Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Ingram Merrill’s poem "The Emerald," the second part of "Up and Down," explores the deep emotional and symbolic significance of familial inheritance and the passage of time. The poem is an intimate portrayal of the relationship between the speaker and his mother, highlighting the tension between past and present, as well as the unspoken truths that lie beneath the surface of their interactions.

The poem begins with the speaker’s mother asking him to drive downtown, a seemingly simple request that quickly takes on layers of meaning. The weather has turned fair, and they are "alive," a contrast to the memory of the mother’s late husband, the "gentle General," who fought for breath and ultimately surrendered in her arms. This memory of death and loss hangs over the poem, influencing the mother’s actions and the speaker’s reflections.

As they arrive downtown, the mother, now a widow, shields herself from the sun with a parasol and dark glasses. These accessories serve as more than just protection from the elements; they are symbols of her desire to guard herself from the harsh realities of life and the passage of time. The Lenten sun, with its "not yet detectable Malignant atomies," hints at the ever-present threat of mortality, which the mother tries to fend off through various means, including the use of an electric needle to remove freckles from her skin each fall.

The poem’s setting shifts to a bank, where the mother holds the key to a vault. Here, in the "cool gloom," the mother is greeted with reverence by the bank staff, who "quite palpably Adore her." This adoration underscores her status and the power she holds, not just in the bank but in the speaker’s life as well. The vault represents a place of security and preservation, containing the physical remnants of the past, including the "mud-brown" tin box that holds the family’s treasures.

When the mother opens the box, she finds an emerald bracelet, which once belonged to the speaker’s father. The emerald, "of the first water," is a powerful symbol of the enduring love between the speaker’s parents. The bracelet "link[s] star to pang, Teardrop to fire," encapsulating the intensity of that love and the grief that followed the father’s death. The emerald becomes a conduit for the mother’s memories, her face "queerly lit, fair, young," as she recalls her past.

The mother then offers the speaker a ring, saying, "He gave Me this when you were born. Here, take it for—For when you marry. For your bride. It’s yours." This moment is fraught with tension, as the speaker is faced with the expectation of marriage, a future that he knows will never come to pass. The ring, a "den of greenest light," symbolizes not just the love of the parents but also the speaker’s own identity and the life he has chosen. The speaker silently entreats his mother to "Wear it for me, until—until the time comes." This plea reveals the unspoken truth that the speaker will not marry, that his life is dedicated to something else entirely.

Merrill masterfully weaves the physical and emotional elements of the poem together, using the emerald and the ring as symbols of the complexities of love, memory, and identity. The poem’s final lines, where the speaker’s and his mother’s eyes meet, suggest a moment of understanding, if not complete acceptance. The "world beneath the world is brightening," hinting at a deeper recognition of the unspoken truths that bind them together.

"The Emerald" is a poignant exploration of the ways in which familial bonds, expectations, and personal identity intersect. Through his vivid imagery and careful attention to detail, Merrill captures the intricate dance between past and present, love and loss, tradition and individuality. The poem resonates with a quiet intensity, revealing the profound impact that these forces have on the lives of the speaker and his mother.

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