'The House Of Dust: Part 01: 06: Over the darkened city, the city of towers' by Conrad Aiken

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The House of Dust1917Over the darkened city, the city of towers,
The city of a thousand gates,
Over the gleaming terraced roofs, the huddled towers,
Over a somnolent whisper of loves and hates,
The slow wind flows, drearily streams and falls,
With a mournful sound down rain-dark walls.
On one side purples the lustrous dusk of the sea,
And dreams in white at the city's feet;
On one side sleep the plains, with heaped-up hills.
Oaks and beeches whisper in rings about it.
Above the trees are towers where dread bells beat.The fisherman draws his streaming net from the sea
And sails toward the far-off city, that seems
Like one vague tower.
The dark bow plunges to foam on blue-black waves,
And shrill rain seethes like a ghostly music about him
In a quiet shower.Rain with a shrill sings on the lapsing waves;
Rain thrills over the roofs again;
Like a shadow of shifting silver it crosses the city;
The lamps in the streets are streamed with rain;
And sparrows complain beneath deep eaves,
And among whirled leaves
The sea-gulls, blowing from tower to lower tower,
From wall to remoter wall,
Skim with the driven rain to the rising sea-sound
And close grey wings and fall . . .. . . Hearing great rain above me, I now remember
A girl who stood by the door and shut her eyes:
Her pale cheeks glistened with rain, she stood and shivered.
Into a forest of silver she vanished slowly . . .
Voices about me rise . . .Voices clear and silvery, voices of raindrops,-
'We struck with silver claws, we struck her down.
We are the ghosts of the singing furies . . . '
A chorus of elfin voices blowing about me
Weaves to a babel of sound.Each cries a secret.
I run among them, reach out vain hands, and drown.'I am the one who stood beside you and smiled,
Thinking your face so strangely young . . . '
'I am the one who loved you but did not dare.'
'I am the one you followed through crowded streets,
The one who escaped you, the one with red-gleamed hair.''I am the one you saw to-day, who fell
Senseless before you, hearing a certain bell:
A bell that broke great memories in my brain.'
'I am the one who passed unnoticed before you,
Invisible, in a cloud of secret pain.''I am the one who suddenly cried, beholding
The face of a certain man on the dazzling screen.
They wrote me that he was dead.It was long ago.
I walked in the streets for a long while, hearing nothing,
And returned to see it again.And it was so.'Weave, weave, weave, you streaks of rain!
I am dissolved and woven again . . .
Thousands of faces rise and vanish before me.
Thousands of voices weave in the rain.'I am the one who rode beside you, blinking
At a dazzle of golden lights.
Tempests of music swept me: I was thinking
Of the gorgeous promise of certain nights:
Of the woman who suddenly smiled at me this day,
Smiled in a certain delicious sidelong way,
And turned, as she reached the door,
To smile once more . . .
Her hands are whiter than snow on midnight water.
Her throat is golden and full of golden laughter,
Her eyes are strange as the stealth of the moon
On a night in June . . .
She runs among whistling leaves; I hurry after;
She dances in dreams over white-waved water;
Her body is white and fragrant and cool,
Magnolia petals that float on a white-starred pool . . .
I have dreamed of her, dreaming for many nights
Of a broken music and golden lights,
Of broken webs of silver, heavily falling
Between my hands and their white desire:
And dark-leaved boughs, edged with a golden radiance,
Dipping to screen a fire . . .
I dream that I walk with her beneath high trees,
But as I lean to kiss her face,
She is blown aloft on wind, I catch at leaves,
And run in a moonless place;
And I hear a crashing of terrible rocks flung down,
And shattering trees and cracking walls,
And a net of intense white flame roars over the town,
And someone cries; and darkness falls . . .
But now she has leaned and smiled at me,
My veins are afire with music,
Her eyes have kissed me, my body is turned to light;
I shall dream to her secret heart tonight . . . 'He rises and moves away, he says no word,
He folds his evening paper and turns away;
I rush through the dark with rows of lamplit faces;
Fire bells peal, and some of us turn to listen,
And some sit motionless in their accustomed places.Cold rain lashes the car-roof, scurries in gusts,
Streams down the windows in waves and ripples of lustre;
The lamps in the streets are distorted and strange.
Someone takes his watch from his pocket and yawns.
One peers out in the night for the place to change.Rain . . . rain . . . rain . . . we are buried in rain,
It will rain forever, the swift wheels hiss through water,
Pale sheets of water gleam in the windy street.
The pealing of bells is lost in a drive of rain-drops.
Remote and hurried the great bells beat.'I am the one whom life so shrewdly betrayed,
Misfortune dogs me, it always hunted me down.
And to-day the woman I love lies dead.
I gave her roses, a ring with opals;
These hands have touched her head.'I bound her to me in all soft ways,
I bound her to me in a net of days,
Yet now she has gone in silence and said no word.
How can we face these dazzling things, I ask you?
There is no use: we cry: and are not heard.'They cover a body with roses . . . I shall not see it . . .
Must one return to the lifeless walls of a city
Whose soul is charred by fire? . . . '
His eyes are closed, his lips press tightly together.
Wheels hiss beneath us.He yields us our desire.'No, do not stare so-he is weak with grief,
He cannot face you, he turns his eyes aside;
He is confused with pain.
I suffered this.I know.It was long ago . . .
He closes his eyes and drowns in death again.'The wind hurls blows at the rain-starred glistening windows,
The wind shrills down from the half-seen walls.
We flow on the mournful wind in a dream of dying;
And at last a silence falls.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The House of Dust: Part 01: 06: Over the darkened city, the city of towers by Conrad Aiken

