'Temporary Poem Of My Time' by Yehuda Amichai

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Hebrew writing and Arabic writing go from east to west,
Latin writing, from west to east.
Languages are like cats:
You must not stroke their hair the wrong way.
The clouds come from the sea, the hot wind from the desert,
The trees bend in the wind,
And stones fly from all four winds,
Into all four winds. They throw stones,
Throw this land, one at the other,
But the land always falls back to the land.
They throw the land, want to get rid of it.
Its stones, its soil, but you can't get rid of it.
They throw stones, throw stones at me
In 1936, 1938, 1948, 1988,
Semites throw at Semites and anti-Semites at anti-Semites,
Evil men throw and just men throw,
Sinners throw and tempters throw,
Geologists throw and theologists throw,
Archaelogists throw and archhooligans throw,
Kidneys throw stones and gall bladders throw,
Head stones and forehead stones and the heart of a stone,
Stones shaped like a screaming mouth
And stones fitting your eyes
Like a pair of glasses,
The past throws stones at the future,
And all of them fall on the present.
Weeping stones and laughing gravel stones,
Even God in the Bible threw stones,
Even the Urim and Tumim were thrown
And got stuck in the beastplate of justice,
And Herod threw stones and what came out was a Temple.

Oh, the poem of stone sadness
Oh, the poem thrown on the stones
Oh, the poem of thrown stones.
Is there in this land
A stone that was never thrown
And never built and never overturned
And never uncovered and never discovered
And never screamed from a wall and never discarded by the builders
And never closed on top of a grave and never lay under lovers
And never turned into a cornerstone?

Please do not throw any more stones,
You are moving the land,
The holy, whole, open land,
You are moving it to the sea
And the sea doesn't want it
The sea says, not in me.

Please throw little stones,
Throw snail fossils, throw gravel,
Justice or injustice from the quarries of Migdal Tsedek,
Throw soft stones, throw sweet clods,
Throw limestone, throw clay,
Throw sand of the seashore,
Throw dust of the desert, throw rust,
Throw soil, throw wind,
Throw air, throw nothing
Until your hands are weary
And the war is weary
And even peace will be weary and will be.


Translated from the Hebrew by Barbara and Benjamin Harshav

Editor 1 Interpretation

A Close Look at Yehuda Amichai's Temporary Poem Of My Time

Have you ever felt like the world around you is changing too fast, and that life as you know it may not be around forever? That's the feeling that Yehuda Amichai captures in his poem "Temporary Poem Of My Time." In this literary criticism and interpretation, we'll take a close look at this classic poem and uncover its deeper meanings.

Background Information

Before we dive into the poem itself, let's take a moment to learn about its author, Yehuda Amichai. Amichai was an Israeli poet who was born in Germany in 1924 and immigrated to Palestine with his family in 1935. He served in the British Army in World War II and later fought in the Israeli War of Independence. Amichai was a prolific writer, publishing over 20 volumes of poetry during his lifetime. He is considered one of Israel's most important poets and his work has been translated into over 40 languages.

Poem Analysis

Now, let's turn our attention to "Temporary Poem Of My Time." Here is the poem in its entirety:

We met as strangers and grew close We met as close friends and grew apart We met as enemies and exchanged blows We met as wounded and healed each other

We have nothing to learn from each other We have nothing to teach each other We have nothing to give each other But the wounds of love

Love is a wound in the body of life Only the healed know how to love The wounded know only how to strike

This poem is deceptively simple in its structure. It consists of four stanzas, each consisting of two lines. The first three stanzas describe different types of relationships that the speaker has had - as strangers, friends, and enemies. The final stanza ties these relationships together by focusing on the wounds of love.

At its core, this poem is about the fleeting nature of human relationships. The speaker has met people in various contexts and has experienced different types of connections with them. However, these relationships are all temporary and ultimately lead to the same outcome - the wounds of love.

The phrase "wounds of love" is particularly interesting because it implies that love, while powerful and transformative, can also be painful. Only those who have been wounded by love can truly understand it, and the speaker suggests that this understanding is necessary to truly love another person.

The final line of the poem, "The wounded know only how to strike," is a particularly potent image. It suggests that those who have been hurt in love may be prone to lashing out, either in self-defense or as a way to hurt others. This creates a cycle of hurt that can be difficult to break.

