Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Wieners’ “The Suicide” is an elegiac meditation on death, memory, and the shared human experience of loss. Through a blend of personal reflection and universal address, Wieners crafts a poignant exploration of mortality and the lingering presence of those who have passed. The poem is both intimate and expansive, intertwining grief with a reverence for the enduring connections that transcend death.

The poem begins with the stark confession, “Yes I put her away,” a phrase that resonates with ambiguity. It could refer to a physical act, such as placing a photograph or memory out of sight, or it could signify emotional distancing from the weight of loss. This opening line sets a tone of regret and acceptance, acknowledging the complexity of mourning. Wieners juxtaposes this admission with the phrase “life flares up,” suggesting that even amid despair, life persists, fragile yet resilient, “as safe as China in a cup.” The simile emphasizes the delicate balance between life and death, underscoring the precariousness of existence.

The imagery of “the droppings of her heart” and “leaves rustle on the windowpane” evokes a haunting atmosphere, where the natural world seems to echo the emotional turbulence of grief. Time becomes cyclical, as “three o’clock turns round again,” a moment imbued with quiet reflection and a sense of inevitability. The “man in the moon” serves as a witness to the deceased’s fate, his fullness mirroring the completion of a life cycle, while the earth awaits to reclaim her ashes. This cosmic imagery elevates the personal loss to a universal plane, connecting the individual to the rhythms of nature and the universe.

Wieners deepens the exploration of shared mortality in the second stanza, declaring, “we become more common than the dust.” This line captures the equalizing force of death, which strips away the distinctions of individuality and leaves behind a communal essence. Yet, even as the physical body disintegrates, the emotional and spiritual bonds remain, allowing the deceased to persist in memory and shared experience. The speaker’s communion with the dead woman becomes a source of both solace and existential contemplation.

The third section of the poem shifts focus to the material representations of the deceased—photographs, mirrors, and clay—that fail to encapsulate her essence. “Clay cannot create her features / nor mirror reveal her mouth” speaks to the inadequacy of physical mediums to capture the vitality of a person. By urging the removal of “her picture from the shelf,” Wieners suggests that clinging to static representations can hinder the process of moving forward. Instead, he turns attention to “the living woman on the couch, decked with flowers,” emphasizing the importance of embracing life in the present. This juxtaposition highlights the tension between honoring the dead and continuing to live meaningfully.

The final section, subtitled “Address to the Woman,” takes on a tone of reverence and reassurance. Each refrain—“Tell her that may not rise again”—is followed by a declaration of the ways in which the deceased endures. Her “breath” remains in the living, her “hands” manifest as dawns, and her “words” become “warnings in the wood.” These lines imbue the woman’s memory with a sense of agency and influence, suggesting that even in death, she shapes the lives of those who remember her. The repetition reinforces the interconnectedness of life and death, as well as the idea that the spirit persists through the impressions left on others.

Wieners also invokes nature as a source of solace and continuity. The imagery of “dawns within our eyes” and “warnings in the wood” connects the deceased to the cycles of renewal and the mysteries of the natural world. By weaving her memory into the fabric of nature, the poem transforms individual loss into a shared, eternal experience.

Ultimately, “The Suicide” is a testament to the enduring impact of those we lose and the ways in which they remain present within us. Wieners navigates the complexities of grief with sensitivity, acknowledging the pain of separation while celebrating the resilience of memory and the interconnectedness of all life. The poem’s oscillation between personal and universal themes invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of loss and the ways in which love and memory transcend the boundaries of life and death. Through its lyrical beauty and emotional depth, “The Suicide” becomes both a mourning song and a celebration of the enduring human spirit.

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