'Rhapsody on a Windy Night' by Thomas Stearns Eliot
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Twelve o¹clock.
Along the reaches of the street
Held in a lunar synthesis,
Whispering lunar incantations
Dissolve the floors of memory
And all its clear relations
Its divisions and precisions,
Every street lamp that I pass
Beats like a fatalistic drum,
And through the spaces of the dark
Midnight shakes the memory
As a madman shakes a dead geranium.
Half-past one,
The street-lamp sputtered,
The street-lamp muttered,
The street-lamp said, ³Regard that woman
Who hesitates towards you in the light of the door
Which opens on her like a grin.
You see the border of her dress
Is torn and stained with sand,
And you see the corner of her eye
Twists like a crooked pin.²
The memory throws up high and dry
A crowd of twisted things;
A twisted branch upon the beach
Eaten smooth, and polished
As if the world gave up
The secret of its skeleton,
Stiff and white.
A broken spring in a factory yard,
Rust that clings to the form that the strength has left
Hard and curled and ready to snap.
Half-past two,
The street lamp said,
³Remark the cat which flattens itself in the gutter,
Slips out its tongue
And devours a morsel of rancid butter.²
So the hand of the child, automatic,
Slipped out and pocketed a toy that was running along the quay.
I could see nothing behind that child¹s eye.
I have seen eyes in the street
Trying to peer through lighted shutters,
And a crab one afternoon in a pool,
An old crab with barnacles on his back,
Gripped the end of a stick which I held him.
Half-past three,
The lamp sputtered,
The lamp muttered in the dark.
The lamp hummed:
³Regard the moon,
La lune ne guarde aucune rancune,
She winks a feeble eye,
She smiles into corners.
She smooths the hair of the grass.
The moon has lost her memory.
A washed-out smallpox cracks her face,
Her hand twists a paper rose,
That smells of dust and eau de Cologne,
She is alone
With all the old nocturnal smells
That cross and cross across her brain.²
The reminiscence comes
Of sunless dry geraniums
And dust in crevices,
Smells of chestnuts in the streets,
And female smells in shuttered rooms,
And cigarettes in corridors
And cocktail smells in bars.
The lamp said,
³Four o¹clock,
Here is the number on the door.
Memory!
You have the key,
The little lamp spreads a ring on the stair.
Mount.
The bed is open; the tooth-brush hangs on the wall,
Put your shoes at the door, sleep, prepare for life.²
The last twist of the knife.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Rhapsody on a Windy Night by T.S. Eliot: A Masterpiece of Modernist Poetry
Thomas Stearns Eliot is one of the most celebrated poets of the modernist movement, and his works have left a deep impact on the literary world. Among his notable works is "Rhapsody on a Windy Night," a poem published in 1917, which is widely regarded as a landmark in modernist poetry. The poem explores themes of memory, time, and the human psyche, and its innovative use of language and imagery has secured its place as a classic of modernist literature.
Overview of the Poem
"Rhapsody on a Windy Night" is a poem that portrays a sleepless night of a solitary individual wandering through the streets of a city, haunted by the memories of the past. The speaker of the poem is tormented by a sense of loss and disillusionment, and the wind that blows through the deserted streets seems to intensify his sense of isolation.
The poem is divided into four parts, each marked by a different tone and theme. In the first part, the speaker describes his aimless wandering through the city, and his encounter with a clock that strikes midnight, symbolizing the passage of time. In the second part, the speaker reflects on his memories of a past love affair, which he associates with the sound of a cat's footsteps.
The third part of the poem presents a surrealistic encounter between the speaker and a streetlamp, which he imagines as a kind of ghostly figure. In the final part of the poem, the speaker returns to his present reality, haunted by the memories of the past, and anticipating the coming day with a sense of dread.
Themes and Motifs
One of the central themes of "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" is the relationship between memory and time. The speaker of the poem is haunted by memories of the past, which seem to be triggered by the sights and sounds of the present. As he wanders through the city, he is transported back to a time when he was in love, and the memory of that love affair fills him with a sense of loss and longing.
The wind that blows through the deserted streets is a recurrent motif in the poem, symbolizing the passage of time, and the transience of human experience. The wind seems to carry with it the voices of the past, and the speaker is acutely aware of the fleeting nature of human existence.
Another important theme in the poem is the contrast between the external world and the inner world of the speaker. The speaker is alone in the city, surrounded by the empty streets and buildings. Yet, his inner world is filled with memories, emotions, and fantasies that seem to take on a life of their own.
Language and Imagery
One of the striking features of "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" is its innovative use of language and imagery. Eliot's poetry is known for its fragmentation and ambiguity, and this poem is no exception. The language of the poem is rich with surrealistic imagery, and the meaning of the poem is open to multiple interpretations.
