Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Rites of Passage: II" by Robert Duncan is a powerful exploration of the transition from youth to adulthood, symbolically rendered through vivid, transformative imagery. This poem delves into the emotional complexity of watching a son come of age, capturing the inherent tension between connection and separation that marks this critical phase of life.

The poem opens with a stark metamorphosis: "Horns thrust upward from the brow. / Hooves beat impatient where feet once were." These lines vividly depict the son undergoing a dramatic, almost mythical transformation, suggesting an emergence of primal, untamed qualities as he moves away from childhood. This transformation is not only physical but also symbolic of gaining power and independence, a common theme in rites of passage.

The speaker, presumably a parent, observes these changes with a mix of awe and anxiety: "My son, youth grows alarming in your face. / Your innocent regard is cruelly charming to me now." These lines convey the tension in seeing the son grow into his own person, his youthful innocence taking on a new, almost menacing quality as he matures. The parent feels a mix of admiration and fear, recognizing the son's growing independence as something beautiful yet daunting.

The description of the son's behavior underscores this distancing: "You bristle where my fond hand would stir / to stroke your cheek. I do not dare." The physical and emotional gap widens as the son becomes less accessible, resisting the affectionate gestures that once defined their relationship. This resistance is part of the natural process of individuation but leaves the parent feeling cautious and estranged.

The transformation continues with the son outpacing the parent, symbolically and literally: "Snuffling the air you take the heat and scan / the lines you take in going as if I were or were not there / and overtake me." The son's assertive, independent actions signal his readiness to navigate the world on his own terms, eclipsing the parent's role and presence. This shift is poignant, capturing the bittersweet reality of a child growing beyond the need for parental guidance.

The poem then transitions to the parent's reflection on their own life and experiences with growing older: "Peace, peace. I’ve had enough. What can I say / when song’s demanded? —I’ve had my fill of song? / My longing to sing grows full. Time’s emptied me." Here, the speaker grapples with feelings of obsolescence and exhaustion, feeling depleted as the son's life grows richer and more vibrant.

In the concluding lines, the generational shift completes as the son assumes his own place under the sun: "And where my youth was, now the Sun in you grows hot, your day / is young, my place you take triumphantly." The parent acknowledges the son's ascendancy and vitality, recognizing that this process of renewal is both inevitable and necessary.

"Rites of Passage: II" is a deeply introspective poem that articulates the complex emotions involved in watching one's child mature and become independent. Duncan uses mythological elements to elevate the everyday experience of parenting into a universal, archetypal journey, highlighting the cyclical nature of life and the poignant relinquishment that parenting, at its core, requires. The poem speaks to the heart of the parental experience: the painful but necessary release of one's child into the autonomy of their own life.

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