Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Escape" by Elinor Wylie, the speaker envisions a fantastical retreat from the struggles of the world, where the ultimate act of escape involves transforming into a mythical being and finding a sanctuary in nature. The poem explores themes of withdrawal, self-transformation, and the desire to escape the chaotic, often painful world of human interaction, with a final image of elusiveness and peace that is both otherworldly and introspective.

The opening line, “When foxes eat the last gold grape,” immediately conjures a sense of finality and loss. The fox, often symbolic of cunning or wildness, is seen here devouring the last "gold grape," which might symbolize the final beauty or value in the world. This image sets the stage for an apocalyptic or at least a deeply transformative event, where the natural world has reached its last moments of abundance. The mention of the “last white antelope” further emphasizes the theme of endings, suggesting that both beauty and innocence have been exhausted, and the speaker now contemplates escaping this dying world.

The idea of escape is framed as an act of withdrawal and transformation. “I shall stop fighting and escape / Into a little house I'll build.” This desire to "stop fighting" indicates a rejection of the struggles and battles of life, as the speaker seeks peace in a personal, self-created refuge—a "little house" that offers comfort and solitude away from the world. The house is not a grand or societal refuge but a humble, personal space that can offer solace from external chaos.

Next, the speaker imagines a physical and metaphysical transformation: “But first I'll shrink to fairy size, / With a whisper no one understands.” The fairy is a small, elusive being, symbolizing both freedom from the constraints of human existence and the power to transcend normal perception. The “whisper no one understands” suggests that the speaker’s escape will be entirely private and beyond the comprehension of others. It marks a shift from the external world to an internal, personal experience, where the speaker can exist without interference or misunderstanding.

The following lines intensify this sense of transformation and power: “Making blind moons of all your eyes, / And muddy roads of all your hands.” Here, the speaker exerts control over the perceptions of others, rendering their sight useless (“blind moons”) and their efforts futile (“muddy roads”). This image reflects the speaker’s desire to create a world where they are free from human constraints and where those left behind are unable to follow or understand. The act of transforming others’ perceptions mirrors the speaker’s own desire to escape from reality and reshape the world to fit their inner desires.

The final stanza continues with the theme of escape into the natural world, where the speaker becomes more elusive and uncatchable: “And you may grope for me in vain / In hollows under the mangrove root.” The image of groping "in vain" suggests that the speaker has become so elusive that any attempts to find them are futile. The mention of the "mangrove root" brings in the image of nature as a mysterious, almost magical realm, where life thrives in hidden, tangled places. The speaker is now part of this hidden, enchanted world, existing outside the reach of ordinary human endeavors.

The final lines, “Or where, in apple-scented rain, / The silver wasp-nests hang like fruit,” introduce an image of nature as both beautiful and elusive. The "apple-scented rain" evokes a sweet, almost Edenic atmosphere, while the "silver wasp-nests" hanging "like fruit" creates an eerie, ethereal quality, mixing beauty with a subtle danger. The wasp-nests, while delicate and beautiful, are also reminders of nature’s harshness and unpredictability, and they symbolize the speaker’s ultimate escape into a world that is both beautiful and untouchable.

In "Escape," Wylie uses imagery of nature, transformation, and elusiveness to explore the desire to withdraw from a world that has become unbearable. The speaker’s escape is not only physical but metaphysical, as they shrink to fairy size and transcend the human world, becoming part of nature’s hidden, untouchable beauty. Through these images, Wylie reflects on the tension between the need to retreat from the world’s struggles and the seductive pull of a more mystical, elusive existence, where the speaker can finally find peace and solace away from human interference.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...