Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens’ "Sun This March" is a reflective and introspective poem that explores themes of renewal, self-awareness, and the interplay between light and darkness. Through the imagery of the March sun and the lingering effects of winter, Stevens delves into the complexities of perception, identity, and transformation. The poem’s philosophical tone and concise structure reflect Stevens’ characteristic blend of vivid imagery and existential inquiry.

The poem opens with an acknowledgment of the "exceeding brightness of this early sun," which contrasts starkly with the speaker’s inner state: "Makes me conceive how dark I have become." This juxtaposition highlights the tension between the external world and the speaker’s internal reality. The brightness of the March sun, signaling the transition from winter to spring, acts as a mirror, illuminating the speaker’s sense of personal darkness or detachment. The phrase "how dark I have become" suggests a recognition of inner change, perhaps wrought by the harshness and isolation of winter.

The sun "re-illumines things that used to turn / To gold in broadest blue," evoking a sense of nostalgia for past perceptions. The transformation of ordinary objects into something golden and vibrant reflects the vitality and inspiration of a former self. The sun’s brightness not only lights the present but also rekindles memories of a "turning spirit" within the speaker, suggesting a cyclical process of renewal and rediscovery. This earlier self, tied to the warmth and vibrancy of a different time, "returns from out the winter’s air," as if emerging from hibernation.

Stevens describes this return as "an hallucination come to daze / The corner of the eye." The hallucination blurs the boundary between reality and imagination, emphasizing the fleeting and elusive nature of memory and transformation. The phrase "the corner of the eye" suggests a peripheral awareness, where the past reemerges not directly but obliquely, coloring the speaker’s perception without fully materializing. This interplay between the real and the imagined reflects the complexity of renewal, where past experiences influence but do not entirely define the present.

The line "Our element. / Cold is our element and winter’s air" shifts the focus from the personal to the collective. The speaker acknowledges the harshness of winter as a shared condition, a defining "element" that shapes identity and experience. The cold air "brings voices as of lions coming down," introducing a powerful and almost mythical presence. The lions’ voices suggest strength, vitality, and a primal force, counterbalancing the stillness and severity of winter. These voices may symbolize the resurgence of life and energy as winter transitions into spring.

The poem concludes with an appeal: "Oh! Rabbi, rabbi, fend my soul for me / And true savant of this dark nature be." This invocation of the rabbi, a spiritual guide and teacher, underscores the speaker’s yearning for understanding and redemption. The repeated "rabbi" adds a sense of urgency, while the request to "fend my soul" reflects the speaker’s vulnerability and desire for protection. The plea for a "true savant of this dark nature" suggests a longing for someone who can comprehend and navigate the complexities of the speaker’s inner darkness, offering insight and guidance.

Structurally, the poem’s concise form mirrors its focused meditation on light, darkness, and transformation. The free verse allows Stevens to weave together vivid imagery and introspective reflections seamlessly, creating a fluid and dynamic movement between external observation and internal realization. The poem’s transitions—from the brightness of the sun to memories of an earlier self, and finally to the voices of lions and the plea to the rabbi—reflect the layered and multifaceted nature of its themes.

"Sun This March" captures Stevens’ ability to explore profound themes through precise and evocative language. The poem’s meditation on light and darkness, renewal and memory, and the interplay between external and internal realities resonates as a universal reflection on the human condition. Through its rich imagery and philosophical depth, the poem invites readers to consider their own processes of transformation, the weight of the past, and the potential for illumination and growth in the face of darkness.

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