'One Year' by Sharon Olds

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1992When I got to his marker, I sat on it,
like sitting on the edge of someone's bedand I rubbed the smooth, speckled granite.
I took some tears from my jaw and neck
and started to wash a corner of his stone.
Then a black and amber ant
ran out onto the granite, and off it,
and another ant hauled a dead
ant onto the stone, leaving it, and not coming back.
Ants ran down into the grooves of his name
and dates, down into the oval track of thefirst name's O, middle name's O,
the short O of his last name,
and down into the hyphen between
his birth and death--little trough of his life.
Soft bugs appeared on my shoes,
like grains of pollen, I let them move on me,
I rinsed a dark fleck of mica,
and down inside the engraved letters
the first dots of lichen were appearing
like stars in early evening.
I saw the speedwell on the ground with its horns,
the coiled ferns, copper-beech blossoms, each
petal like that disc of matter which
swayed, on the last day, on his tongue.
Tamarack, Western hemlock,
manzanita, water birch
with its scored bark,
I put my arms around a trunk and squeezed it,
then I lay down on my father's grave.
The sun shone down on me, the powerful
ants walked on me. When I woke,
my cheek was crumbly, yellowishwith a mustard plaster of earth. Only
at the last minute did I think of his body
actually under me, the can ofbone, ash, soft as a goosedown
pillow that bursts in bed with the lovers.
When I kissed his stone it was not enough,
when I licked it my tongue went dry a moment, Iate his dust, I tasted my dirt host.

Editor 1 Interpretation

One Year by Sharon Olds

Are you ready to embark on a journey of emotional exploration? Sharon Olds' "One Year" is a collection of poems that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of love, loss, and everything in between. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we'll delve deep into the themes and motifs that make this collection so powerful.

Overview

"One Year" is a collection of 44 poems that are arranged in chronological order. The collection starts with the birth of Olds' granddaughter and follows the poet's life for the next year. The poems are personal and intimate, often exploring Olds' relationship with her family and the people around her. The collection is divided into four sections: "Birth," "First Year," "Mourning," and "Recovery."

Themes

One of the most prominent themes in "One Year" is love. Olds' love for her granddaughter is evident throughout the collection, and the birth of the child is the catalyst for many of the poems. Olds also explores love in romantic relationships, and the ups and downs that come with them. The poems "The Pull Toy," "The Wedding Vow," and "The Baby's First Week" all examine the complexities of romantic love.

Another important theme is loss. Olds' father passed away during the year that the collection covers, and many of the poems deal with grief and mourning. "The Last Night," "The Father," and "The Grave" are all powerful explorations of loss and the emotions that come with it.

A third theme that runs through the collection is identity. Olds examines her own identity as a poet and a mother, as well as the identities of the people around her. "The Mother," "The Daughter Goes to the Gym," and "The Baby's First Week" are all examples of poems that explore identity.

Motifs

In addition to the themes, "One Year" also contains several motifs that help to tie the collection together. One of the most prominent motifs is the image of the body. Olds frequently explores the physicality of the human body, both in terms of sexuality and mortality. The poems "The Wedding Vow," "The Pull Toy," and "The Last Night" all contain vivid descriptions of the body.

Another motif is the passage of time. The collection covers a year in Olds' life, and many of the poems examine the way that time changes people and relationships. "The Baby's First Week" and "The Daughter Goes to the Gym" are two examples of poems that explore the passage of time.

Style

Olds' writing style is often described as confessional. She tackles difficult and personal subjects with unflinching honesty, and her poems can be both beautiful and uncomfortable to read. Her use of imagery is vivid and often startling, and she has a talent for finding beauty in the mundane. Olds' writing is also very rhythmic and musical, and her use of line breaks and punctuation is deliberate and effective.

Analysis

Let's take a closer look at two of the poems in "One Year" to see how Olds uses themes, motifs, and style to create powerful and moving poetry.

The Last Night

"The Last Night" is a poem that explores the emotions surrounding the death of Olds' father. The poem is written in free verse, with no set rhyme scheme or meter. The lack of structure in the poem mirrors the chaos and confusion that Olds feels as she watches her father slip away.

The poem contains several motifs, including the body and time. Olds describes her father's body as it deteriorates, and she reflects on the passage of time and how it has brought her to this moment. The poem also contains several powerful images, such as "the wind holding up its lanterns of rain" and "the black water of the night."

The theme of loss is central to the poem, and Olds explores it with raw emotion. She writes, "I am like a prisoner who has thrown away the key" and "I am like a bird who has flown over the cuckoo's nest." These similes emphasize the depth of Olds' grief and the feeling of helplessness that accompanies it.

