'Home After Three Months Away' by Robert Lowell
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Gone now the baby's nurse,
a lioness who ruled the roost
and made the Mother cry.
She used to tie
gobbets of porkrind to bowknots of gauze—
three months they hung like soggy toast
on our eight foot magnolia tree,
and helped the English sparrows
weather a Boston winter.
Three months, three months!
Is Richard now himself again?
Dimpled with exaltation,
my daughter holds her levee in the tub.
Our noses rub,
each of us pats a stringy lock of hair—
they tell me nothing's gone.
Though I am forty-one,
not fourty now, the time I put away
was child's play. After thirteen weeks
my child still dabs her cheeks
to start me shaving. When
we dress her in her sky-blue corduroy,
she changes to a boy,
and floats my shaving brush
and washcloth in the flush...
Dearest I cannot loiter here
in lather like a polar bear.
Recuperating, I neither spin nor toil.
Three stories down below,
a choreman tends our coffin length of soil,
and seven horizontal tulips blow.
Just twelve months ago,
these flowers were pedigreed
imported Dutchmen, now no one need
distunguish them from weed.
Bushed by the late spring snow,
they cannot meet
another year's snowballing enervation.
I keep no rank nor station.
Cured, I am frizzled, stale and small."
Submitted by Peter Carter
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Homecoming of the Soul: An Exploration of Robert Lowell's "Home After Three Months Away"
As I sit down to write about Robert Lowell's "Home After Three Months Away," my heart races with the excitement of delving into the intricate workings of this classic poem. With its vivid imagery, raw emotions, and haunting themes, this poem has always held a special place in my heart. And now, as I embark on this journey of literary criticism and interpretation, I feel a sense of anticipation that's almost palpable. So, without further ado, let's begin.
Context and Background
"Home After Three Months Away" was first published in Lowell's book, "Life Studies," in 1959. This collection of poems marked a turning point in Lowell's career, as he moved away from the formal style of his earlier works and embraced a more personal, confessional approach to poetry. "Life Studies" is widely regarded as one of the most important poetry collections of the 20th century, and "Home After Three Months Away" is one of its standout poems.
The poem is autobiographical, and its central theme is Lowell's return home after spending three months in a mental institution. Lowell had struggled with mental illness for most of his life, and this experience had a profound impact on his poetry. "Home After Three Months Away" is a powerful reflection on the nature of sanity, madness, and the human condition.
Structure and Form
The poem is structured as a series of six stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is irregular, with some stanzas following an ABAB pattern, while others have a more complex rhyme scheme. The poem doesn't follow a strict meter, but there's a musical quality to the language that gives it a rhythmic flow.
The first stanza sets the tone for the poem, with the narrator describing his arrival home after a long absence. The imagery is vivid and sensory, with the narrator describing the sights, sounds, and smells of his surroundings. The second stanza introduces the theme of madness, with the narrator reflecting on the "madhouse joy" he felt during his time in the mental institution. The third stanza further explores this theme, with the narrator describing the "madness" of the world outside the institution.
The fourth stanza is a turning point in the poem, as the narrator reflects on the nature of sanity and madness. He asks, "What's madness but nobility of soul / At odds with circumstance?" This question is central to the poem's theme, as it suggests that madness is not a condition that can be easily defined or understood. The fifth stanza further explores this theme, with the narrator describing how the "madness" of the world outside the institution is just as real as the madness he experienced inside.
The final stanza brings the poem full circle, as the narrator describes his return to his old life. The imagery is once again vivid and sensory, with the narrator describing the familiar sights and sounds of his home. But there's a sense of melancholy in the final lines, as the narrator reflects on the fleeting nature of happiness.
Themes and Interpretations
"Home After Three Months Away" is a deeply introspective poem that explores a number of themes related to mental illness, sanity, and the human condition. At its core, the poem is a meditation on the nature of madness and the ways in which it shapes our perceptions of the world.
One of the most striking themes of the poem is the idea that madness is not a condition that can be easily defined or understood. Throughout the poem, the narrator reflects on the ways in which his experiences in the mental institution have changed his perspective on the world. He describes the "madhouse joy" he felt during his time in the institution, suggesting that there's a certain nobility in madness that's at odds with the circumstances of our daily lives.
