Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Jorge Luis Borges' poem "Remorse for Any Death" ("Remordimiento por Cualquier Defunción") delves into the metaphysical nature of death and the existential reflections it provokes. The poem is not merely a meditation on the passing of an individual but rather a contemplation on the concept of death itself, its abstract and universal qualities, and the way the living interact with the memory of the deceased.

The poem begins by presenting death as something "free of memory and hope, unlimited, abstract, almost future." In these lines, Borges detaches death from the individual experiences that usually define it, such as memories or the anticipation of what is to come. Death, in this sense, transcends the personal and becomes a universal state that is "almost future," suggesting its inevitability for all. The deceased, then, is no longer a person with a distinct identity or history but rather "death" itself—an embodiment of the concept rather than an entity with attributes.

Borges makes an intriguing comparison to "the God of the mystics," who, in mystic traditions, is often described as being without attributes, beyond human understanding or description. Similarly, the dead person, "everywhere no one," is reduced to an absence, a void that signifies not just the loss of life but the loss of presence in the world. The dead, in Borges' view, are not beings who have merely left the world; they have become "nothing but the loss and absence of the world." This stark view emphasizes the complete erasure of the individual’s interaction with the world, as they become a non-entity.

The poem then shifts to the perspective of the living, who, in confronting death, "rob it of everything." This line suggests a form of appropriation or even violence, as the living take from the dead all that once defined their existence. The dead are stripped of "one color, one syllable," meaning they are deprived of their senses, their voice, their identity. The poem poignantly describes the spaces and objects that the dead once occupied—the yard, the sidewalk—as now void of their presence, emphasizing the finality of their absence.

Borges introduces a profound thought about how the living interact with the memory of the deceased: "Even what we are thinking it might be thinking too." This suggests that the living project their own thoughts and emotions onto the dead, perhaps in an attempt to keep them alive in some symbolic way, or to grapple with the enormity of their absence. The dead become a mirror for the living's own thoughts and feelings, stripped of their agency and identity, and reduced to what the living imagine them to be.

The poem concludes with a powerful image of theft: "we have shared out like thieves the amazing treasure of nights and days." Borges likens the act of remembering and interpreting the dead to a kind of theft, where the living divide among themselves the experiences, moments, and memories that once belonged to the deceased. The "treasure of nights and days" refers to the lived experiences of the dead, now appropriated by the living as they remember, interpret, and sometimes even rewrite the past. The idea of this being done "like thieves" suggests an ethical tension, as if the living, in their attempts to make sense of death, are taking something that no longer truly belongs to them.

"Remorse for Any Death" is a profound and sobering reflection on the nature of death and the relationship between the living and the dead. Borges explores the abstract and impersonal quality of death, contrasting it with the deeply personal and sometimes intrusive way the living deal with the absence of the deceased. The poem challenges readers to think about how they remember and interpret those who have passed, and to consider the ways in which these acts of memory might obscure or even erase the true essence of the individual who has died. Through his characteristic blend of metaphysical inquiry and poetic insight, Borges offers a meditation on the universal and inevitable nature of death, and the complex, often troubling ways in which it intersects with life.

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