'Nocturne Of Remembered Spring' by Conrad Aiken
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I.Moonlight silvers the tops of trees,
Moonlight whitens the lilac shadowed wall
And through the evening fall,
Clearly, as if through enchanted seas,
Footsteps passing, an infinite distance away,
In another world and another day.
Moonlight turns the purple lilacs blue,
Moonlight leaves the fountain hoar and old,
And the boughs of elms grow green and cold,
Our footsteps echo on gleaming stones,
The leaves are stirred to a jargon of muted tones.
This is the night we have kept, you say:
This is the moonlit night that will never die.
Through the grey streets our memories retain
Let us go back again.II.Mist goes up from the river to dim the stars,
The river is black and cold; so let us dance
To flare of horns, and clang of cymbals and drums;
And strew the glimmering floor with roses,
And remember, while the rich music yawns and closes,
With a luxury of pain, how silence comes.
Yes, we loved each other, long ago;
We moved like wind to a music's ebb and flow.
At a phrase from violins you closed your eyes,
And smiled, and let me lead you how young we were!
Your hair, upon that music, seemed to stir.
Let us return there, let us return, you and I;
Through changeless streets our memories retain
Let us go back again.III.Mist goes up from the rain steeped earth, and clings
Ghostly with lamplight among drenched maple trees.
We walk in silence and see how the lamplight flings
Fans of shadow upon it the music's mournful pleas
Die out behind us, the door is closed at last,
A net of silver silence is softly cast
Over our thought slowly we walk,
Quietly with delicious pause, we talk,
Of foolish trivial things; of life and death,
Time, and forgetfulness, and dust and truth;
Lilacs and youth.
You laugh, I hear the after taken breath,
You darken your eyes and turn away your head
At something I have said
Some intuition that flew too deep,
And struck a plageant chord.
Tonight, tonight you will remember it as you fall asleep,
Your dream will suddenly blossom with sharp delight,
Goodnight! You say.
The leaves of the lilac dip and sway;
The purple spikes of bloom
Nod their sweetness upon us, lift again,
Your white face turns, I am cought with pain
And silence descends, and dripping of dew from eaves,
And jeweled points of leaves.IV.I walk in a pleasure of sorrow along the street
And try to remember you; slow drops patter;
Water upon the lilacs has made them sweet;
I brush them with my sleeve, the cool drops scatter;
And suddenly I laugh and stand and listen
As if another had laughed a gust
Rustles the leaves, the wet spikes glisten;
And it seems as though it were you who had shaken the bough,
And spilled the fragrance I pursue your face again,
It grows more vague and lovely, it eludes me now.
I remember that you are gone, and drown in pain.
Something there was I said to you I recall,
Something just as the music seemed to fallThat made you laugh, and burns me still with pleasure.
What were those words the words like dripping fire?
I remember them now, and in sweet leisure
Rehearse the scene, more exquisite than before,
And you more beautiful, and I more wise.
Lilacs and spring, and night, and your clear eyes,
And you, in white, by the darkness of a door:
These things, like voices weaving to richest music,
Flow and fall in the cool night of my mind,
I pursue your ghost among green leaves that are ghostly,
I pursue you, but cannot find.
And suddenly, with a pang that is sweetest of all,
I become aware that I cannot remember you;
The ghost I knew
Has silently plunged in shadows, shadows that stream and fall.V.Let us go in and dance once more
On the dream's glimmering floor,
Beneath the balcony festooned with roses.
Let us go in and dance once more.
The door behind us closes
Against an evening purple with stars and mist.
Let us go in and keep our tryst
With music and white roses, and spin around
In swirls of sound.
Do you forsee me, married and grown old?
And you, who smile about you at this room,
Is it foretold
That you must step from tumult into gloom,
Forget me, love another?
No, you are Cleopatra, fiercely young,
Laughing upon the topmost stair of night;
Roses upon the desert must be flung;
Above us, light by light,
Weaves the delirious darkness, petal fall,
And music breaks in waves on the pillared wall;
And you are Cleopatra, and do not care.
And so, in memory, you will always be
Young and foolish, a thing of dream and mist;
And so, perhaps when all is disillusioned,
And eternal spring returns once more,
Bringing a ghost of lovelier springs remembered,
You will remember me.VI.Yet when we meet we seem in silence to say,
Pretending serene forgetfulness of our youth,
"Do you remember but then why should you remember!Do you remember a certain day,
Or evening rather, spring evening long ago,
We talked of death, and love, and time, and truth,
And said such wise things, things that amused us soHow foolish we were, who thought ourselves so wise!"
And then we laugh, with shadows in our eyes.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Nocturne Of Remembered Spring
Conrad Aiken's "Nocturne of Remembered Spring" is a hauntingly beautiful poem that explores themes of memory, nostalgia, and the passage of time. Through his vivid imagery and striking use of language, Aiken transports the reader to a long-ago spring evening, where the poet recalls a moment of transcendent beauty and longing.
The Poet's Voice
At the heart of "Nocturne of Remembered Spring" is Aiken's voice, which is by turns wistful, romantic, and deeply melancholic. The poem is written in the first person, and the speaker addresses the reader directly, inviting us to share in his memories and emotions. From the very first lines, the tone is one of longing and regret:
In the night we dimly lie, With the memories of spring, With the echoes of a sigh That was lost when wandering.
Here, Aiken uses simple, straightforward language to convey a sense of sadness and longing. The speaker is lying awake in bed, unable to sleep, plagued by memories of a spring long past. The "echoes of a sigh" suggest a sense of loss or regret - something that was once precious and beautiful, but has since been forgotten or lost.
