Inquiry I Essay
Gary Snyder makes use of four mini poems that combine to tell the story of the narrator’s prior relationship with a woman named Robin. From the beginning it is clear that this relationship ended in heartbreak and the narrator still struggles with the emotional toll it took on him. The poem uses images from nature that symbolize the state of the relationship between Robin and the protagonist. With each new poem, the state of the relationship and the speakers outlook changes and this is expressed through images of nature and also the tone of the protagonist.
The first poem, “Siwashing it out once in Siuslaw Forest”, opens by explaining the current loneliness of the protagonist as he “slept under rhododendrom…shivering on a sheet of cardboard.” This is immediately followed by his fond memory of the two “sleeping together in a big warm bed, we were the youngest lovers”. This memory is the complete opposite of what the author is feeling in the opening few lines. It is clear that what once made him happy is now gone and as a result he is suffering from heartbreak. He goes on to explain, “I don’t mind living this way...But sometimes when I am sleeping in the open, I think back to when I had you.” The protagonist believes that the way he is currently living is all right, but the memories of his former lover still consume his mind.
The next section, “A spring night in Shokoku-ji”, begins by once again by a memory of the two when they were together and happy. It is a warm spring night in May and the two “walked under the cherry blossoms together”. The speaker also makes references to orchards and gardens symbolizing the blooming and beautiful love the two used to share. It once again bounces back to reality where he is alone “Here in the night…I feel the trembling ghost of Yugao” once again showing the unwariness he feels remembering what used to be.
The third section, “An autumn morning in Shokoku-ji”, changes the tone for the rest of the poem. The warm imagery that was in the previous two sections is gone, the season has changed to autumn and it is now cold. The memories of Robin have also changed from warm and loving and he now dreams of her as “wild, cold, and accusing.” No longer is there any physical contact between the two described and it appears that the two’s relationship has changed from intimacy to separation.
The final section, “December at Yase”, begins with the break-up and continues with regrets from the speaker. The state of the relationship is exemplified when the speaker states, “In the tall dry grass by the orchard, when you choose to be free…” The tall dry grass symbolizes how the once blossoming relationship is now dried up and dead and she has chosen to move on without him. The speaker is now left with what could have been and his feeling of regret is exemplified when he says, “…And may never now know, If I am a fool, Or have done, What my karma demands. The December month to this section is also very powerful to the meaning of the poem. It is now December, which is the coldest month of the year and it used to symbolize the absolute end of the relationship.
This poem takes the reader on a journey of the struggle to forget about prior relationships that used to mean so much. The speaker uses imagery from nature to help explain his tone and emotion he feels towards Robin. It is also used to explain how he feels about the status of their relationship. It chronologically takes the reader through the seasons explaining what used to be a warm and blossoming relationship, has turned cold and over.
The first poem, “Siwashing it out once in Siuslaw Forest”, opens by explaining the current loneliness of the protagonist as he “slept under rhododendrom…shivering on a sheet of cardboard.” This is immediately followed by his fond memory of the two “sleeping together in a big warm bed, we were the youngest lovers”. This memory is the complete opposite of what the author is feeling in the opening few lines. It is clear that what once made him happy is now gone and as a result he is suffering from heartbreak. He goes on to explain, “I don’t mind living this way...But sometimes when I am sleeping in the open, I think back to when I had you.” The protagonist believes that the way he is currently living is all right, but the memories of his former lover still consume his mind.
The next section, “A spring night in Shokoku-ji”, begins by once again by a memory of the two when they were together and happy. It is a warm spring night in May and the two “walked under the cherry blossoms together”. The speaker also makes references to orchards and gardens symbolizing the blooming and beautiful love the two used to share. It once again bounces back to reality where he is alone “Here in the night…I feel the trembling ghost of Yugao” once again showing the unwariness he feels remembering what used to be.
The third section, “An autumn morning in Shokoku-ji”, changes the tone for the rest of the poem. The warm imagery that was in the previous two sections is gone, the season has changed to autumn and it is now cold. The memories of Robin have also changed from warm and loving and he now dreams of her as “wild, cold, and accusing.” No longer is there any physical contact between the two described and it appears that the two’s relationship has changed from intimacy to separation.
The final section, “December at Yase”, begins with the break-up and continues with regrets from the speaker. The state of the relationship is exemplified when the speaker states, “In the tall dry grass by the orchard, when you choose to be free…” The tall dry grass symbolizes how the once blossoming relationship is now dried up and dead and she has chosen to move on without him. The speaker is now left with what could have been and his feeling of regret is exemplified when he says, “…And may never now know, If I am a fool, Or have done, What my karma demands. The December month to this section is also very powerful to the meaning of the poem. It is now December, which is the coldest month of the year and it used to symbolize the absolute end of the relationship.
This poem takes the reader on a journey of the struggle to forget about prior relationships that used to mean so much. The speaker uses imagery from nature to help explain his tone and emotion he feels towards Robin. It is also used to explain how he feels about the status of their relationship. It chronologically takes the reader through the seasons explaining what used to be a warm and blossoming relationship, has turned cold and over.