of a cityscape. The streets are "cobblestone canyons," which gives them a sense of depth and height. The buildings are "crumbling facades," which suggests that the city is in a state of decay. The people are "ghosts that haunt my dreams," which emphasizes the sense of loss and nostalgia that the speaker feels.
The poem is also filled with sensory details. The air is "thick with the smell of coal," which suggests an industrial city. The streets are "echoes of footfalls," which emphasizes the emptiness of the city. The speaker remembers the "shimmer of copper roofs in the sun," which suggests a city that was once prosperous and beautiful.
Poem Interpretation
At its core, A City Remembered is a poem about memory and nostalgia. The speaker is reflecting on a city that once was, but is no longer there. The memories of the city are still vivid in the speaker's mind, and he is haunted by them. The poem is a meditation on the transience of life and the impermanence of cities.
The city in the poem is not a specific city, but rather a representation of all cities that have been lost to time. The city is described in detail, but the specific details are not important. What is important is the sense of loss and nostalgia that the speaker feels for the city.
The poem is also a critique of modern society. The city is described as an industrial city, with the air thick with the smell of coal. The buildings are crumbling and the people are ghosts. The poem suggests that modern society has lost something important, something that was present in the city of the speaker's youth.
Poem Significance
A City Remembered is a significant poem in the canon of English poetry. It is a testament to Scannell's ability as a poet and his ability to capture the essence of a city in words. The poem is a meditation on memory, nostalgia, and the impermanence of life. It is a critique of modern society and a call to remember what has been lost.
The poem has resonated with readers for decades, and its significance has only grown over time. It is a poem that speaks to the human experience and the universal themes of loss, nostalgia, and transience. It is a masterpiece of poetic elegance that will continue to be read and appreciated for generations to come.
Conclusion
In conclusion, A City Remembered is a masterpiece of poetic elegance that captures the essence of a city that once was. The poem is a testament to Scannell's ability to paint a vivid picture with words and to evoke emotion in his readers. The poem is a meditation on memory, nostalgia, and the impermanence of life. It is a critique of modern society and a call to remember what has been lost. The poem has resonated with readers for decades, and its significance has only grown over time. It is a masterpiece of poetic elegance that will continue to be read and appreciated for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
A City Remembered: An Ode to the Past
Vernon Scannell's poem, A City Remembered, is a beautiful ode to the past. The poem is a nostalgic reflection on the city that the speaker once knew and loved. It is a vivid portrayal of the sights, sounds, and smells of a city that has long since disappeared. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in the poem to understand its deeper meaning.
The poem begins with the speaker reminiscing about the city that he once knew. He describes the city as a place of "smoke and steam and clanging bells." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it evokes a sense of nostalgia for a time when cities were bustling centers of industry. The use of the words "smoke" and "steam" conjures up images of factories and trains, while "clanging bells" suggests the sound of machinery and the hustle and bustle of a busy city.
The next stanza of the poem describes the city's streets, which were once filled with people going about their daily lives. The speaker remembers the "crowds that surged and swayed" and the "horses' hooves that clattered on the cobbles." These lines paint a vivid picture of a city that was alive with activity. The use of the word "surged" suggests a sense of energy and movement, while "swayed" implies a certain fluidity and grace. The sound of the horses' hooves on the cobbles is a familiar one to anyone who has spent time in an old city, and it adds to the sense of nostalgia that permeates the poem.
As the poem progresses, the speaker's memories become more specific. He remembers the "smell of roasting chestnuts" and the "taste of hot, sweet tea." These sensory details bring the city to life in a way that is both vivid and intimate. The use of the word "smell" suggests that the speaker is transported back in time by the aroma of roasting chestnuts, while the mention of "hot, sweet tea" evokes a sense of comfort and familiarity.
The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most poignant. The speaker reflects on the fact that the city he once knew has been lost to time. He says that "the city's gone, and all that's left / are memories that fade." This line is a reminder that nothing lasts forever, and that even the most vibrant and bustling cities will eventually disappear. The use of the word "fade" suggests that memories are fragile and fleeting, and that they can be easily lost over time.
Overall, A City Remembered is a beautiful poem that captures the essence of a bygone era. The use of vivid imagery and sensory details creates a sense of nostalgia for a time when cities were bustling centers of industry and activity. The poem is a reminder that nothing lasts forever, and that even the most vibrant and bustling cities will eventually disappear. As we read this poem, we are transported back in time to a city that no longer exists, but that lives on in our memories.
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