Poetry Through the Ages for February

Week One: 
 

The Final Recognition—2004. Age 15​

​

Recognize the sound as a comforting sound.

Take comfort in the sound you heard long ago.

Recognize the sight as a comforting vision.

Death.

A vision only you can see.

​​

Analogy

​

Recognize the sound as a comforting sound.—

Without context, this line has two meanings (or more if you can think of any). The concept of recognition introduces a sense of familiarity between the subject and the poet and in this line, the use of sound is used. In poetry, sound is used as the means to get the poetic meaning across and it can also be used as a means to convey intention of the poet. In some cases, the meaning of the poem and the poet’s intention aren’t mutually exclusive. This could happen when the context of the poem makes the poet uncomfortable but they write the poem anyway because they simply have to get it out of their head. In this line, the poet could feel uncomfortable with the context of the poem yet they wrote it to get the words out of their head. In this context, the reason for the poet searching for and recognizing a comforting sound could be because they are used to uncomfortable sounds and need to search for something that makes them feel safe. When the poet recognizes ‘a comforting sound’, this could also make them uncomfortable (where the meaning and intention differ) because they might not know when they will hear this sound again. In so doing, they might not know when they can feel safe again, which means this first line uses sound and the poet’s intention to get the message across.

​

Take comfort in the sound you heard long ago.—

Is the poet speaking to you as the reader in this poem? Does this mean the poet knows (or believes they do) know you? How would the poet know you? Does the poet believe they know you because they might assume you, as the reader, know what comfort sounds like compared to them, who can only imagine what it sounds like? Do you agree with the poet? Do you know what comfort sounds like? How would you know what it sounds like if it’s all you’ve ever known? There is also the possibility that you are in the same metaphorical boat as the poet and you, too, search for the sound of comfort. In this line, it is implied that you, as the reader, knew what comfort sounded like in the past but have since lost your ability to see or recognize it. If this is true, what did comfort sound like to you? Has the sound of comfort changed since then, which could be the reason you don’t recognize it? If you, as the reader, has had many sounds that brought you comfort, which one will you choose if the poet asks which you would give away for an easier life today? If there isn’t a comforting sound you can take solace in today, how would the poet use this to their advantage to bring you out of their comfort zone to entice you to read a poem about the final recognition of your thoughts and sounds?

​

Recognize the sight as a comforting vision.—

In this line, the focus has shifted from you, as the reader, and back towards the poet, but why? Has the poet realized that you, as the reader, can’t actually see the poet and only their scribbles on a page? If the poet is speaking about themselves and recognizes something as a ‘comforting vision’, what could they have seen? Or have the sounds turned into visual stimuli, like the sound of water running turning into a waterfall or the sound of a crying person turning into a person the poet and the reader can see? If you, as the reader, can see this, does this mean you understand the poet’s personal intent as well as their message to their readers? If there is something in your life that brings you comfort, or used to, when you think about that thing, do you hear it first or imagine it first? These sounds could be the voice of a caring and loving parent or grandparent who comforted you during a difficult time, or you could imagine a teacher or coach guiding a friend away from a dangerous situation that would have brought them great discomfort. These sights and sounds could be as comforting to the poet as they are to you, as the reader, because you and the poet might have had similar experiences at a basic level. These experiences could include a loving family or protecting teachers which created common ground for you to recognize the finality of your comforting choices.

​

Death.—

As a reader, what does Death mean to you? Is it a comforting thought when you think about your life and think it would be better if it would just end? Do you, the reader, believe this is what the poet thinks and asks for, reading the lines above? What if the comforting sound from earlier in the poem is the sound of silence then the sound of wailing when those around the dead person realize what has happened? If this is the sound you, as the reader, experienced in the past (from the earlier line), what did Death sound like? Is this a physical Death of someone you knew, or was this a metaphorical Death where an aspect of your personality died when you realized it had served its purpose, the realization of the final recognition of the feebleness of you final source of comfort: To be no more.

​

A vision only you can see.—

Given my explanations above, how would you analyze this line?

​

What do you think? Do you agree with my understanding and symbolism? I’d love to know!

​

Please use this [ link ] to the optional forum to start a discussion about the poem. Alternatively, you can use any of the email links from the contact [ page ]

​