Continuum. Allen Curnow.
The word continuum refers to a link between two things or a continuous series of things that
blend into each other so gradually and seamlessly that it is impossible to say where one becomes the next.
This is what the poet is trying to achieve through creating poetry, continuous ideas and this poem shows his frustration when he feels that nature is hindering his creativity.
One of the things that Curnow liked doing was to capture the essence of a child by showing the childlike engagement a child might have with its environment. The first stanza shows his childlike humour in the way he depicts the moon which "rolls" and "falls." Even the language is simplistic. like that of a child.
"All poems are rash acts." Allen Curnow.
The persona/poet is unable to get off to sleep, "off the subject" or "off the planet." He can't stop thinking either. He goes outside barefooted into the "washed out creation." The sky has probably lost its colour because it's night not day and more symbolically, it represents his own state of being-a mental block is responsible for his inability to create verse. His mind is blank.
He hopes for inspiration from Nature. The two clouds are like possessions, not just heavenly bodies. He personifies one by referring to it as an "adversary" (an enemy). It's as if the cloud which represents an aspect of Nature is conspiring against him, preventing him from writing his poetry.
On the other hand, perhaps this is an excuse, perhaps the cloud simply moves because of the wind? Notice the additional comment of "or something." There are so many things that we don't understand.
In the fifth stanza he refers to time-he personifies the moment using "stretches" then talks about how irregular time is because the next moment is not "on time." It may suggest his frustration at waiting unproductively for nothing to happen.
Inevitably, he gives up, accepting defeat and the chill of the planks under his feet which seem to reach his throat and he returns inside to his bed.
Nature (the sky) has not inspired the writer. Note lines 16/17 when he talks about the sky which "empties the whole of its contents down." It's rather like throwing everything away. He probably believed that there were forces (in Nature) working against him and that's why his mind remained blank and empty.
Interestingly, in the final stanza the poet detaches himself from the persona:"close the door behind/on the author." It reinforces his failure in calling himself an author when he can't write. There is an echoing device at the end between the persona and the poet with "paces me back/to bed, stealthily in step."
"Cringing" suggests feeling uncomfortable because of the frustration and having to admit defeat. Curnow has produced an interesting poem so the exercise wasn't a waste of time, was it?
The moon rolls over the roof and falls behind
my house, and the moon does neither of these things,
I am talking about myself.
It's not possible to get off to sleep or
the subject or the planet, nor to think thoughts.
Better barefoot it out the front
door and lean from the porch across the privets
and the palms into the washed-out creation,
a dark place with two particular
bright clouds dusted (query) by the moon, one's mine
the other's an adversary, which may depend
on the wind, or something.
A long moment stretches, the next one is not
on time. Not unaccountably the chill of
the planking underfoot rises
in the throat, for its part the night sky empties
the whole of its contents down. Turn on a bare
heel, close the door behind
on the author, cringing demiurge, who picks up
his letter and his tools and paces me back
to bed, stealthily in step.
blend into each other so gradually and seamlessly that it is impossible to say where one becomes the next.
This is what the poet is trying to achieve through creating poetry, continuous ideas and this poem shows his frustration when he feels that nature is hindering his creativity.
One of the things that Curnow liked doing was to capture the essence of a child by showing the childlike engagement a child might have with its environment. The first stanza shows his childlike humour in the way he depicts the moon which "rolls" and "falls." Even the language is simplistic. like that of a child.
"All poems are rash acts." Allen Curnow.
The persona/poet is unable to get off to sleep, "off the subject" or "off the planet." He can't stop thinking either. He goes outside barefooted into the "washed out creation." The sky has probably lost its colour because it's night not day and more symbolically, it represents his own state of being-a mental block is responsible for his inability to create verse. His mind is blank.
He hopes for inspiration from Nature. The two clouds are like possessions, not just heavenly bodies. He personifies one by referring to it as an "adversary" (an enemy). It's as if the cloud which represents an aspect of Nature is conspiring against him, preventing him from writing his poetry.
On the other hand, perhaps this is an excuse, perhaps the cloud simply moves because of the wind? Notice the additional comment of "or something." There are so many things that we don't understand.
In the fifth stanza he refers to time-he personifies the moment using "stretches" then talks about how irregular time is because the next moment is not "on time." It may suggest his frustration at waiting unproductively for nothing to happen.
Inevitably, he gives up, accepting defeat and the chill of the planks under his feet which seem to reach his throat and he returns inside to his bed.
Nature (the sky) has not inspired the writer. Note lines 16/17 when he talks about the sky which "empties the whole of its contents down." It's rather like throwing everything away. He probably believed that there were forces (in Nature) working against him and that's why his mind remained blank and empty.
Interestingly, in the final stanza the poet detaches himself from the persona:"close the door behind/on the author." It reinforces his failure in calling himself an author when he can't write. There is an echoing device at the end between the persona and the poet with "paces me back/to bed, stealthily in step."
"Cringing" suggests feeling uncomfortable because of the frustration and having to admit defeat. Curnow has produced an interesting poem so the exercise wasn't a waste of time, was it?
Image courtesy of Carcanet
COPYRIGHT 2012. PERMISSION TO USE THIS ARTICLE MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE AUTHOR.The moon rolls over the roof and falls behind
my house, and the moon does neither of these things,
I am talking about myself.
It's not possible to get off to sleep or
the subject or the planet, nor to think thoughts.
Better barefoot it out the front
door and lean from the porch across the privets
and the palms into the washed-out creation,
a dark place with two particular
bright clouds dusted (query) by the moon, one's mine
the other's an adversary, which may depend
on the wind, or something.
A long moment stretches, the next one is not
on time. Not unaccountably the chill of
the planking underfoot rises
in the throat, for its part the night sky empties
the whole of its contents down. Turn on a bare
heel, close the door behind
on the author, cringing demiurge, who picks up
his letter and his tools and paces me back
to bed, stealthily in step.
Do you find the review helpful? Please let me know. Thanks.
ReplyDeletethe last lines and the poet's frustration of the time not being on time, that has been explained beautifully
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying that. I am just trying to show an interpretation. Are you studying the poem for an exam? this poem is my most popular article on my blog. Well over 500+ views!
ReplyDelete1,500 views. October 2013.
ReplyDelete