This idea is further explored in the fourth stanza, where the narrator asks, "What's madness but nobility of soul / At odds with circumstance?" This question suggests that madness is not simply a condition of the mind, but a state of being that's fundamentally at odds with the world around us. Madness, in this sense, is a kind of rebellion against the constraints of everyday life.
But the poem doesn't simply romanticize madness. Rather, it suggests that the madness of the world outside the institution is just as real as the madness inside. The fifth stanza describes the "madness" of the world outside, with its "empty suits of armor," "broken swords," and "tarnished crowns." This imagery suggests that the world outside the institution is just as chaotic and irrational as the world inside.
Ultimately, the poem is a meditation on the fragility of happiness and the transience of human experience. In the final stanza, the narrator describes his return home, with its familiar sights and sounds. But there's a sense of melancholy in these lines, as the narrator reflects on the fleeting nature of happiness. The final lines of the poem are some of its most powerful, as the narrator suggests that happiness is something that's always just out of reach: "Love, we are in God's hand. / How strange now, in this rough / Carving of a man, / So hard to bear the light."
Conclusion
As I come to the end of my exploration of Robert Lowell's "Home After Three Months Away," I'm struck by the power and beauty of this classic poem. With its vivid imagery, raw emotions, and haunting themes, this poem has the ability to move us in ways that few others can. It's a meditation on the nature of sanity, madness, and the human condition, and it's a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexities of our inner lives. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have delved into this poem, and I'm left with a sense of awe at the power of Lowell's words to touch our souls.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Home After Three Months Away: A Poem of Longing and Reconciliation
Robert Lowell's "Home After Three Months Away" is a powerful and moving poem that explores themes of longing, loss, and reconciliation. Written in 1961, the poem reflects Lowell's own experiences of returning home after a long absence, and his struggle to come to terms with the changes that have occurred in his absence.
The poem is structured in three parts, each of which explores a different aspect of Lowell's experience. In the first part, Lowell describes his journey home, and the sense of anticipation and excitement that he feels as he approaches his destination. He describes the landscape around him in vivid detail, using rich imagery to convey the beauty and majesty of the natural world. The poem is full of sensory details, such as the "smell of hay" and the "sound of crickets," which help to create a vivid and immersive picture of the world that Lowell is experiencing.
As Lowell approaches his home, however, he begins to feel a sense of unease. He describes the "familiar house" as "strange," and notes that "the rooms have changed." This sense of dislocation and alienation is a recurring theme throughout the poem, as Lowell struggles to come to terms with the changes that have occurred in his absence. He describes the "new books" and "new friends" that he encounters, and notes that "the old books are gone." This sense of loss and displacement is a powerful and poignant theme that runs throughout the poem, and reflects Lowell's own experiences of returning home after a long absence.
In the second part of the poem, Lowell explores the theme of reconciliation. He describes his reunion with his family, and the sense of joy and relief that he feels at being reunited with his loved ones. He notes that "my mother has grown old," and describes the changes that he sees in his family members. Despite these changes, however, Lowell is able to find a sense of connection and continuity with his family, and notes that "we talk of the past and the future." This sense of continuity and connection is a powerful theme that runs throughout the poem, and reflects Lowell's own experiences of reconciling with his family after a long absence.
In the final part of the poem, Lowell reflects on the broader themes of his experience. He notes that "the world is still one," and describes the sense of unity and interconnectedness that he feels with the natural world. He also reflects on the theme of time, noting that "time has changed" and that "the past is consumed in the present." This sense of the fluidity of time is a powerful and poignant theme that runs throughout the poem, and reflects Lowell's own experiences of returning home after a long absence.
Overall, "Home After Three Months Away" is a powerful and moving poem that explores themes of longing, loss, and reconciliation. Through his use of rich imagery and vivid sensory details, Lowell is able to create a vivid and immersive picture of his experience, and to convey the complex emotions that he feels as he returns home after a long absence. The poem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexities of human experience, and to help us to make sense of the world around us.
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