Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Jorge Luis Borges' poem "Empty Drawing Room" (originally titled "Sala Vacía") is a meditation on the passage of time, the fleeting nature of memory, and the tension between the past and the present. Through vivid imagery and a reflective tone, Borges explores the contrast between the static, almost ghostly remnants of the past within a drawing room and the dynamic, undeniable vitality of the present world outside.

The poem opens with a description of the "mahogany suite" in the drawing room, which "continues its everlasting conversation." This image of the furniture silently "conversing" suggests a sense of continuity and permanence within the room, as if the objects are eternally locked in a dialogue that transcends the living occupants who once filled the space. The use of "everlasting" underscores the idea that the physical remnants of the past, such as the furniture, persist long after the people who used them have faded away.

Borges then introduces the "daguerreotypes," an early form of photography, which he describes as telling a "lie." These images, which should serve as faithful records of the past, instead present a "false nearness of old age cloistered in a mirror." The "false nearness" suggests that the daguerreotypes give the illusion of bringing the past closer, but in reality, they only serve to highlight the distance between the present and the past. The "old age cloistered in a mirror" evokes the sense of the past being trapped, confined within the reflective surface, unable to truly interact with the present.

As the speaker attempts to engage with these images, they find that "when we look hard they elude us like pointless dates of murky anniversaries." The elusiveness of the images reflects the difficulty of grasping the past, which becomes increasingly vague and indistinct with the passage of time. The "pointless dates of murky anniversaries" suggest that the specific details of the past, such as the dates of events or celebrations, have lost their significance and clarity, becoming mere shadows in the memory.

The poem continues with a description of the "anxious almost-voice" of these images, which "runs after our souls more than half a century late." This "almost-voice" is a metaphor for the faint, lingering presence of the past, which tries to reach out to the present but arrives too late to have any real impact. The voice is "anxious," as if it is desperate to make itself heard, but it can only catch up to "the first mornings of our childhood," a time that is already distant and receding further into the past.

Borges then shifts the focus to the present, which he describes as "Actuality, ceaseless, ruddy, and beyond doubt." This depiction of the present contrasts sharply with the faded and ghostly past. The present is vibrant, undeniable, and full of life, celebrating its "unassailable abundance of present apotheosis" in the bustling activity of the street outside the drawing room. The word "apotheosis" suggests that the present moment is at its peak, a culmination of everything that has come before, and it is unchallenged by the ghosts of the past.

The poem concludes with the image of light slicing "through the windowpanes" and humbling "the senile armchairs and corners." This light represents the present's power to assert itself over the past, as it "strangles the shriveled voice of these ancestors." The "senile armchairs" and "shriveled voice" symbolize the decay and insignificance of the past in the face of the present's vitality. The light, representing truth and reality, diminishes the lingering influence of the past, reducing it to a mere shadow that can no longer compete with the immediacy of the present.

"Empty Drawing Room" is a poignant reflection on the nature of memory, time, and the inevitable decline of the past's influence as the present continually asserts itself. Borges captures the tension between the lingering presence of the past, with its relics and memories, and the overwhelming force of the present, which relentlessly moves forward, leaving the past increasingly irrelevant. The poem invites readers to consider the ways in which we engage with our memories and the past, acknowledging both the beauty and the futility of trying to hold on to what has already passed, as the present continues to shape our lives.

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