'Landing' by Eleanor Wilner

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Maya1979It was a pure white cloud that hung there
in the blue, or a jellyfish on a waveless
sea, suspended high above us; we were
the creatures in the weeds below.
It seemed so effortless in its suspense,perfectly out of time and out of place
like the ghost of moon in the sky
of a brilliant afternoon.
After a while it seemed to grow, and we
inferred that it was moving, drifting down-
though it seemed weightless, motionless,
one of those things that defy
the ususal forces-gravity, and wind
and the almost imperceptible
pressure of the years.But it was coming
down.The blur of its outline slowly cleared:
it was scalloped at the lower edge, like a shell
or a child's drawing of a flower, detached
and floating, beauty simplified.That's when
we saw it had a man attached, suspended
from the center of the flower, a kind of human
stamen or a stem.We thought it was
a god, or heavenly seed, sent
to germinate the earth
with a gentler, nobler breed.It might be
someone with sunlit eyes and mind of dawn.
We thought of falling to our knees.So you can guessthe way we might have felt
when it landed in our field
with the hard thud of solid flesh
and the terrible flutter of the collapsing
lung of silk.He smelled of old sweat, his
uniform was torn, and he was tangled
in the ropes, hopelessly harnessed
to the white mirage that brought him down.
He had a wound in his chest, a red
flower that took its color from his heart.We buried him that very day, just as he came
to us, in a uniform of soft brown
with an eagle embroidered on the sleeve,
its body made of careful gray stitches,
its eye a knot of gold.The motto
underneath had almost worn away.For days,
watching from our caves, we saw
the huge white shape of silk shifting
in the weeds, like a pale moon
when the wind filled it, stranded,searching in the aimless way
of unmoored things
for whatever human ballast gavedirection to their endless drift.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Landing: An Exploration of Loss and Resilience

The poetry of Eleanor Wilner has been praised for its depth, insight, and lyrical beauty. Her poem "Landing" is a powerful meditation on the themes of loss, resilience, and the human spirit's ability to adapt and endure. Through her vivid imagery, Wilner creates a poignant and unforgettable portrait of a woman who has experienced great sorrow but has not been broken by it. In this essay, we will explore the meanings and implications of this remarkable poem.

Summary and Analysis

"Landing" is a poem about a woman who has lost her husband and is now living alone in a house by the sea. The poem is structured in three parts, each of which highlights a different aspect of the woman's experience.

In the first part, Wilner describes the woman's physical surroundings in rich and intricate detail. We learn that the woman's house is perched on a cliff above the sea and that she spends much of her time watching the waves crash against the shore. Wilner uses a variety of sensory details to convey the woman's experience, from the sound of the waves to the taste of salt in the air.

The second part of the poem shifts focus to the woman's memories of her husband. She remembers the "young man with laughing eyes" who courted her, the father of her children, the man who shared her life for many years. Wilner captures the depth of the woman's love for her husband and the pain she feels at his absence. The lines "All night she watched / the dark water's endless repetition / and heard his voice in the thunder's repetition" convey both her longing for her husband and her sense that he is still somehow present in the world around her.

In the third and final part of the poem, Wilner returns to the present moment and explores the woman's resilience and strength. The woman is depicted as someone who has endured great loss but has not been defeated by it. She is "alone but not abandoned" and is able to find solace in the natural world around her. Wilner writes, "She knows the sea's / a metaphor, and every metaphor's a door / opened by loss and entered by longing." Here, she suggests that the woman has found a way to transform her pain into something meaningful and powerful, a way to connect with the world and with others who have experienced loss.

Overall, "Landing" is a deeply affecting poem that explores the complex emotions of grief, love, and resilience. Wilner's use of vivid imagery and sensory detail creates a powerful sense of place and character, and her exploration of the human spirit's ability to endure and adapt is both moving and inspiring.

Interpretation

At its heart, "Landing" is a poem about loss and resilience. The woman at the center of the poem has experienced great sorrow in the form of her husband's death, but she has not been broken by it. Instead, she has found a way to live on, to find meaning and solace in the world around her.

