Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"If You Could Come Softly" by Audre Lorde is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the delicate nature of human connection. Written in a tone that is both inviting and melancholic, the poem delves into the fragile yet enriching experiences that define our relationships. Lorde employs natural imagery, simple diction, and contemplative silences to evoke a sense of tranquil intimacy, as well as the profound sorrow that often accompanies love.

The poem opens with a conditional clause: "If you come as softly / As the wind within the trees." The softness and subtlety likened to wind and trees sets the stage for the emotional nuances the poem aims to explore. It invites the reader or the addressee to share a moment of understanding, to "hear what I hear / See what sorrow sees." The specificity of "sorrow" establishes an emotional undercurrent that runs throughout the poem.

The second stanza continues the theme of conditions, albeit with a subtle shift. Here, the conditional transforms into a promise: "I will take you gladly / Nor ask more of you." It suggests an acceptance of the other person, a willingness to embrace them as they are, without the need for justifications or explanations.

The theme of mortality makes an appearance in the third stanza: "Only those who stay dead / Shall remember death." There's a stoic acceptance here-a recognition that life, for all its complexity, is transient. Yet, even in acknowledging the inevitable specter of death, the focus remains on the present, the silence "as a breath" that envelops the two figures in the poem.

The fourth stanza moves beyond the conditional to the assured: "And if you come I will be silent / Nor speak harsh words to you." There is a delicate assurance in this promise, a commitment to maintaining the peace and silence that defines the relationship.

The closing lines are particularly evocative, "We shall sit here, softly / Beneath two different years / And the rich between us / Shall drink our tears." These lines encapsulate the dichotomy of connection and isolation. Sitting "beneath two different years" captures the idea of two individuals, separate but intimately connected. They share the same space, but each brings their own unique set of experiences and sorrows ("tears"). The "rich between us" seems to represent the depth and complexity of their emotional lives, nourished and sustained by their shared vulnerabilities.

Audre Lorde has crafted a poem that speaks to the complexities of love and human connection, beautifully capturing the richness that comes from sharing one's inner world with another. "If You Could Come Softly" offers a nuanced view of relationships, examining how they can simultaneously be sites of deep emotional fulfillment and profound sorrow. It reminds us that the most meaningful connections often come when we least expect them, soft as the wind, light as dew, and silent as a shared tear.

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