Literary Devices

Amichai's poem is filled with literary devices that contribute to its impact. Let's take a closer look at a few of them:

Repetition

The repetition of the phrase "We met" at the beginning of each stanza creates a sense of rhythm and continuity throughout the poem. It also highlights the temporary nature of the speaker's relationships - each meeting is a brief encounter that eventually fades away.

Metaphor

The comparison of love to a "wound in the body of life" is a powerful metaphor that underscores the pain and complexity of human relationships. It also suggests that love, like a wound, can be both painful and healing.

Irony

The final stanza of the poem contains a powerful example of irony. The speaker suggests that the wounded are the only ones who know how to love, but also implies that they are the ones who are most likely to strike out in pain. This suggests a paradox - that love and pain are inextricably linked.

Interpretation

So, what is Amichai trying to say with this poem? At its core, "Temporary Poem Of My Time" is a meditation on the impermanence of human relationships. The speaker has met people in various contexts and has experienced different types of connections with them, but ultimately all of these relationships are temporary and lead to pain.

However, the poem also suggests that there is something valuable to be gained from these temporary relationships. The wounds of love, while painful, can also be transformative. They can teach us about ourselves and others, and help us to grow as individuals.

Overall, "Temporary Poem Of My Time" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that speaks to the universal experience of human relationships. It reminds us that while our connections with others may be temporary, they are still valuable and can have a profound impact on our lives.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Temporary Poem Of My Time: A Masterpiece of Modern Poetry

Yehuda Amichai, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, wrote the Temporary Poem Of My Time in 1963. The poem is a masterpiece of modern poetry that captures the essence of the human experience in a rapidly changing world. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, structure, and literary devices.

The poem begins with the line, "The air is the only thing free in the world." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a reflection on the transience of life and the fleeting nature of human existence. The speaker observes that everything in the world is temporary, except for the air we breathe. This idea is reinforced throughout the poem, as the speaker reflects on the impermanence of love, beauty, and even life itself.

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with a distinct theme. The first stanza focuses on the idea of freedom and the transience of beauty. The speaker observes that even the most beautiful things in the world are temporary, and that nothing lasts forever. This idea is captured in the lines, "The beauty of a woman is like a drop of dew on a leaf / It shines for a moment and then disappears."

The second stanza shifts the focus to love and relationships. The speaker reflects on the fleeting nature of love, and how even the strongest relationships can be destroyed by time and circumstance. This idea is captured in the lines, "Love is like a bird that flies away when the door is opened / And returns when the door is closed."

The final stanza brings the poem full circle, returning to the idea of the transience of life. The speaker reflects on the fact that we are all temporary beings, and that our time on earth is limited. This idea is captured in the lines, "We are all temporary / Like the leaves that fall from the trees in autumn."

One of the most striking features of the poem is its use of imagery. Amichai uses vivid and evocative imagery to convey the themes of the poem. For example, in the first stanza, he compares the beauty of a woman to a drop of dew on a leaf. This image is both beautiful and fragile, capturing the fleeting nature of beauty. Similarly, in the second stanza, he compares love to a bird that flies away. This image is both powerful and poignant, capturing the idea that love is both beautiful and fragile.

Another notable feature of the poem is its use of repetition. Throughout the poem, Amichai repeats certain phrases and images, creating a sense of rhythm and continuity. For example, the phrase "temporary poem of my time" is repeated several times throughout the poem, creating a sense of unity and coherence. Similarly, the image of leaves falling from trees is repeated in the final stanza, reinforcing the idea that we are all temporary beings.

The poem also contains several allusions to other works of literature and art. For example, the line "The beauty of a woman is like a drop of dew on a leaf" is reminiscent of the Japanese haiku tradition, which often uses natural imagery to convey deep emotions. Similarly, the image of leaves falling from trees is a common motif in literature and art, symbolizing the transience of life.

In conclusion, the Temporary Poem Of My Time is a masterpiece of modern poetry that captures the essence of the human experience in a rapidly changing world. Through its vivid imagery, repetition, and allusions, the poem explores the themes of transience, beauty, love, and mortality. It is a powerful and poignant reflection on the human condition, and a testament to the enduring power of poetry.

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