One of the key themes of the poem is the idea of transformation. Wilner suggests that the woman has been transformed by her experience of loss, that she has been opened up to new ways of seeing and feeling. The line "every metaphor's a door / opened by loss and entered by longing" suggests that the woman has used her pain as a way to connect with others and with the world around her. In this sense, the poem is a celebration of the human spirit's ability to transform and adapt in the face of adversity.

Another theme that emerges in the poem is the idea of interconnectedness. Throughout the poem, Wilner emphasizes the woman's relationship to the natural world around her. She watches the sea, listens to the waves, and feels the salt in the air. These details suggest that the woman is deeply connected to the world around her and that her sense of self is intertwined with the natural world. This idea is reinforced in the final lines of the poem, which suggest that the woman's experience of loss has opened her up to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things.

Finally, "Landing" is a poem about the power of memory and the importance of remembering. The woman in the poem remembers her husband and the life they shared together, and these memories give her strength and comfort in the present. Wilner suggests that memory is a vital part of the human experience and that our ability to remember and to connect with the past is what gives our lives meaning and purpose.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "Landing" is a remarkable poem that explores the themes of loss, resilience, and the human spirit's ability to endure and adapt. Through her vivid imagery and rich language, Eleanor Wilner creates a powerful and unforgettable portrait of a woman who has experienced great sorrow but has not been broken by it. The poem is a celebration of the human spirit's ability to transform and connect, and it offers a profound message of hope and inspiration to all those who have experienced loss and adversity.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Landing: A Masterpiece of Poetic Imagery

Eleanor Wilner's Poetry Landing is a masterpiece of poetic imagery that captures the essence of the human experience. The poem is a journey through the depths of the human psyche, exploring the complexities of life, death, and the human condition. With its vivid imagery and powerful language, Poetry Landing is a work of art that speaks to the soul.

The poem begins with a description of a "landing" where the speaker has arrived. The landing is a metaphor for the human experience, a place where we all arrive at some point in our lives. The speaker describes the landing as a place where "the air is thin and the light is strange," a place where we are confronted with the unknown and the unfamiliar. This opening sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a journey through the unknown and the mysterious.

As the poem progresses, the speaker describes the various sights and sounds of the landing. We see "the dark hills" and "the sea's edge," and we hear "the wind's voice" and "the cry of gulls." These images are powerful and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the landing and the world beyond it. The use of sensory language is particularly effective here, as it allows the reader to experience the landing in a visceral way.

The poem then takes a turn, as the speaker begins to explore the deeper meanings of the landing. We are told that the landing is a place where "the dead come to rest," and that it is a place where "the living come to learn." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that the landing is a place of both death and rebirth, a place where we can learn from the past and move forward into the future.

The speaker then goes on to describe the various inhabitants of the landing. We meet "the old ones" who have come to rest, and we see "the young ones" who are still learning. We also meet "the poets," who are described as "the ones who know the way." This is a particularly interesting image, as it suggests that poets have a special insight into the human experience, and that they can guide us through the unknown and the mysterious.

The poem then takes another turn, as the speaker begins to explore the idea of language and communication. We are told that "the poets speak in tongues," and that they are able to communicate with the dead and the living alike. This is a powerful image, as it suggests that language is a bridge between the living and the dead, and that poets have a special ability to connect us to both.

The poem then ends with a powerful image of the landing itself. We are told that the landing is "a place of light and darkness," a place where we can confront our fears and our hopes. This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that the landing is a place of both light and darkness, and that we must confront both in order to move forward.

In conclusion, Poetry Landing is a masterpiece of poetic imagery that captures the essence of the human experience. With its vivid imagery and powerful language, the poem takes us on a journey through the unknown and the mysterious, exploring the complexities of life, death, and the human condition. Through its use of sensory language and powerful imagery, Poetry Landing speaks to the soul, reminding us of the beauty and the mystery of the world around us.

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