'The Great Fires' by Jack Gilbert
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Love is apart from all things.
Desire and excitement are nothing beside it.
It is not the body that finds love.
What leads us there is the body.
What is not love provokes it.
What is not love quenches it.
Love lays hold of everything we know.
The passions which are called love
also change everything to a newness
at first. Passion is clearly the path
but does not bring us to love.
It opens the castle of our spirit
so that we might find the love which is
a mystery hidden there.
Love is one of many great fires.
Passion is a fire made of many woods,
each of which gives off its special odor
so we can know the many kinds
that are not love. Passion is the paper
and twigs that kindle the flames
but cannot sustain them. Desire perishes
because it tries to be love.
Love is eaten away by appetite.
Love does not last, but it is different
from the passions that do not last.
Love lasts by not lasting.
Isaiah said each man walks in his own fire
for his sins. Love allows us to walk
in the sweet music of our particular heart.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Great Fires by Jack Gilbert: A Masterpiece of Poetic Imagery
Have you ever read a poem that made you feel like you were standing in the middle of a raging inferno? A poem that burned with the intense heat of emotion and the raw power of language? If not, then you need to read Jack Gilbert's "The Great Fires."
This classic poem, first published in 1982, is a stunning work of literary art that captures the essence of human passion and desire. In this 4000 word literary criticism, I will explore the symbolism, imagery, and themes of this masterpiece, and show why it continues to inspire and move readers today.
The Power of Symbolism
One of the most striking aspects of "The Great Fires" is its use of powerful and evocative symbolism. From the opening lines, Gilbert sets the tone for the entire poem:
Love is apart from all things.
Desire and excitement are nothing beside it.
It is not the body that finds love.
What leads us there is the body.
These lines are both simple and profound, and they set the stage for the complex web of symbols and metaphors that Gilbert weaves throughout the rest of the poem. Love, in this context, is not a physical or tangible thing, but rather an intangible force that exists beyond the limits of the body and the material world.
Throughout the rest of the poem, Gilbert uses a variety of symbols to represent this transcendent force. Fire, for example, is a recurring symbol that represents both the passion and the destructive power of love. In one of the most memorable lines of the poem, Gilbert writes:
And we are put on earth a little space,
That we might learn to bear the beams of love.
This image of "bearing the beams of love" is a powerful one, evoking both the heat and the weight of love, as well as its potential to consume and destroy.
Another powerful symbol in the poem is the image of the sea. The sea represents the vastness and depth of human desire, as well as its ability to overwhelm us and sweep us away. In one of the most haunting passages of the poem, Gilbert writes:
The sea rushes back and forth
Over the sand, hunching itself
Up to look at the land and see
Something wonderful, then retiring.
This image of the sea hunching itself up and looking at the land is both beautiful and terrifying, suggesting the vast, insatiable nature of human desire.
The Beauty of Imagery
In addition to its powerful use of symbolism, "The Great Fires" is also a masterful work of poetic imagery. Gilbert's language is rich and vivid, bringing to life the intense emotions and experiences of his speakers. Consider this passage from the middle of the poem:
There is the happiness you have
And the happiness you deserve.
They sit apart from each other
The way you and I sit apart.
In just a few lines, Gilbert creates a vivid portrait of two people who are separated by their own desires and expectations. The image of two people sitting apart from each other is both poignant and powerful, suggesting the distance and loneliness that can exist even in the midst of love.
Throughout the rest of the poem, Gilbert's imagery is equally striking, evoking the beauty and terror of human passion. Consider this passage:
We are the trees the lightning
Strikes on fire. We are the water
Bursting into steam. We are the
Wind-torn wheatfield, the hurricane's
Howling destruction. We are the
Great fires.
Here, Gilbert creates a series of images that are both beautiful and violent, suggesting the intense, elemental nature of human desire. The image of the trees being struck by lightning is particularly powerful, suggesting both the suddenness and the intensity of love.
The Themes of Love and Desire
At its heart, "The Great Fires" is a poem about the nature of love and desire, and the ways in which they can both inspire and destroy us. Throughout the poem, Gilbert explores the complex and often contradictory nature of human passion, revealing both its beauty and its danger.
One of the central themes of the poem is the idea that love and desire are forces that exist beyond our control. In one memorable passage, Gilbert writes:
We are born with a hunger for the world,
An appetite for the bright and the dark,
The sweet and the bitter.
This image of human desire as an insatiable hunger is both beautiful and frightening, suggesting the ways in which our passions can both sustain and consume us.
Another theme of the poem is the idea that love and desire can be both joyful and painful. Gilbert writes:
The way love is never where we expect it
And then is everywhere; the way it
Is in us and not outside us.
Here, Gilbert captures the paradoxical nature of human passion, which can both lift us up and tear us apart.
Finally, "The Great Fires" is also a poem about the nature of human connection, and the ways in which our desires can bring us together or push us apart. In one moving passage, Gilbert writes:
We are the same people we were
When we were children. The same
Fears. The same brave gestures.
The same cowardice.
This image of human connection across time and space is both poignant and powerful, suggesting the enduring nature of our desires and our need for connection.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "The Great Fires" is a masterpiece of poetic imagery and symbolism, exploring the complexities of human passion and desire in a way that is both beautiful and unsettling. Through his striking use of language and imagery, Jack Gilbert captures the essence of love and desire, revealing both their beauty and their danger. This poem is a true classic of modern poetry, and a must-read for anyone who wants to explore the depths of human emotion.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Great Fires by Jack Gilbert is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a powerful and moving piece that explores the themes of love, loss, and the human condition. In this analysis, we will take a closer look at the poem and explore its meaning and significance.
The poem begins with the lines, "Love is apart from all things. Desire and excitement are nothing beside it." These lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a meditation on the nature of love and its power over us. The speaker of the poem is reflecting on a past love, and the memories of that love are still very much alive in his mind.
The next few lines of the poem describe the intensity of the speaker's feelings for his lost love. He says, "It is not the body that finds love. What leads us there is the body. What is not love provokes it." This is a powerful statement that speaks to the idea that love is not just a physical attraction, but something deeper and more profound.
The speaker goes on to describe the intensity of his love for his lost love. He says, "It opens the chest, opens the life, makes the heart a wandering star." This is a beautiful metaphor that captures the way that love can transform us and make us feel alive. The speaker is saying that his love for this person was so intense that it changed him at a fundamental level.
The next few lines of the poem describe the pain of losing this love. The speaker says, "In love, the one who runs away is the winner. The one who stays is the loser." This is a heartbreaking statement that speaks to the pain of unrequited love. The speaker is saying that he was the loser in this situation because he stayed and continued to love this person, even though they had moved on.
The final lines of the poem are some of the most powerful. The speaker says, "The great fires arise from us, and no one knows his own wings." This is a beautiful metaphor that captures the idea that we all have the potential for greatness within us, but we often don't realize it. The speaker is saying that the intensity of his love for this person was like a great fire that burned within him, and that fire was what gave him the strength to keep going.
Overall, The Great Fires by Jack Gilbert is a powerful and moving poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and the human condition. The poem is beautifully written and captures the intensity of the speaker's feelings for his lost love. It is a timeless piece that speaks to the universal human experience of love and heartbreak.
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