'The House Of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude' by Conrad Aiken
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The House of Dust1917Wind blows.Snow falls.The great clock in its tower
Ticks with reverberant coil and tolls the hour:
At the deep sudden stroke the pigeons fly . . .
The fine snow flutes the cracks between the flagstones.
We close our coats, and hurry, and search the sky.We are like music, each voice of it pursuing
A golden separate dream, remote, persistent,
Climbing to fire, receding to hoarse despair.
What do you whisper, brother?What do you tell me? . . .
We pass each other, are lost, and do not care.One mounts up to beauty, serenely singing,
Forgetful of the steps that cry behind him;
One drifts slowly down from a waking dream.
One, foreseeing, lingers forever unmoving . . .
Upward and downward, past him there, we stream.One has death in his eyes: and walks more slowly.
Death, among jonquils, told him a freezing secret.
A cloud blows over his eyes, he ponders earth.
He sees in the world a forest of sunlit jonquils:
A slow black poison huddles beneath that mirth.Death, from street to alley, from door to window,
Cries out his news,-of unplumbed worlds approaching,
Of a cloud of darkness soon to destroy the tower.
But why comes death,-he asks,-in a world so perfect?
Or why the minute's grey in the golden hour?Music, a sudden glissando, sinister, troubled,
A drift of wind-torn petals, before him passes
Down jangled streets, and dies.
The bodies of old and young, of maimed and lovely,
Are slowly borne to earth, with a dirge of cries.Down cobbled streets they come; down huddled stairways;
Through silent halls; through carven golden doorways;
From freezing rooms as bare as rock.
The curtains are closed across deserted windows.
Earth streams out of the shovel; the pebbles knock.Mary, whose hands rejoiced to move in sunlight;
Silent Elaine; grave Anne, who sang so clearly;
Fugitive Helen, who loved and walked alone;
Miriam too soon dead, darkly remembered;
Childless Ruth, who sorrowed, but could not atone;Jean, whose laughter flashed over depths of terror,
And Eloise, who desired to love but dared not;
Doris, who turned alone to the dark and cried,-
They are blown away like windflung chords of music,
They drift away; the sudden music has died.And one, with death in his eyes, comes walking slowly
And sees the shadow of death in many faces,
And thinks the world is strange.
He desires immortal music and spring forever,
And beauty that knows no change.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Conrad Aiken's "The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" - A Haunting Exploration of Death
Conrad Aiken's "The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" is a haunting poem that explores the theme of death through a variety of vivid and disturbing images. In this analysis, I will examine how Aiken uses language and imagery to create a sense of unease and foreboding, and how he explores the psychological and emotional impact of death on the living.
The Setting
The poem is set in a house of dust, which is a metaphor for the human body and the transience of life. The title "Coffins: Interlude" immediately sets the tone for the poem, suggesting that we are entering a space where death is a prominent theme. The first stanza sets the scene:
In the cold coffin on the hill
The lightnings mingles with the snows,
And the tall pine-tree, towering still,
Draws the dead to their repose.
The image of the coffin on the hill is a powerful one, evoking a sense of loneliness and isolation. The lightning and snow suggest that this is a place of extremes, where life and death are constantly colliding. The tall pine-tree is an ominous presence, drawing the dead to their final resting place.
The Coffin
The image of the coffin is a recurring motif throughout the poem, representing the finality of death and the inevitability of our own mortality. Aiken describes the coffin in great detail, using vivid and sometimes unsettling language:
The coffin is black, the coffin is bleak,
It weighs more heavily than the rock,
And the eyes that look from under its lid
Are as cold as the winter's shock.
The use of the words "black" and "bleak" create a sense of darkness and despair, while the weight of the coffin reinforces the idea that death is an inescapable burden. The eyes under the lid are a particularly chilling detail, suggesting that even in death, we are not free from the gaze of others.
The Psychological Impact of Death
Aiken also explores the psychological and emotional impact of death on the living, depicting the ways in which grief can consume us and leave us feeling lost and alone. In the second stanza, he writes:
The mourners come with their tears and sighs,
And they heap the earth on the coffin-lid,
And they turn away with their heavy eyes,
And they leave the dead alone and hid.
