9When one has lived a long time alone,
and the hermit thrush calls and there is an answer,
and the bullfrog head half out of water utters
the cantillations he sang in his first spring,
and the snake lowers himself over the threshold
and creeps away among the stones, one sees
they all live to mate with their kind, and one knows,
after a long time of solitude, after the many steps taken
away from one's kind, toward these other kingdoms,
the hard prayer inside one's own singing
is to come back, if one can, to one's own,
a world almost lost, in the exile that deepens,
when one has lived a long time alone.
Friday, March 4, 2011
"9," by Galway Kinnell
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I think this poem is just talking about man becoming a part of nature. How it talks about a long time in solitude you move away from your own kind and towards these other kingdoms. The Kindoms could be refering to the different parts of nature and different animals in nature.
ReplyDeleteThis poem, written by Galway Kinnell, has vivid imagery describing various things such as "the bullfrog head half out of water" and the snake how it "creeps away among the stones". This imagery paints a picture of nature for the reader, while it also illustrates solitude through the animals. I think that the poem is talking about love and the need to love or to be loved is the reason why we live.
ReplyDeleteThis poem shows great imagery and describes through out the whole poem. It talks about being one with nature and describes nature a lot. Also I agree to me it sounds like the kingdoms are expanding or referring to the different parts of nature. Also there are many many many different types of animals in nature and the wilderness.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other comments that the poem does provide great imagery. The poem uses passages like "the bullfrog head half out of water utters the cantillations he sang in his first spring," this quote is realistic and is easy to image in our heads. I also like how the poem realates animals to people like "the snake lowers himself over the threshold and creeps away among the stones."
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