As I read "Over the darkened city, the city of towers," the sixth part of "The House of Dust" by Conrad Aiken, I was drawn into a world of darkness, loneliness, and desolation. The poem paints a picture of a city shrouded in darkness, with its towers reaching up to the sky, like spears piercing the heart of the heavens.

But as I immersed myself in the poem, I began to see a deeper meaning behind the words. It speaks of the human condition, of our fears and hopes, our loneliness and our desire for connection. It is a poem about the human struggle to find meaning in a world that seems so vast and indifferent.

Analysis

The first two lines of the poem set the tone for the entire work. "Over the darkened city, the city of towers / The city of a thousand gates," creates an image of a city at night, with its towering buildings looming over the landscape like lighthouses in the dark. The use of repetition in "the city of towers" reinforces the idea of the city's enormity and its ability to dwarf its inhabitants.

The next few lines introduce a sense of isolation and loneliness. "The wind blows over the bridges,/ The wind blows over the graves." Here, the wind serves as a metaphor for the unfeeling nature of the world, blowing over both the living and the dead with the same indifferent force. The poem speaks of the loneliness of the individual, and the sense of isolation that comes from living in a city where people can be surrounded by others, yet still feel utterly alone.

But the poem is not entirely bleak. There is a sense of hope that runs throughout, a belief that even in the darkest of places, there is still light to be found. "The stars go over the lonely ocean," speaks to the idea that even in the darkest night, there are still points of light that can guide us through the darkness. The ocean, a symbol of the unknown and the unpredictable, is made less frightening by the presence of the stars.

The poem also speaks of the human desire for connection. "The doors swing shut, the bridges rise," speaks to the idea that barriers exist between people, yet there is still a longing to connect, to bridge the gap between one another. The city, with its thousands of gates, represents the possibility of connection, of finding a way to come together despite the barriers that exist.

Throughout the poem, Aiken uses imagery to great effect. The wind, the stars, the bridges, and the gates all serve as symbols for the human experience, for the struggles and triumphs that we all face in our lives. The repetition of certain phrases, such as "the city of towers" and "the wind blows," reinforces the sense of isolation and loneliness that permeates the work.

Interpretation

As I read "Over the darkened city, the city of towers," I couldn't help but think of the world we live in today. We are surrounded by buildings that reach for the sky, each one a monument to the human desire to create and build. Yet despite all of our progress, there is still a sense of loneliness and isolation that is hard to shake.

The poem speaks to the human condition, to the struggles and challenges that we all face. It is a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles, that even in the darkest of places, there is still hope to be found. It is a call to action, a plea to bridge the gap between ourselves and others, and to find ways to connect and support one another in our journey through life.