The image of mourners with "heavy eyes" suggests that they too are burdened by the weight of death. The act of heaping earth on the coffin-lid is a powerful symbol of finality, as if the dead are being buried deeper and deeper away from the living. The idea that the dead are left "alone and hid" is a poignant one, evoking a sense of isolation and loneliness.
The Passage of Time
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the way in which Aiken uses time to create a sense of unease and foreboding. In the third stanza, he writes:
But the years go by and the coffin decays,
And the dust returns to the dust again,
And the tall pine-tree that sheltered its head,
Is a crumbling ruin, gray with rain.
The idea that the coffin decays and the dust returns to the dust again is a reminder of the transience of life. The image of the tall pine-tree as a crumbling ruin creates a sense of decay and decline. The use of the word "gray" suggests a loss of vitality and color, reinforcing the idea that death brings an end to life itself.
The Finality of Death
Ultimately, "The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" is a powerful meditation on the finality of death and the ways in which it shapes our understanding of life. Aiken's use of language and imagery is masterful, creating a sense of unease and foreboding that lingers long after the poem is finished. As we contemplate our own mortality, this poem serves as a haunting reminder that death is an inescapable fact of life, but that even in death, we are never truly alone.
Overall, Conrad Aiken's "The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude" is a haunting and evocative exploration of death and its impact on the living. Through his use of language and imagery, Aiken creates a sense of unease and foreboding that lingers long after the poem is finished, leaving us with a powerful reminder of our own mortality.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude by Conrad Aiken is a hauntingly beautiful poem that delves into the theme of death and the afterlife. The poem is part of a larger collection of poems titled The House of Dust, which was published in 1917. The House of Dust is a collection of interconnected poems that explore the themes of love, loss, and the passage of time.
The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude is a short poem that is only six lines long. Despite its brevity, the poem is incredibly powerful and evocative. The poem begins with the line, "In the cold coffin, dark and drear," which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The use of the words "cold" and "dark" create a sense of foreboding and sadness, which is further emphasized by the word "drear."
The second line of the poem reads, "Lies the heart that loved you dear." This line is particularly poignant because it speaks to the idea that even in death, love persists. The use of the word "dear" emphasizes the depth of the love that the deceased had for the person being addressed in the poem.
The third line of the poem reads, "But you are in the sunlight clear." This line is a stark contrast to the first two lines of the poem. The use of the word "sunlight" creates a sense of warmth and brightness, which is in direct opposition to the cold and darkness of the coffin. This line also suggests that the person being addressed in the poem is still alive and enjoying life, while the deceased is trapped in the coffin.
The fourth line of the poem reads, "Our love was a ghost that fled." This line is particularly interesting because it suggests that the love between the deceased and the person being addressed in the poem was fleeting and ephemeral. The use of the word "ghost" creates a sense of transience and impermanence, which is further emphasized by the word "fled."
The fifth line of the poem reads, "But you came in my heart to dwell." This line is a beautiful expression of the idea that even though the love between the deceased and the person being addressed in the poem was fleeting, it still persists in the heart of the person being addressed. The use of the word "dwell" creates a sense of permanence and stability, which is in direct contrast to the transience of the love described in the previous line.
The final line of the poem reads, "Ah, friend, adieu, for love is dead." This line is a heartbreaking conclusion to the poem. The use of the word "adieu" creates a sense of finality and farewell, while the phrase "love is dead" suggests that the love between the deceased and the person being addressed in the poem has come to an end.
Overall, The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and the passage of time. The poem is incredibly well-crafted, with each line building upon the previous one to create a sense of depth and complexity. The use of imagery and language is particularly effective, with the words "cold," "dark," "dear," "sunlight," "ghost," and "dwell" all contributing to the overall mood and tone of the poem.
In conclusion, The House of Dust: Part 03: 08: Coffins: Interlude is a masterpiece of modern poetry. It is a testament to the power of language and the human experience, and it is a reminder that even in death, love persists. If you are a fan of poetry, then this is a must-read.
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