Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "The Race," Sharon Olds recounts a harrowing journey to reach her dying father, capturing the urgency, physicality, and emotional weight of the experience. The poem portrays a frantic dash through an airport, underscoring the anxiety and desperation to be with a loved one in their final moments. Through vivid imagery and dynamic pacing, Olds explores themes of love, mortality, and the lengths one will go to honor profound familial bonds.

The narrative begins with the speaker at the airport, hastily purchasing a ticket only to discover the flight has been canceled. The urgency of the situation is immediately palpable, as the doctors have informed her that her father might not survive the night. This sets the tone for the poem, establishing a race against time. A young man directs her to another airline with a departing flight, and the speaker embarks on a frantic journey through the airport. The detailed instructions—down an elevator, onto a yellow bus, to another terminal—highlight the disorientation and the high stakes, contrasting with the usual dispassionate pace of airport travel.

As the speaker navigates the chaotic environment, she likens herself to "a fish / slipping upstream deftly against / the flow of the river." This metaphor emphasizes her determination and the natural, almost instinctual, drive to reach her father. The imagery of a fish moving against the current encapsulates her defiance of the physical and logistical obstacles, underscoring her singular focus.

The speaker's urgency is further emphasized as she describes herself running, burdened by bags hastily packed. These bags, which "wagged me from side to side," symbolize the physical weight of material possessions and the emotional burden of the situation. Despite her usual tendency to "go to the end of the line," she breaks from her habitual restraint, seeking help directly and urgently. Her plea to a man with "a flower on his breast" and the subsequent directions continue to propel the narrative forward, with every step meticulously accounted for.

As the poem reaches its climax, the speaker describes a transformative moment: "I took a deep breath, I said / goodbye to my body, goodbye to comfort." This declaration signifies a relinquishing of physical ease and a complete investment in the mission to reach her father. The description of using her "legs and heart" as if to "gladly use them up for this" reflects an all-consuming drive, prioritizing emotional need over physical well-being.

The imagery of running, with bags "banged against me, wheeled and coursed / in skewed orbits," conjures a scene of controlled chaos. The speaker's reference to "women running, their belongings tied / in scarves grasped in their fists" evokes a timeless and universal image of urgency, further emphasizing the primal nature of her quest. The gratitude expressed for her "long legs" and "strong heart" highlights a moment of self-awareness and acknowledgment of the physical gifts inherited from her father, which enable her to make this final effort.

The poem reaches a cathartic release as the speaker narrowly makes it to Gate 17, slipping through "the needle’s eye" just as the plane door is closing. This biblical allusion reinforces the idea of a miraculous, narrow escape, aligning her journey with a sense of destiny or divine intervention. The description of the plane's interior, filled with a "mist of gold endorphin light," contrasts sharply with the preceding tension, suggesting a surreal, almost heavenly experience. The relief and tears that follow are akin to those of "people...when they enter heaven," indicating the profound emotional release of having successfully reached her father.

The final scene in the poem is a quiet vigil by her father's bedside. The shift from the frenetic energy of the airport to the stillness of the hospital room is stark. The speaker watches her father's chest rise and fall, a simple yet profound act that signifies her presence and love. The repetition of "all night / I watched him breathe" underscores the preciousness of these final moments, encapsulating the essence of the journey: to be present with her father as life ebbs away.

"The Race" is a powerful exploration of the urgency and devotion felt in moments of impending loss. Sharon Olds masterfully conveys the tension and emotional depth of a daughter racing against time to be with her father. The poem captures the raw physicality of the race, the emotional highs and lows, and ultimately, the profound relief of being able to share those final, irreplaceable moments. Through this narrative, Olds offers a meditation on the nature of love, sacrifice, and the lengths we go to honor and connect with those we cherish.

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