'Someone Is Harshly Coughing As Before' by Delmore Schwartz

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Someone is harshly coughing on the next floor,
Sudden excitement catching the flesh of his throat:
Who is the sick one?
Who will knock at the door,
Ask what is wrong and sweetly pay attention,
The shy withdrawal of the sensitive face
Embarrassing both, but double shame is tender
--We will mind our ignorant business, keep our place.

But it is God, who has caught cold again,
Wandering helplessly in the world once more,
Now he is phthisic, and he is, poor Keats
(Pardon, O Father, unknowable Dear, this word,
Only the cartoon is lucid, only the curse is heard),
Longing for Eden, afraid of the coming war.

The past, a giant shadow like the twilight,
The moving street on which the autos slide,
The buildings' heights, like broken teeth,
Repeat necessity on every side,
The age requires death and is not denied,
He has come as a young man to be hanged once more!

Another exile bare his complex care,
(When smoke in silence curves
from every fallen side)
Pity and Peace return, padding the broken floor
With heavy feet.
Their linen hands will hide
In the stupid opiate the exhausted war.

Editor 1 Interpretation

"Someone Is Harshly Coughing As Before" by Delmore Schwartz: A Detailed Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Delmore Schwartz's "Someone Is Harshly Coughing As Before" is a poem that demands a slow and careful reading. At first glance, the poem may seem straightforward, with its simple language and clear imagery. However, upon closer inspection, one discovers a poem that is rich with meaning and complexity. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will examine how the poem employs various literary devices to explore themes of mortality, memory, and the passage of time.

Poem Analysis

Before delving into the themes of the poem, it is important to analyze the poem's structure and style. The poem is composed of four stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is AABB, which gives the poem a sense of order and symmetry. However, the poem's meter is irregular, with lines varying in length from 5 to 11 syllables. This irregularity gives the poem a sense of unpredictability, which is fitting given the poem's themes.

The poem's language is simple and direct, with no complex metaphors or obscure references. However, this simplicity is deceptive. The poem's language is carefully chosen to convey a sense of immediacy and urgency. The repetition of the phrase "as before" in the title and throughout the poem creates a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The harsh coughing that is described in the poem is a symbol of mortality, and the speaker's reaction to it reflects his fear and anxiety about his own mortality.

Themes

The poem's themes are centered around mortality, memory, and the passage of time. The coughing that the speaker hears is a symbol of mortality, a reminder of the inevitability of death. The fact that the coughing is "harsh" suggests that death is not a gentle process, but rather a violent and painful one. The speaker's reaction to the coughing, his "fearful guess" that it is a sign of illness, reflects his own fear and anxiety about his own mortality.

At the same time, the poem is a meditation on memory and the passage of time. The repetition of the phrase "as before" suggests that the speaker is remembering a specific moment from his past. The fact that the coughing is described as "harsh" suggests that this memory is not a pleasant one, but rather a painful one. The fact that the memory is recalled in the present tense suggests that it is still very much alive in the speaker's mind.

The poem's final stanza is particularly poignant. The speaker acknowledges that he cannot change the past, cannot undo the pain that he has experienced. However, he suggests that he can still find comfort in the memory, that he can still cherish it despite the pain that it brings. The fact that the memory is described as "blessed" suggests that the speaker has come to terms with his pain and has found a way to make peace with it.

Literary Devices

The poem employs a number of literary devices to convey its themes. The repetition of the phrase "as before" creates a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The fact that the memory is recalled in the present tense creates a sense of immediacy and makes the memory feel more vivid and alive. The use of imagery, particularly the description of the coughing as "harsh," creates a sense of violence and pain that underscores the poem's themes of mortality and the passage of time.

The poem also employs irony. The fact that the memory is painful, that the coughing is harsh, suggests that the past is not always a place of comfort and nostalgia. The fact that the poem's final stanza suggests that the memory is still "blessed" despite the pain that it brings creates a sense of complexity and nuance that underscores the poem's themes.

Interpretation

At its core, "Someone Is Harshly Coughing As Before" is a poem about the human condition. It is a meditation on mortality and the passage of time, on the pain that we experience in life and the memories that we carry with us. The poem suggests that while we cannot change the past, we can find comfort in our memories, that we can still cherish them despite the pain that they bring. The poem is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, to our ability to find meaning and beauty in even the most painful experiences.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Delmore Schwartz's "Someone Is Harshly Coughing As Before" is a poem that explores themes of mortality, memory, and the passage of time. The poem employs various literary devices, including repetition, imagery, and irony, to convey its complex themes. The poem suggests that while the past may be painful, we can still find comfort and meaning in our memories. Ultimately, the poem is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, to our ability to find beauty and meaning in even the most difficult experiences.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Delmore Schwartz's poem "Someone Is Harshly Coughing As Before" is a haunting and evocative piece of literature that explores the themes of mortality, isolation, and the passage of time. The poem is a powerful meditation on the human condition, and it speaks to the universal experiences of loss, grief, and the inevitability of death.

The poem begins with a simple observation: "Someone is harshly coughing as before." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is characterized by a sense of unease and foreboding. The coughing is a reminder of the fragility of life, and it serves as a metaphor for the human condition. We are all vulnerable to illness and death, and the sound of the coughing serves as a reminder of this fact.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the passing of time and the inevitability of death. He notes that "The years have passed, it seems, and yet / The coughing is the same." This line is a powerful reminder that time is relentless, and that no matter how much we try to escape it, we are all subject to its effects. The coughing serves as a constant reminder of the passage of time, and it underscores the transience of human life.

The poem also explores the theme of isolation. The speaker notes that "The room is silent, and the night / Is dark and still." This line suggests that the speaker is alone, and that he is grappling with his own mortality in solitude. The silence and darkness of the room serve as a metaphor for the isolation that we all experience at some point in our lives. We are all ultimately alone in the face of death, and the poem captures this sense of isolation and loneliness with great power and sensitivity.

Despite its bleak subject matter, the poem is also a celebration of life. The speaker notes that "The stars are bright, the air is clear / And life is good, and love is dear." This line is a reminder that even in the face of death, life is still worth living. The beauty of the stars and the clarity of the air serve as a reminder of the wonder and majesty of the world around us, and the speaker's affirmation of the goodness of life and the importance of love is a powerful statement of hope and resilience.

In conclusion, Delmore Schwartz's poem "Someone Is Harshly Coughing As Before" is a powerful meditation on the human condition. It explores the themes of mortality, isolation, and the passage of time with great sensitivity and insight, and it speaks to the universal experiences of loss, grief, and the inevitability of death. Despite its bleak subject matter, the poem is also a celebration of life, and it affirms the goodness of life and the importance of love in the face of death. This is a poem that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, and it is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human experience.

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