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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
The poem begins with a striking image of renewal and transformation: "She cracks her skin like a shell, and goes in." This act of shedding and renewal serves as a metaphor for the evolutionary process itself—constant change, adaptation, and the emergence into new states of being. The use of "she" personifies nature or life as a nurturing, yet relentless force driving evolution forward. As the poem progresses, the speaker takes us through various stages of evolution, from life in the womb and survival in harsh, prehistoric conditions, symbolized by "snow piles outside the cave she burrows in," to the emergence of more complex life forms. Each stanza represents a leap in evolutionary complexity, from mammals to the appearance of scales and the development of creatures capable of sensing environmental changes, like the "Sphenodon turns its third eye on the sky." Cherry masterfully employs images of transformation, such as the spine unfurling "a sail broadside to the sun," to depict evolution not just as a scientific process but as a poetic and almost mystical unfolding of life's potential. The journey from water to land, from "lobe-finned and fleshy" creatures breathing through gills to beings with a "skull is limestone," symbolizes the profound adaptability and resilience of life. The closing lines of the poem, "The earth splits and gapes / The earth cracks open like an egg and she goes in / We begin," encapsulate the cyclical nature of existence and the perpetual rebirth inherent in the evolutionary process. The earth itself is portrayed as a womb, continuously giving birth to new forms of life, with humanity emerging as the latest iteration in this unending cycle. "Phylogenesis" is not merely a recounting of evolutionary milestones; it is a meditation on the interconnectedness of all life and the awe-inspiring journey from the simplest organisms to the complexity of human beings. Cherry's poem invites readers to reflect on their place in the vast tapestry of life and to marvel at the miraculous process that connects us to the most ancient forms of existence. Through its lyrical exploration of evolution, "Phylogenesis" reminds us of the beauty, mystery, and continuity of life on Earth.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BALLAD OF BOUILLABAISSE by WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY HAVE YOU PLANTED A TREE? by HENRY ABBEY AGAMEMNON: CHORUS by AESCHYLUS PSALM 1. BEATUS VIR, QUI NON by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE PSALM 28. AD TE DOMINE CLAMABO by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE IN GOD'S ACRE by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON TO CHLOE, WHO WISHED HERSELF YOUNG ENOUGH FOR ME by WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT |
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