Poetry Blog No 154 Everything is Winter

EVERYTHING IS WINTER

 

 

 

 

It is sometimes supposed that the use of metaphor in poetry is merely a "decoration" and even that poetry itself is largely pretension. I would argue however that without the use of metaphor many things could hardly be expressed at all. This is particularly true of our inner life. In this poem the metaphor of winter expresses an inner sate. In a poem with a fairly "free" form such as this the line lengths and ends are not merely arbitrary but are used as part of the form for emphasis and stress on images and meanings. This is because a line should correspond to an actual physical aspect of recitation, namely the taking of a new breath. 

 

EVERYTHING IS WINTER

                  With us

everything is winter.

We feel its steel,

the core of flint.

Because

our aspiration is to measure,

to set things hard and sharp forever

and only think that real,

everything is winter

with us.

Because

we see all striving valid only

when counted out in payment and return;

because we cash the heart,

everything is winter

with us.

Because

we firstly calculate the cost;

because we stamp the state upon

neglect of others;

because we praise the greedy,

because we give all power to Mammon,

because we say

that that must be the way,

everything is winter

with us.

Because

we do not light the heart,

because we look

on knowledge coldly,

because we are not warm enough,

everything is winter

with us.

For us the force is just destruction;

we let the evil creep on in

on silent feet of frost

and pardon it as practical.

And this will be our end,

and this will be our greatest sin-

that for us

everything is winter.

reading with famous winter paintings