'The Ruins Of Time' by Robert Lowell
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Buscas en Roma a Roma, (!)O peregrino!)
I
I saw the musty shingles of my house,
raw wood and fixed once, now a wash of moss
eroded by the ruin of age
furning all fair and green things into waste.
I climbed the pasture. I saw the dim sun drink
the ice just thawing from the boldered fallow,
woods crowd the foothills, sieze last summer's field,
and higher up, the sickly cattle bellow.
I went into my house. I saw how dust
and ravel had devoured its furnishing;
even my cane was withered and more bent,
even my sword was coffined up in rust—
there was no hilt left for the hand to try.
Everything ached, and told me I must die.
II
You search in Rome for Rome? O Traveller!
in Rome itself, there is no room for Rome,
the Aventine is its own mound and tomb,
only a corpse recieves the worshipper.
And where the Capitol once crowned the forum,
are medals ruined by the hands of time;
they show how more was lost by chance and time
the Hannibal or Ceasar could consume.
The Tiber flows still, but its waste laments
a city that has fallen in its grave—
each wave's a woman beating at her breast.
O Rome! Form all you palms, dominion, bronze
and beauty, what was firm has fled. What once
was fugitive maintains its permenance.
Submitted by Peter Carter
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Ruins of Time by Robert Lowell: A Critical Analysis
The Ruins of Time is a poem by Robert Lowell, an American poet, and one of the leading figures of the Confessional Poetry movement. The poem is a meditation on the theme of time and its inevitable effects on human beings, their works, and their legacies. In this 4000-word literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore the poem's themes, imagery, structure, and language, and offer a detailed analysis of the poem's meaning and significance.
The Poem's Themes
The Ruins of Time is a poem that deals with several themes, all centered around the idea of time and its effects. One of the primary themes of the poem is the transience of human life and the ultimate futility of all human endeavors. The poem begins with the speaker contemplating the ruins of an ancient civilization, a reminder that even the greatest works of human beings are doomed to destruction and oblivion.
All that tread,
The globe are but a handful to the tribes
That slumber in its bosom.
The vastness of time and the insignificance of human life in the face of eternity is a recurring theme throughout the poem. The speaker laments the fact that all human achievements, no matter how great, will eventually be forgotten and swallowed up by the relentless march of time.
And we, who now make merry in the Room
They left, and Summer dresses in new bloom,
Ourselves must we beneath the Couch of Earth
Descend, ourselves to make a Couch—for whom?
Another theme explored in the poem is the inevitability of death and the way it casts a shadow over all human activity. The speaker draws a parallel between the ruins of an ancient civilization and the eventual fate of all human beings. The poem suggests that, just as the ruins are a testament to the fleeting nature of human life, so too are our lives a testament to the fleeting nature of time.
They perish'd—yea, they all are gone,
They are dust and earth, and none,
No not the slightest word remain
To tell who they were, why they came.
The Poem's Imagery
The Ruins of Time is a poem that makes use of vivid and striking imagery to convey its themes. The ruins of an ancient civilization are the central image of the poem, a symbol of the fleeting nature of human life and the inevitability of decay and destruction. The speaker describes the ruins in detail, highlighting their grandeur and beauty, but also their fragility and vulnerability.
The broken arches are black in night,
And strewn with stars on stars,
Each crossing beam has caught the light,
And turned it back in sparks.
The image of the ruins is also a metaphor for the speaker's own sense of mortality and the way that time erodes all human achievements. The poem suggests that, just as the ruins are a testament to the fleeting nature of human life, so too are our lives a testament to the fleeting nature of time.
The Poem's Structure
The Ruins of Time is a poem that consists of six stanzas, each with a unique rhyme scheme and meter. The first five stanzas are each comprised of six lines, while the final stanza is comprised of four lines. The poem's structure is highly structured and formal, with a strict adherence to rhyme and meter.
The poem's use of rhyme and meter serves to reinforce its themes of order and structure, as well as the inevitability of time and the way it shapes and structures human life. The poem's formal structure also serves to highlight the beauty and grandeur of the ruins, as well as the speaker's sense of awe and reverence in the face of their majesty.
The Poem's Language
The language of The Ruins of Time is highly formal and elevated, with a focus on archaic language and syntax. The poem makes use of a range of literary devices, including metaphor, imagery, and personification, to convey its themes and ideas.
One of the most striking features of the poem is its use of repetition, both of words and phrases. This repetition serves to reinforce the poem's themes of transience and inevitability, as well as to create a sense of rhythm and momentum that propels the reader forward.
Conclusion
The Ruins of Time is a poem that explores the theme of time and its effects on human life and human achievements. Through the use of vivid imagery, formal structure, and elevated language, the poem conveys a sense of awe and reverence in the face of the transience of human existence. The poem's themes of mortality, impermanence, and decay are universal, and its message remains as relevant today as it did when it was first written. The Ruins of Time is a masterpiece of English literature, and a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the essence of the human experience.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Ruins of Time: A Masterpiece of Robert Lowell
Robert Lowell, one of the most prominent poets of the 20th century, is known for his confessional style of writing. His poems are often autobiographical and explore themes of love, loss, and mental illness. In his poem, The Ruins of Time, Lowell takes a different approach and delves into the concept of time and its effects on human life.
The poem is divided into three parts, each exploring a different aspect of time. The first part, titled "The Ruins of Time," describes the physical decay of ancient ruins and how they serve as a reminder of the passage of time. Lowell writes, "The ruins of time build mansions in eternity." This line suggests that even though physical structures may crumble and decay, their memory lives on forever.
The second part of the poem, titled "The Ruins of the Heart," explores the emotional toll that time can take on a person. Lowell writes, "The ruins of the heart are more painful than the ruins of the city." This line suggests that emotional pain can be more enduring than physical pain. The heart is a symbol of love and emotion, and the ruins of the heart represent the loss and pain that come with the passage of time.
The final part of the poem, titled "The Ruins of the Mind," explores the mental toll that time can take on a person. Lowell writes, "The ruins of the mind are more terrible than the ruins of the city." This line suggests that mental illness and deterioration can be more devastating than physical decay. The mind is a symbol of intellect and reason, and the ruins of the mind represent the loss of these faculties.
Throughout the poem, Lowell uses vivid imagery to convey the effects of time. He describes the ruins of ancient cities, the decay of physical structures, and the emotional and mental toll that time can take on a person. The poem is a powerful meditation on the transience of life and the enduring nature of memory.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is its use of repetition. The phrase "the ruins of" is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the theme of decay and loss. The repetition also creates a sense of rhythm and structure, giving the poem a musical quality.
Another notable aspect of the poem is its use of metaphor. Lowell compares the physical ruins of ancient cities to the emotional and mental ruins that time can cause. This comparison creates a sense of unity and continuity between different aspects of human experience.
The Ruins of Time is a masterpiece of modern poetry. It explores the universal theme of time and its effects on human life in a powerful and evocative way. Lowell's use of vivid imagery, repetition, and metaphor creates a sense of unity and continuity that makes the poem both timeless and relevant.
In conclusion, The Ruins of Time is a powerful meditation on the transience of life and the enduring nature of memory. Lowell's use of vivid imagery, repetition, and metaphor creates a sense of unity and continuity that makes the poem both timeless and relevant. The poem is a masterpiece of modern poetry and a testament to Lowell's skill as a writer.
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