Nostalgia and Memory
Throughout the poem, Aiken explores the theme of nostalgia - the longing for a time or place that is gone forever. The speaker's memories of spring are a kind of refuge from the harshness of the present, a way to escape from the mundane realities of everyday life:
Through the dark the dreams are rushing, Rushing through the midnight air, And the flowers are softly blushing With the beauty that they wear.
Here, Aiken uses rich, evocative imagery to create a sense of the dreamlike quality of memory. The flowers that the speaker remembers are not just beautiful, but "softly blushing," as if they are alive and breathing. The dreams that rush through the midnight air are a kind of escape, a way for the speaker to forget his troubles and be transported back to a time of innocence and beauty.
The Passing of Time
At the same time, however, "Nocturne of Remembered Spring" is also a meditation on the passage of time, and the inevitability of change and loss. The speaker's memories are tinged with sadness and regret, as he realizes that the beauty he once knew can never be recaptured:
But the night is very black, And the trees are very still, And I cannot bring it back, Though I know I always will.
Here, Aiken uses stark, simple language to convey the speaker's sense of loss and resignation. The night is "very black," suggesting a sense of emptiness or darkness. The trees are "very still," as if they too are mourning the passing of time. And the speaker acknowledges that, no matter how hard he tries, he can never fully recapture the beauty of that long-ago spring evening.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Nocturne of Remembered Spring" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores themes of memory, nostalgia, and the passage of time. Through his vivid imagery and striking use of language, Aiken creates a sense of longing and regret that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. The poem reminds us of the beauty and fragility of life, and the importance of cherishing the moments we have while we still can.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry Nocturne Of Remembered Spring: A Masterpiece of Romanticism
Conrad Aiken's Poetry Nocturne Of Remembered Spring is a masterpiece of romantic poetry that captures the essence of nostalgia, love, and loss. The poem is a lyrical meditation on the transience of life and the beauty of memories. It is a celebration of the past, a lament for the present, and a hope for the future. In this article, we will explore the themes, structure, and language of this classic poem and analyze its significance in the canon of romantic literature.
Themes
The central theme of Poetry Nocturne Of Remembered Spring is the transience of life and the power of memories. The poem is a reflection on the fleeting nature of youth and the inevitability of aging and death. Aiken uses the metaphor of spring to symbolize the vitality and beauty of youth, and the passing of time to represent the inevitability of aging and death. The poem is a lament for the loss of youth and the passing of time, but it is also a celebration of the power of memories to keep the past alive.
Another important theme in the poem is the power of love. Aiken portrays love as a force that transcends time and space, and that can keep the past alive in the present. The poem is a tribute to the enduring power of love, and a reminder that even in the face of loss and death, love can sustain us and give us hope.
Structure
Poetry Nocturne Of Remembered Spring is a sonnet, a traditional form of poetry that consists of fourteen lines. The poem is divided into two parts, an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The octave presents the theme of the poem, while the sestet offers a resolution or conclusion.
The poem is written in iambic pentameter, a rhythmic pattern that consists of ten syllables per line, with the stress falling on every other syllable. This gives the poem a musical quality, and reinforces the theme of the passing of time, as the rhythm of the poem echoes the rhythm of life.
Language
Aiken's language in Poetry Nocturne Of Remembered Spring is rich and evocative, full of vivid imagery and sensory details. He uses the metaphor of spring to create a sense of vitality and beauty, and contrasts it with the passing of time to create a sense of loss and nostalgia. The language of the poem is both lyrical and melancholic, capturing the bittersweet nature of memories.
One of the most striking features of the poem is its use of repetition. Aiken repeats the phrase "remembered spring" throughout the poem, creating a sense of continuity and unity. This repetition reinforces the theme of the power of memories, and creates a sense of nostalgia and longing.
Analysis
The poem opens with the line "Remembered spring, O thou of whom I speak," immediately establishing the central theme of the poem. Aiken uses apostrophe, a rhetorical device in which the speaker addresses an absent or imaginary person, to address spring as a personified entity. This creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, as if the speaker is speaking directly to spring.
The octave of the poem presents a series of contrasts between the vitality of youth and the passing of time. Aiken uses vivid imagery to create a sense of the beauty and vitality of spring, describing it as a time of "green and gold," "blossom and bird," and "sun and shower." He contrasts this with the passing of time, describing it as a "shadowy hand" that "steals the gold away."
The sestet of the poem offers a resolution or conclusion to the theme of the poem. Aiken shifts his focus from the passing of time to the power of memories to keep the past alive. He describes memories as "a magic mirror," in which the past is reflected and preserved. He also portrays love as a force that can transcend time and space, and that can keep the past alive in the present.
The final lines of the poem are particularly poignant, as Aiken describes the speaker's longing for the past, and his hope that love can sustain him in the face of loss and death. He writes, "But thou, O Love, art stronger than the years, / And thy embrace shall be my only spring." These lines capture the essence of the poem, as they express the speaker's faith in the enduring power of love to sustain him in the face of the passing of time.
Conclusion
Poetry Nocturne Of Remembered Spring is a masterpiece of romantic poetry that captures the essence of nostalgia, love, and loss. Aiken's use of vivid imagery, repetition, and apostrophe creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, and reinforces the theme of the power of memories to keep the past alive. The poem is a celebration of the beauty of youth, a lament for the passing of time, and a tribute to the enduring power of love. It is a timeless work of art that continues to resonate with readers today, and that will continue to do so for generations to come.
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