'(End) of Summer (1966)' by Bill Knott
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I'm tired of murdering children.
Once, long ago today, they wanted to live;
now I feel Vietnam the place
where rigor mortis is beginning to set-in upon me.
I force silence down the throats of mutes,
down the throats of mating-cries of animals who know they are extinct.
The chameleon's death-soliloquy is your voice's pulse;
your scorched forehead a constellation's suicide-note.
A phonograph needle plunges through long black hair,
and stone drips slowly into our veins.
The earth has been squandered by the meek.
And upsidedown in the earth a dead man walks upon my soles when I walk
A baby is crying.
In the swaddling-pages
a baby.
'Don't cry. No Solomori's-sword can
divide you from the sky.
You are one. Fly.'
I'm tired, so tired.
I have sleep to do.
I have work to dream.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Wistful Melancholy of (End) of Summer by Bill Knott
Oh, how bittersweet it is to bid farewell to summer! The warm sun, the green foliage, the lazy days at the beach – all fading away into memory. But what if we could capture that sense of longing and nostalgia in poetry? Bill Knott attempted just that in his hauntingly beautiful poem, (End) of Summer.
The Poet's Artistry
Knott's craftsmanship is evident from the very first stanza:
It was like a summer you'd expect From a painting: the sky A perfect ultramarine, and the trees All languorous dark greens.
In just a few lines, he sets the scene with vivid imagery and a hint of dreaminess. The summer he describes is not a realistic reproduction, but an idealized version, like a painting that captures the essence of a season. The color "ultramarine" is not a common sight in the sky, but it conveys a sense of depth and richness. The trees are not merely green, but "languorous dark greens," suggesting a lushness that is almost sensual.
The following stanza introduces a note of unease:
It was like a summer you'd expect From a dream: the heat A dense hallucination, and the flowers All strange and unbearably sweet.
Here, the summer is no longer idyllic, but surreal. The heat is not just uncomfortable, but a "dense hallucination," as if the world is melting away. The flowers are not familiar, but "strange and unbearably sweet," hinting at a danger or strangeness lurking beneath the surface of beauty.
The Poet's Voice
The speaker in the poem is not a detached observer, but a participant in the summer:
And yet, when you lived it, It seemed nothing out of the ordinary.
The poem is written in second person point of view, addressing the reader directly as if to say, "Don't you remember that summer? Didn't you feel what I felt?" The speaker is not a poet proclaiming his own genius, but a fellow human being sharing a common experience.
However, the speaker is not content with nostalgia alone. He wants to convey a sense of urgency, a warning:
You knew, even then, that it wouldn't last, That something terrible was about to happen.
The poem is not just a celebration of summer, but a lament for its passing and a premonition of what is to come. The speaker is like a prophet warning of impending doom, but his voice is not strident or preachy, but elegiac and melancholic.
The Poet's Themes
The poem touches upon several themes that are common in literature and art: the transience of beauty, the inevitability of change, the fragility of life. However, Knott infuses these themes with his own unique perspective and voice.
One recurring motif is the idea of the summer as a painting or a dream, something that is not quite real or tangible, but still powerful and evocative. The speaker seems to be struggling to hold onto that elusive feeling, to capture it in words before it fades away completely.
Another motif is the contrast between beauty and danger, or between the ideal and the real. The summer is not just a time of leisure and pleasure, but a time of foreboding, as if the speaker knows that something bad is about to happen. This adds a layer of tension and complexity to the poem, elevating it beyond a mere celebration of summer.
The Poet's Legacy
Bill Knott was a prolific and influential poet who passed away in 2014. He was known for his unconventional style, his wit, and his willingness to challenge conventions. He was also known for his generosity and his support of fellow poets.
(End) of Summer is a prime example of Knott's artistry and vision. It is a poem that captures the fleeting beauty of a season, but also its underlying melancholy and unease. It is a poem that speaks to the human condition, to our longing for something that is always just out of reach.
As the summer draws to a close and the leaves begin to fall, we can take comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our feelings of wistful nostalgia. We have poets like Bill Knott to remind us of the beauty and the pain of being alive.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
End of Summer (1966) by Bill Knott is a classic poem that captures the essence of the changing seasons and the fleeting nature of time. The poem is a beautiful reflection on the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, and it is filled with vivid imagery and powerful emotions that evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing.
The poem begins with a description of the end of summer, with the leaves turning brown and falling from the trees. The speaker describes the scene as a "slow-motion explosion," as the leaves fall to the ground and cover the earth in a blanket of brown and gold. This image is both beautiful and melancholic, as it represents the end of a season and the beginning of a new one.
As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the passing of time and the inevitability of change. He describes the leaves as "fugitives from the tree," suggesting that they are running away from their fate and trying to escape the inevitable. This image is a powerful metaphor for the human experience, as we all try to hold on to the things we love and resist the changes that come with time.
The poem then takes a more personal turn, as the speaker reflects on his own life and the passing of time. He describes himself as a "fugitive from the past," suggesting that he too is trying to escape the inevitable and hold on to the memories of his youth. This image is both poignant and relatable, as we all struggle to come to terms with the passing of time and the changes that come with it.
The poem then takes a more philosophical turn, as the speaker reflects on the nature of time and the meaning of life. He suggests that time is a "thief" that steals away our memories and our youth, and that life is ultimately a fleeting and transient experience. This image is both powerful and thought-provoking, as it forces us to confront our own mortality and the impermanence of all things.
The poem then ends with a beautiful and poignant image, as the speaker describes the leaves as "ghosts of themselves." This image suggests that the leaves are no longer alive, but are instead a shadow of their former selves. This image is a powerful metaphor for the human experience, as we too are haunted by the ghosts of our past and the memories of our youth.
Overall, End of Summer (1966) by Bill Knott is a beautiful and powerful poem that captures the essence of the changing seasons and the fleeting nature of time. The poem is filled with vivid imagery and powerful emotions that evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing, and it forces us to confront our own mortality and the impermanence of all things. This poem is a timeless classic that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.
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