Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"For a Wedding on Mount Tamalpais" by Jane Hirshfield encapsulates the beauty and sacredness of a life-altering moment-a wedding-in the serene setting of a mountain in July. The poem is not just a commentary on marital vows, but also a celebration of the natural world, human existence, and the symbiotic relationship between the two. In the backdrop of a seemingly ordinary event of apples falling, Hirshfield elevates the importance of life's simplest pleasures and most basic instincts.

The central motif is the apples-"rich" and "falling"-which serve as a symbol for both the earth's fertility and the naturalness of love. The apples are not just consumed; they are put to the lips "as you were meant to," suggesting that love, like tasting an apple, is instinctual and fulfilling. It's a part of the life that the earth "wants to give," indicating a kind of preordained unity and harmony that's as natural as the earth's seasonal yield.

Themes of universality and interconnectedness pervade the poem. Hirshfield's choice of the word "Everything" in the line, "Everything loves this way," links the personal and individual love between two people to a broader, more universal concept of love that is reflected in nature. This is expanded by a vivid natural imagery-"gold honey," "gold mountain grass," the "shadow of hawks," and "the shadow of clouds passing by"-all of which imply a richness and depth to the world, a world that is part of the love celebrated in the wedding.

The style of the poem contributes to its thematic depth. The imagery is both lush and simple, capturing nature in its most essential and beautiful forms. The flow of the poem mimics the natural and instinctive acts it describes; the lines are short, simple, and effortlessly connected to each other. This simplicity enhances the profound nature of the poem's subject matter.

Towards the end, Hirshfield effortlessly intertwines the personal with the universal. The grasses, oaks, and bays "taste the apples' deep sweetness because you taste it," suggesting a shared experience that extends beyond the human realm. The couple's love isn't just their own; it is part of a larger, cosmic experience that resonates with the world around them. This idea culminates in the line "tasting the life that is yours," a poetic nod to the existential act of living fully, enhanced by love.

The concluding lines bring us back to the human world with the sound of "foghorns," which are "bending to their work," symbolizing life's continual cycles-of coming and going, of joy and sorrow. Yet, there is a blessing in both-the foghorns bless "what is coming home" and "what goes," capturing the totality of life experience, much like a wedding, which marks both an end and a new beginning.

In "For a Wedding on Mount Tamalpais," Hirshfield has created a textured tapestry that weaves together the individual and the universal, the ephemeral and the eternal, in a snapshot of one of life's most significant moments. The poem is a tribute to love, to nature, and to the sacredness of human experience, captured in the simple act of tasting an apple on a sun-drenched mountain.

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