avatarJ.D. Harms

Summary

The poem "Secluded" reflects on the tension between human emotion and the abstract, often chaotic nature of the world.

Abstract

"Secluded" is a poem that captures the essence of human struggle amidst a world that seems disconnected and suspended in a state of flux. The imagery of a boat hanging in the air suggests a disruption of the natural order, while the mention of "broken glass at windows" implies a sense of danger and fragility. The poem delves into the overwhelming nature of life's intricate web, which can feel like a relentless assault on one's sanity. The speaker acknowledges a collective desire to harmonize with the rhythm of life's distances and the difficulty of releasing oneself from the unsettling feeling of premature arrival in the current circumstances. The poem is a contemplation on the human condition, marked by the challenge of finding peace in a world that can seem both beautiful and unforgiving.

Opinions

  • The poem conveys a sense of disorientation and disconnection from the natural order, as symbolized by the boat suspended in the air.
  • There is a palpable tension between the serene beauty of the "stellar closed bathing suit" and the chaotic energy of "broken glass at windows," suggesting a duality of existence.
  • The author seems to critique the complexity of modern life, which is likened to an "operatic web" that ensnares and overwhelms the individual.
  • The poem reflects a shared longing to find harmony in the midst of life's chaos, as well as a struggle to release oneself from the anxieties of an uncertain world.
  • The sentiment that we have arrived "too soon" hints at a collective existential unease, a feeling of being out of sync with the pace of life.

Secluded

A Poem

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

A stellar closed bathing suit the boat in the air suspended on lines suspected of hurling broken glass at windows

Wound into the bright opera of a tedious web scoring a thousand strikes against sanity

We’ll subsume ourselves to the rhythm of distance and try unsuccessfully to let go of the feeling that we got here too soon

J.D. Harms 2020

Poetry
Image
Alone
Isolated
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