Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Beneath My Hand and Eye the Distant Hills. Your Body" is a poem by Gary Snyder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet and environmental activist. The poem was first published in 1960 in his collection "Myths and Texts".

Explanation: 

The poem describes a moment of intimacy between the speaker and their lover in a natural setting. The speaker touches their lover's body while looking out at the distant hills, and reflects on the connection between the natural world and human experience. The composition date is not specified.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: Free verse with irregular line lengths and no specific rhyme scheme.
• Theme: The connection between human beings and the natural world, and the idea that physical touch can provide a sense of communion with nature.
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the natural setting and the physical sensations of touch and sight.
• Tone: Intimate, reflective, and reverent towards the natural world.
• Sound: Sparse use of sound devices, but some examples include alliteration ("dusty/darkening") and internal rhyme ("moss, boss").
• Language: Simple and straightforward, but with occasional moments of poetic phrasing, such as "rippled/silhouette".
• Figurative language: Metaphors comparing the body to the hills and the speaker's hand to a bird.
• Structure: The poem is divided into three stanzas of varying length, with irregular line lengths and no specific rhyme scheme.
• Symbolism: The hills and the body are used as symbols of the connection between human beings and the natural world.
• Emotion: The poem conveys a sense of intimacy, reverence, and wonder towards the natural world and the speaker's lover.

Conclusion:

"Beneath My Hand and Eye the Distant Hills. Your Body" is a beautifully written poem that explores the connection between human beings and the natural world, using vivid imagery and intimate language. The poem is a testament to Snyder's skill as a poet and his commitment to environmentalism.

Poem Snippet:

"Beneath my hand and eye

the distant hills. Your body,

and a strange bird

cries out from a moss bossed tree

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