Overall, "The Last Night" is a powerful and moving exploration of loss and grief. Olds' use of imagery and free verse make the poem feel raw and honest, and the emotion she conveys is palpable.

The Wedding Vow

"The Wedding Vow" is a poem that explores the complexities of romantic love. The poem is written in free verse, with no set rhyme scheme or meter. The lack of structure in the poem mirrors the unpredictability of love and how it can change over time.

The poem contains several motifs, including the body and time. Olds describes the physicality of the lovers, and she reflects on how time has changed their relationship. The image of the body is used to convey both the passion and the impermanence of love.

The theme of love is central to the poem, and Olds explores it with both tenderness and cynicism. She writes, "we said, For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, / and now we know that what we meant was, / For better or worse, in sanity and in madness." These lines highlight the way that love can be both beautiful and difficult, and the way that it can change over time.

Overall, "The Wedding Vow" is a complex and nuanced exploration of romantic love. Olds' use of imagery and free verse make the poem feel both intimate and universal, and the emotion she conveys is both tender and cynical.

Conclusion

"One Year" is a collection of powerful and moving poetry that explores themes of love, loss, and identity. Olds' confessional style and use of vivid imagery make the poems feel raw and honest, and her talent for finding beauty in the mundane is unparalleled. The collection is a testament to the power of poetry to explore the complexities of the human experience, and it is a must-read for anyone who wants to delve deep into their emotions.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Sharon Olds' Poetry One Year is a collection of poems that takes readers on a journey through the ups and downs of a year in the life of the poet. The collection is a powerful exploration of the human experience, with themes ranging from love and loss to family and identity. In this analysis, we will delve into the intricacies of Olds' work, exploring the themes, imagery, and language that make Poetry One Year a classic in contemporary poetry.

The collection is divided into four sections, each representing a season of the year. The first section, "Winter," sets the tone for the rest of the book, with poems that explore themes of loneliness, isolation, and the search for connection. In "The Winter After Your Father Died," Olds writes about the pain of losing a loved one, and the struggle to find meaning in the aftermath. The poem is a powerful meditation on grief, with lines like "I am trying to find a way to live / without you, to make a life / that is not about you, to find / a way to be in the world / without your body in it."

The second section, "Spring," is a celebration of renewal and growth. Olds' poems in this section are full of vivid imagery, capturing the beauty of the natural world as it awakens from its winter slumber. In "The Language of the Brag," Olds writes about the joy of being alive, and the importance of taking pleasure in the small things in life. The poem is a celebration of the senses, with lines like "I have eaten / the plums that were in the icebox / and which you were probably / saving for breakfast / Forgive me they were delicious / so sweet and so cold."

The third section, "Summer," is a time of passion and intensity. Olds' poems in this section are full of desire and longing, exploring the complexities of love and sexuality. In "The Race," Olds writes about the thrill of physical intimacy, and the way it can bring people together. The poem is a sensual exploration of the body, with lines like "I want to feel your body / against mine, to feel the heat / of your skin, the rhythm / of your breath, the beat / of your heart."

The final section, "Fall," is a time of reflection and introspection. Olds' poems in this section are full of nostalgia and regret, as the poet looks back on the year that has passed. In "The Promise," Olds writes about the pain of unfulfilled dreams, and the way they can haunt us long after they are gone. The poem is a powerful meditation on the passage of time, with lines like "I promised myself / that I would be happy, that I would find / love, that I would make a life / that was worth living. / But the years have passed, / and I am still searching."

Throughout the collection, Olds' language is powerful and evocative, capturing the emotions and experiences of the human condition with precision and grace. Her use of imagery is particularly striking, with vivid descriptions of the natural world that bring the poems to life. In "The Language of the Brag," for example, Olds writes about the "juice of the peach" and the "flesh of the melon," capturing the sensory experience of eating fruit in a way that is both sensual and visceral.

Olds' use of language is also notable for its honesty and directness. Her poems are unflinching in their exploration of difficult emotions, from grief and loss to desire and longing. In "The Race," for example, Olds writes about the way physical intimacy can bring people together, but also the way it can leave us feeling vulnerable and exposed. The poem is a powerful exploration of the complexities of human relationships, with lines like "I want to be close to you, / but I am afraid of what that means, / of what it might reveal about me."

Overall, Poetry One Year is a powerful collection of poems that explores the complexities of the human experience with honesty and grace. Olds' use of language and imagery is striking, capturing the beauty and pain of life in a way that is both visceral and emotional. Whether exploring themes of love and loss, or celebrating the beauty of the natural world, Olds' poems are a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of what it means to be human.

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