Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's poem "Holy Thursday" is a poignant reflection on the ending of a relationship, captured through a quiet, almost meditative scene set in a restaurant after hours. The title "Holy Thursday" traditionally refers to the Christian observance of the Last Supper, a time of gathering, reflection, and the beginning of a profound separation—themes that subtly underpin the emotional landscape of the poem.

The poem begins with a sense of lingering, both physically and emotionally: "They’re kindly here, to let us linger so late, / Long after the shutters are up." The act of staying late in the restaurant, long after it has closed to the public, mirrors the way the speaker and their companion are lingering in a relationship that seems to have already ended in some meaningful way. The physical setting—a restaurant after hours—becomes a metaphor for the emotional state of the couple, who are still present but no longer engaged in the vibrancy of their relationship.

The arrival of a waiter who "glides from the kitchen with a plate / Of stew, or some thick soup" introduces an element of everyday life into the poem's contemplative atmosphere. The waiter’s actions—settling himself at a nearby table, eating his meal—contrast with the stillness and silence between the speaker and their companion. The waiter is engaged in a simple, routine activity, while the couple is caught in the weight of something unspoken but deeply felt.

The poem subtly reveals the emotional distance between the speaker and their companion: "We know, you and I, that it’s over, / That something or other has come between / Us, whatever we are, or were." The repetition of "something or other" and the ambiguity of "whatever we are, or were" emphasize the uncertainty and confusion that often accompany the end of a relationship. The speaker acknowledges the end without specifying the cause, reflecting a sense of resignation or acceptance that what once was cannot be reclaimed.

The waiter, who "swabs his plate with bread / And drains what’s left of his wine," becomes a figure of finality, his actions symbolizing the conclusion of a meal, and by extension, the conclusion of a chapter in the speaker's life. The methodical way in which the waiter "rearranges, one by one, / The knife, the fork, the spoon, the napkin, / The table itself, the chair he’s simply borrowed" suggests a ritualistic tidying up, a putting away of things that are no longer needed. This act of careful arrangement contrasts with the emotional disarray suggested by the earlier lines.

The poem closes with a striking image: the waiter "smiles, and bows to his own absence." This gesture of bowing to his own absence can be interpreted as an acknowledgment of the end—both of his role in the meal and of the presence he had in that space. It reflects the theme of departure and the acceptance of endings, resonating with the speaker’s own sense of the relationship's conclusion.

"Holy Thursday" is a delicate exploration of the end of a relationship, set against the backdrop of a quiet, almost sacred moment in an ordinary setting. The poem's title, with its religious connotations, hints at themes of parting, reflection, and the bittersweet nature of endings. Through the simple yet evocative actions of the waiter, Muldoon captures the quiet dignity of accepting that something has ended, and the inevitability of moving on, even as the memory of what was lingers in the air.

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