In conclusion, "Over the darkened city, the city of towers" is a powerful work of poetry that speaks to the human experience. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of places, there is still light to be found, and that despite the barriers that exist, there is still a desire to connect and come together. Aiken's use of imagery and repetition creates a sense of isolation and loneliness, yet there is still a sense of hope that runs throughout the work. It is a poem that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, and it is one that I will not soon forget.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The House of Dust: Part 01: 06: Over the darkened city, the city of towers is a classic poem written by Conrad Aiken. This poem is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that explores the themes of urbanization, alienation, and the human condition. In this article, we will analyze and explain this poem in detail, exploring its themes, structure, and literary devices.

The poem begins with the line "Over the darkened city, the city of towers," which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The use of the word "darkened" suggests a sense of foreboding and unease, while the repetition of the phrase "city of towers" emphasizes the overwhelming presence of the urban landscape. This opening line sets the stage for the exploration of the theme of urbanization, which is a central theme of the poem.

The second stanza of the poem continues to explore the theme of urbanization, describing the city as a "great bronze statue" that "stands in the sun." This metaphorical description of the city emphasizes its immovability and permanence, while the use of the word "bronze" suggests a sense of coldness and hardness. The stanza also introduces the theme of alienation, describing the city as a place where "men are lost in their own seeing." This line suggests that the city is a place where people are disconnected from each other and from themselves, lost in their own thoughts and perceptions.

The third stanza of the poem continues to explore the theme of alienation, describing the city as a place where "the streets are full of eyes." This line suggests that the city is a place where people are constantly being watched and observed, adding to the sense of unease and discomfort. The stanza also introduces the theme of the human condition, describing the people in the city as "pale wanderers." This line suggests that the people in the city are lost and aimless, wandering through life without direction or purpose.

The fourth stanza of the poem introduces the theme of memory, describing the city as a place where "the memories of men are lost in the dust." This line suggests that the city is a place where people's memories are forgotten and lost over time, adding to the sense of impermanence and transience. The stanza also introduces the theme of time, describing the city as a place where "the clock ticks on." This line suggests that time is constantly moving forward, regardless of the people and events that occur in the city.

The fifth stanza of the poem continues to explore the theme of time, describing the city as a place where "the hours are like rooms." This line suggests that time is a tangible and physical presence in the city, shaping the lives and experiences of the people who live there. The stanza also introduces the theme of death, describing the city as a place where "the dead men's souls are trapped in the walls." This line suggests that the city is a place where the past is always present, haunting the present and shaping the future.

The sixth and final stanza of the poem brings all of these themes together, describing the city as a place where "the city is a ghost." This line suggests that the city is a place where the past and present are intertwined, creating a sense of haunting and unease. The stanza also introduces the theme of the self, describing the city as a place where "the self is lost." This line suggests that the city is a place where people are disconnected from themselves, lost in the overwhelming presence of the urban landscape.

In terms of structure, the poem is divided into six stanzas, each with four lines. This structure creates a sense of symmetry and balance, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the themes explored in the poem. The use of repetition, particularly the repetition of the phrase "city of towers," emphasizes the overwhelming presence of the urban landscape and adds to the sense of unease and discomfort.

In terms of literary devices, the poem makes use of metaphor, personification, and imagery to explore its themes. The metaphorical description of the city as a "great bronze statue" emphasizes its immovability and permanence, while the personification of the streets as "full of eyes" adds to the sense of unease and discomfort. The use of imagery, particularly the description of the city as a place where "the dead men's souls are trapped in the walls," creates a sense of haunting and unease, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future.

In conclusion, The House of Dust: Part 01: 06: Over the darkened city, the city of towers is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that explores the themes of urbanization, alienation, and the human condition. Through its use of metaphor, personification, and imagery, the poem creates a sense of unease and discomfort, emphasizing the overwhelming presence of the urban landscape and the disconnection of the people who live there. The poem's structure and repetition add to its sense of symmetry and balance, emphasizing the interconnectedness of its themes. Overall, this poem is a powerful exploration of the modern urban experience and the human condition.

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