For example, in the second part of the poem, the speaker describes the sound of a cat's footsteps as "the sound of a far-off Latin hymn." This image is both surreal and evocative, suggesting a connection between the speaker's memories and the religious tradition of his past.
Similarly, in the third part of the poem, the speaker imagines the streetlamp as a kind of ghostly figure, "like the spirit of a streetlamp in a heap of rubbish." This image is both eerie and poignant, suggesting the way that the city can take on a life of its own, even as it decays and falls to ruin.
Interpretation
"Rhapsody on a Windy Night" is a complex and enigmatic poem, and its meaning is open to a wide range of interpretations. At its core, the poem is a meditation on the nature of memory, time, and the human psyche. The speaker of the poem is struggling to come to terms with his past, and the memories that haunt him seem to be both a source of pain and a source of comfort.
On one level, the poem can be read as a critique of modernity and the fragmentation of the human experience. The city is portrayed as a place of alienation and isolation, where the individual is cut off from the natural world and from his own inner life. The wind that blows through the city seems to intensify this sense of dislocation, and the speaker's sense of dread seems to be rooted in his awareness of the transience of human experience.
On another level, the poem can be read as a celebration of the power of memory and imagination. The surrealistic images that fill the poem suggest the way that the mind can create its own reality, even in the midst of the emptiness and decay of the city. The speaker's memories of his past love affair are a testament to the enduring power of human emotion, and the poem suggests that even in the face of loss and disillusionment, the human spirit can find a way to endure.
Conclusion
"Rhapsody on a Windy Night" is a masterpiece of modernist poetry, and its innovative use of language and imagery has secured its place as a classic of literary history. The poem explores themes of memory, time, and the human psyche, and its surrealistic images and enigmatic symbolism make it a rich and rewarding work of art.
As readers, we are drawn into the speaker's world, and we share in his sense of dislocation and dread. Yet, even as we experience the emptiness and decay of the city, we are also reminded of the enduring power of human emotion and imagination. Eliot's poem is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and it remains a powerful and poignant work of art to this day.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry Rhapsody on a Windy Night: A Masterpiece of Modernist Poetry
Thomas Stearns Eliot, one of the most influential poets of the 20th century, is known for his innovative and experimental approach to poetry. His works are characterized by their complex themes, fragmented structure, and use of allusions and symbolism. One of his most celebrated poems, Poetry Rhapsody on a Windy Night, is a perfect example of his unique style.
Written in 1915, Poetry Rhapsody on a Windy Night is a haunting and evocative poem that explores the themes of memory, time, and the transience of life. The poem is divided into three parts, each of which presents a different aspect of the speaker's experience on a windy night.
The first part of the poem describes the speaker's encounter with a "street lamp" that "sputters" and "winks" in the wind. The lamp becomes a symbol of the speaker's own fragmented and uncertain state of mind. The use of the word "sputters" suggests a lack of coherence and stability, while the word "winks" implies a sense of playfulness and irony. The speaker's mind is similarly fragmented and uncertain, as he struggles to make sense of his own memories and experiences.
The second part of the poem takes the reader on a journey through the speaker's memories. The speaker recalls a "brown fog" that "creeps" over the city, obscuring the familiar landmarks and creating a sense of disorientation and confusion. The fog becomes a metaphor for the speaker's own sense of loss and disconnection from the world around him. The use of the word "creeps" suggests a slow and insidious process, while the color brown implies a sense of decay and deterioration.
The speaker's memories are further explored in the third part of the poem, which focuses on a specific moment from his past. The speaker recalls a "broken spring" that he found on the street, which becomes a symbol of his own brokenness and vulnerability. The use of the word "broken" suggests a sense of irreparable damage, while the word "spring" implies a sense of renewal and growth. The speaker's experience of finding the broken spring becomes a moment of epiphany, as he realizes the transience of life and the inevitability of change.
Throughout the poem, Eliot uses a variety of poetic techniques to create a sense of fragmentation and dislocation. The use of enjambment, for example, creates a sense of uncertainty and instability, as the lines flow into each other without clear breaks. The use of repetition and alliteration also creates a sense of rhythm and musicality, while the use of allusions and symbolism adds depth and complexity to the poem.
In conclusion, Poetry Rhapsody on a Windy Night is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that explores the themes of memory, time, and the transience of life. Through its fragmented structure and use of symbolism, the poem creates a sense of dislocation and uncertainty that reflects the speaker's own fragmented state of mind. Eliot's innovative approach to poetry has had a profound influence on the development of modernist poetry, and his works continue to be celebrated for their complexity and depth.
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