Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Promises: 9. Foreign Shore, Old Woman, Slaughter of Octopus," Robert Penn Warren presents a haunting, meditative reflection on the cyclical nature of life and death, using the imagery of an old woman on a foreign shore and the violent slaughter of an octopus to evoke themes of detachment, resilience, and the inexorable passage of time. The poem explores the relationship between humanity and nature, as well as the isolation and wisdom that come with age. Through vivid, tactile descriptions, Warren creates a sense of inevitability, where the actions of the day give way to the creeping darkness of night, mirroring the inevitable march toward death.

The poem begins with the image of the old woman, dressed in "peasant black," walking barefoot along the beach as the day withdraws. This solitary figure is marked by her slow, deliberate pace, as she walks among "volcanic black boulders" near the sea’s edge. Her black attire and the setting sun emphasize the approaching end of the day, symbolizing the approach of death or the conclusion of a life lived. The waves, personified as the "sea-tongue," speak softly among the boulders, creating a quiet, almost mournful atmosphere. The repetition of the question—"What now do the waves say / To her, the old woman?"—suggests that whatever wisdom or message the sea might hold is something she already knows intimately, perhaps from a lifetime spent by the shore.

As the sun sets, "saffron-saddening the mountain," the poem transitions into a description of the old woman stopping by the boulders. The imagery of the sun warming the stone, only for it to grow colder as night falls, mirrors the inevitability of the fading warmth of life. The woman’s connection to the physical world is profound—if she were to touch the boulder, it would still be warm, though she knows it will soon cool. This tactile awareness of the changing world around her symbolizes her deep understanding of the transient nature of life. She is aware, just as the sea is, that "what came will recur," suggesting a detachment born from the wisdom of witnessing the cycles of life and death repeat themselves.

The poem introduces a stark contrast between the old woman’s quiet, reflective presence and the violence of the day’s earlier events: the "slaughter of octopus." The description of the octopus is grotesque and visceral: "Ectoplasmic, snot-gray, the obscene of the life-wish," with its "tentacles weaving like prayer" and "eyes wide to glare-horror." This image of the octopus, dragged from its dark lair and spread out on the stone for slaughter, evokes the brutality of survival and the darker aspects of nature. The boys who "yelled at the knife flash" as they killed the octopus represent the energy and recklessness of youth, in stark contrast to the old woman’s stillness and acceptance of life’s harsh realities. The mountain, now black as the sun drops, and the foam lacing white among the boulders further deepen the sense of impending darkness and finality.

As the scene shifts to the wind stirring the remnants of a picnic, a single gull hangs in the sky, "white in contempt of our human heart, and the night." This image of the gull, detached and seemingly indifferent, reflects the old woman’s own detachment from the human dramas unfolding around her. The gull’s ease contrasts with the violence of the day and the impending night, as if nature itself is indifferent to human suffering or emotional turmoil. The "pearl-slime of the slaughter" glinting on the black stone in the last light of the day serves as a reminder of the violence that lingers even as the world moves toward darkness.

Warren returns to the old woman, asking, "What can the sea tell her, / That she does not now know, and know how to bear?" This line emphasizes her deep familiarity with the cycles of nature and life. The woman knows, as the sea knows, that everything in life recurs—joy, pain, life, and death—and she is detached in that knowledge. She understands, just as the sea does, that life’s energy—like the warmth of the sun in the sand—slowly dissipates into the night air. The wisdom of age allows her to accept this process without fear or resistance, standing barefoot and rooted in the reality of life’s impermanence.

The poem closes with the speaker’s acknowledgment of their own distance from the old woman. "This is not my country, or tongue," the speaker admits, recognizing the cultural and temporal gap between them. Yet, despite this distance, the image of the old woman on the foreign shore remains with the speaker, offering some measure of comfort or understanding in moments of personal pain. The speaker anticipates going "on my errand"—perhaps their own inevitable journey toward death or an understanding of life’s meaning—and will leave much behind. However, the image of the old woman, standing resiliently by the sea, will remain a source of solace. Her ability to bear the weight of life and death with grace, detached but aware, may "assuage / The mind's pain of logic somewhat, or the heart's rage."

In "Promises: 9. Foreign Shore, Old Woman, Slaughter of Octopus," Robert Penn Warren uses the contrasting images of the old woman and the slaughtered octopus to explore themes of detachment, wisdom, and the cyclical nature of life. The old woman, with her deep understanding of the world’s cycles, stands as a symbol of acceptance in the face of mortality, while the violent death of the octopus and the recklessness of youth serve as reminders of life’s brutality. Through rich, sensory language and evocative imagery, Warren captures the tension between human emotions and the indifferent forces of nature, ultimately suggesting that wisdom lies in accepting the inevitable recurrence of life and death, and finding solace in the quiet knowledge that all things return.

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