My group hasn't gone yet, and I don't want to reveal our secretive interpretation of For the Union Dead, so unfortunately I must blog about another poem. I suppose that since we didn't have much time to discuss Sestina today in class, I'll attempt an interpretation here.
I really enjoy Sestina; we read it earlier this year during another poetry unit, and I was impressed by both its formal characteristics and its meaning. I think that it describes well the pain the grandmother must keep secret from the young child. By juxtaposing traditional symbols of childhood with phrases detailing the grandmother's anguish, she shows the weight of sorrow amidst the ease and comfort of innocence. The only line that really confuses me is in the final stanza: "Time to plant tears, says the almanac." Does that phrase imply the almanac's ability to cause pain? In fact, what exactly is the position of the almanac within the poem? I sort of understand it metaphorically, but remain a bit confused- perhaps it has personal significance to the author or speaker?
I to had a question about the alamacs role and the things that he was saying. I was unsure about the same line as well. The alamac tells the future of things. Possibly the alamac is like a fortune teller, that can see the future. Its not trying to cause pain, but be an observer. This is just my interpretation because I am quite puzzled.
Posted by: ben L | May 02, 2007 at 09:17 PM