FULL POEM - SCROLL DOWN FOR LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS
Lying apart now, each in a separate bed,
He with a book, keeping the light on late,
She like a girl dreaming of childhood,
All men elsewhere – it is as if they wait
Some new event: the book he holds unread,
Her eyes fixed on the shadows overhead.
Tossed up like flotsam from a former passion,
How cool they lie. They hardly ever touch,
Or if they do, it is like a confession
Of having little feeling – or too much.
Chastity faces them, a destination
For which their whole lives were a preparation.
Strangely apart, yet strangely close together,
Silence between them like a thread to hold
And not wind in. And time itself’s a feather
Touching them gently. Do they know they’re old,
These two who are my father and my mother
Whose fire from which I came, has now grown cold?
LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS
STANZA 1
Lying apart now, each in a separate bed,
The first line describes the couple, who are the parents of the speaker, as physically distant and isolated from one another and sleeping in ‘separate beds’. The caesura mid-line helps pause the poem and break up its rhythm to illustrate the distance between them and their lack of physical connection.
He with a book, keeping the light on late,
She like a girl dreaming of childhood,
These 2 lines convey their emotional disconnect. What they’re both doing are forms of escapism which emphasises how they’d rather be elsewhere rather then together. The simile ‘like a girl dreaming of childhood’ suggests that she wants to return to this happier part of her life.
All men elsewhere – it is as if they wait
‘All me elsewhere’ links to the woman’s dreams of happier times during those times were men she’d rather be spending time with now.
Some new event: the book he holds unread,
They’re both waittig for a ‘new event’ (perhaps death) or something interesting to happen in their lives as their day to day existence is monotonous. How ‘the book he holds unread’ signifies the stillness and inactivity of their lives.
Her eyes fixed on the shadows overhead.
The ‘shadows’ are described as almost looming ominously overhead creating a unnerving, somber tone, perhaps personifying the years they have lost in this loveless relationship and also the threat of more years of the same looming inevitably over them.
STANZA 2
Tossed up like flotsam from a former passion,
This is a line with a lot of meaning: firstly ‘tossed up’ implies a lack of control which gives a feeling of inevitability for them ending up here. ‘Flotsam’ is the wreckage of a ship and this imagery contrasts with the ‘former passion’ we learn that they once shared. This emphasises the disintegration of their relationship, increasing pathos.
How cool they lie. They hardly ever touch,
The ‘cool’ nature of their relationship juxtaposes the heat associated with their previous ‘passion’. The sensory language of warmth links to how they no longer ‘touch’.
Or if they do, it is like a confession
Of having little feeling – or too much.
The simile ‘like a confession’ is an example of religious imagery as in Roman Catholicism the act of ‘confession’ is one of the seven sacraments were the faithful obtain absolution for their sins from God. This describes there ‘little feeling’ of love or ‘too much feeling’ of resentment as a sin.
Chastity faces them, a destination
‘Chastity’ also has strong religious connotations of priests refraining from sexual activity to be pure and fully devoted to God. It is personified as ‘facing them’ to create an ominous, threatening tone that they cannot turn away from.
For which their whole lives were a preparation.
This line holds a very depressing and somber meaning as it describes their previous years together when there was a spark between them as ‘preparation’ for the climax of sexual inactivity and disconnect in their relationship now.
STANZA 3
Strangely apart, yet strangely close together,
This line is ambiguous due to its paradoxical nature but the hidden meaning is that, despite their seemingly isolated state now, psychologically they have an odd closeness that isn’t bred from passion but understanding due to the length of their relationship.
Silence between them like a thread to hold
This line implies that the silence between them is holding strong despite the thread’s fragile nature.
And not wind in. And time itself’s a feather
Touching them gently. Do they know they’re old,
The effects of time upon them are personified in these two lines and time is described to be ‘feather touching them gently’. This describes the passing of time – the seconds ticking with every touch of the feather. The imagery of the ‘feather’ is soft, natural and gentle. There are not hurtling through life towards death but steadily progressing towards it bit by bit.
These two who are my father and my mother
We learn that the poem has been focusing on the parents of the poet. The direct address to them (‘my) is significant because it shows that she still holds a connection to both of them which juxtaposes their separation. Their separation is further emphasized when the speaker addresses them as separate entities – ‘father’ and ‘mother’ not parents.
Whose fire from which I came, has now grown cold?
The ‘fire’ is a metaphor for the passion and love that was in their relationship which juxtaposes with its barren, non-sexual nature now. The rhetorical question is from ‘Do they know they’re old’ 2 lines ago and suggests that the passing of time may have slipped past them as they shut themselves away from reality and the outside world.
